CAMBRIA TWP. — The neighbor of a shooting range at Hillsdale College says the associated noise has affected his quality of life for more than a decade.
Chris Balcom, who lives on Bankers Road in front of the John Anthony Halter Shooting Sports Education Center, said he’s been troubled by noise from the complex for more than 14 years — with frequency and intensity increasing over time.
He attributes the increase to the addition of pistol ranges and trap shooting areas, as well as the recently constructed Nimrod Complex.
“(The) full-auto machine guns they shoot rattle the walls in my home,” Balcom told The Daily News, adding it’s difficult to relax outdoors and, sometimes, to sleep.
“Some nights they shoot until almost 10 p.m. — hearing the shooting makes it hard to sleep.”
Hillsdale College, however, said the complex has operated since 2008 and meets or exceeds regulatory and industry standards. Emily Stack Davis, the school’s director of media and public relations, said officials work to balance the use of the complex with the needs of neighbors.
“We understand that sound can be a concern and operate the range in an appropriate manner that observes quiet times,” she told The Daily News.
Stack Davis said the complex is located on a large parcel and was designed with sound mitigation in mind, including baffles and other structures. The college has also conducted sound studies, she said, with results that satisfy local ordinance.
“We have received concerns from nearby residents from time to time,” she admitted. “We take them seriously and address them in a neighborly way.”
Stack Davis said additional mitigation efforts are planned, including the installation of siding on the east side of the Nimrod Complex. Already, she added, the complex limits shooting to special events on Sundays and Mondays.
Balcom, meanwhile, worries the presence of the range is affecting property values.
“It definitely makes it more difficult to sell your home,” he said, calling for the installation of sound barriers or adjustments to operating hours to allow for quieter evenings.
“The range isn’t going anywhere and is growing,” he acknowledged. “But they could do things to make it less miserable for myself and my neighbors.”
— Contact reporter Corey Murray at cmurray@hillsdale.net or follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @cmurrayhdn.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale College neighbor frustrated by constant gunfire from range
Reporting by Corey J. Murray, Hillsdale Daily News / Hillsdale Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
