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EDMONTON – Parkland County has upheld an appeal and denied the renewal of a development permit for a gun range in Spruce Grove, meaning it will have to stop operating Nov. 9.

In a news release, the county said its Subdivision and Development Appeal Board made the decision after “considering evidence presented from area residents, concerned citizens, and the Spruce Grove Gun Club itself.”

The county said the board looked at the question of land use and its compatibility with neighbouring uses.

Scroll down to read the full decision.

The club reacted to the news on its website, writing it was “very surprised” the board decided to uphold “the neighbour’s appeal and not renew our development permit” despite the club “complying with federal, provincial and county requirements.”

The club said is has all the required federal firearms safety approvals, has met or exceeded the existing county development permit, and the noise from the range is “well below” the county’s noise limits. The club also said it investigated and found there was no evidence that any bullets had left the range in the past year.

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“The facility has been operating in this rural area of Parkland County for over 40 years, since the 1970s,” the website reads. Tweet This

“Many of those who complained about the range moved into the area long after the range was established and were aware of the range operation,” the statement continued.

The club said it believes the decision sets a bad precedent and is reviewing all its options to move forward.

The decision can be appealed to the Court of Appeal of Alberta within 30 days of the county’s decision.

Oct. 23, 2015 – Parkland County re: Spruce Grove Gun Club

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