Laura Colvin

Hometown Life

Milford Township could grant approval for construction of a large new firearms facility as soon as this month.

Ed Swadish, owner of Huron Valley Guns in the Village of Milford, is proposing a 37,500-square-foot training and educational facility — at a cost of $5.4 million — on an 8-acre acre parcel just north of Pontiac Trail on Milford Road in the township’s south end.

“I want to build a state-of-the-art facility,” Swadish said. “This is the perfect location. There’s nothing else like this around here.”

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Swadish presented the concept to the Milford Township Board of Trustees, explaining the facility would consist of 25 lanes for shooting, and would be open to private individuals, but would also have six lanes dedicated to local police department training.

Milford Police Department, he said, would shoot for free — the police training area would feature red and blue strobe lights to simulate shooting while emergency lights are flashing — but would also likely be utilized by other area departments and agencies.

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Portions of the proposed building would also will be used to sell accessories, such as eye and ear protection, targets and firearm accessories, as well as firearm sales and rentals.

The facility would also include an outdoor archery range, limited to operation during daylight hours during the warmer months.

“Just like Milford is a destination spot for people to shop and dine, we fully expect our training facility to be a destination… due to its uniqueness,” Swadish said in the proposal. “(Huron Valley Guns) currently draws people from over 60 miles away, and people will drive past three other shops to get to ours. We fully expect there will be a slightly noticeable increase in other businesses in Milford as we expect they will patronize them as well.”

Swadish told the board the building would be constructed with quality materials, including state-of-the-art soundproofing and air filtration.

In addition to adding considerable to Milford’s tax revenue, he said, he intended to add 12-20 full- and part-time jobs.

Currently, the property is controlled by a 2008 consent agreement that spells out how the property may be used.

While a facility such as the one Swadish is proposing is not allowed under the current agreement, the document can be modified with the board’s approval and without necessarily requiring the applicant to move through the normal channels of site plan reviews and public hearings at the planning commission level.

While the board has not yet taken action to approve the plan, it did agree, by a 6-1 vote during the April meeting, to consider amendments to the consent judgment.

Trustee Randy Busick was the sole dissenter, expressing concerns about numerous issues, including property values for nearby residents and the potential for the facility, if unsuccessful, to sit vacant.

The site does not have water or sewer, and according to Supervisor Don Green, has not garnered interest from any developer since 2008.

Green said he expected the issue to appear on the board’s May 18 agenda.

Contact reporter Laura Colvin: lcolvin@hometownlife.com or 248-390-7396.