GOOCHLAND, Va. — The Goochland County Planning Commission voted early Friday morning to not recommend the county approve a proposed shooting range, following a meeting that stretched until nearly 3 a.m.
The proposed facility would be built on 125 acres near I-64 and Old Fredericksburg Road in Goochland. The project was brought forward by the nonprofit Virginia Sports Park and Training Center at Goochland, which hoped to host up to 15 tournaments a year focusing on youth sports.
The planning commission was voting whether to recommend the Board of Supervisors approve or deny a conditional use permit for the new facility.
The group held several community meetings starting in October 2025, with residents expressing both support and opposition to the project. Thursday night's public comment drew a similar response.
One resident opposed to the range raised concerns about noise affecting daily life outdoors.
"I don't want to have to live thinking that I'm only going to be able to enjoy my outdoor life on days that it rains or days that it's snowing in the county because it's going to be shooting all day long," the resident said.
Supporters argued the benefits would outweigh the drawbacks.
"We feel the positive things this project will bring to Goochland will far outweigh the negative," one supporter said.
Another supporter pushed back on noise complaints from neighbors.
"People moved to a place where there's going to be the noise, and now they're complaining. There's noise, and it makes no sense," the supporter said.
With the planning commission voting to not recommend the shooting range, the Goochland Board of Supervisors will take up the issue during their October meeting.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
