Mentor resident starts new process to bring gun range to city

Plans for an indoor firing range in Mentor continue to evolve.

After taking several steps toward locating a facility off Tyler Boulevard, Mentor resident David Holtz has picked a new site and switched up some elements of his proposal.

He originally had planned to open in September on Tin Man Road, but he never submitted a final site plan to the city after financing fell through after the Sandy Hook school shooting tragedy.

Meanwhile, he struck up a new business partnership and reworked the design for the facility.

Map: Possible Mentor shooting range location

‘We simply had a new opportunity that was too good to pass up,’ said Holtz, a U.S. Army veteran. ‘We’re joining forces with the Point Blank Range & Gun Shop in Cincinnati to open the third such store in all of Ohio.

‘I’ve been down there several times to observe their operations and came away so impressed that I knew it was the right thing to do. The experience and professionalism they bring is simply unmatchable, and we are both honored and grateful to be a part of such a fantastic organization.’

The proposal now calls for a 20,000-square-foot building at 5957 Heisley Road with 20 shooting lanes and year-round climate control. The old plan involved 12 shooting lanes in 12,000 square feet, and the business name was then North Coast Gun Club.

‘This obviously benefits our customers by reducing wait times, providing a more comfortable place to relax while waiting and giving them a better overall range experience,’ Holtz said.

The higher-profile location also enables easy access at a half-mile from the Route 2/Route 44 North interchange, he added.

The site – between Cres Cor and JTO Inc. – is largely empty, the lone structure being a vacant house.

‘Right now, we’re working to get the appropriate city permits to expect to break ground sometime in the early spring with a grand opening by this time next year,’ he said.

Holtz was required to submit a new application for a firearms discharge permit, a requirement created when City Council lifted the ban on discharging weapons in the city specific to such businesses. Indoor shooting ranges are only allowed in industrial areas of the city and with a conditional-use permit.

He has made a request for the CUP and preliminary site plan approval, both of which are expected to appear on the Dec. 5 Planning Commission agenda.

The discharge permit still is going through the approval process, Assistant City Manager Tony Zampedro said.

‘It is in large part the same application, so there aren’t any real concerns on the part of the city,’ he said. ‘We don’t anticipate any problems with the approval.’

Zampedro said the administration is satisfied with the proposed gun rental policy, which drew some questions from a resident and some council members earlier this year. Related:

Firing range still on target in Mentor (with documents) (May 30, 2013) Gun rentals at proposed Mentor firing range in watchdog’s sights (with video) (Jan. 13, 2013) North Coast Gun Club’s preliminary site plan OK’d by Mentor Planned Commission (Nov. 16, 2012) Mentor City Council OKs firing ranges (Oct. 3, 2012) Mentor officials looking to clear way for indoor firing ranges in city (with documents) (Aug. 24, 2012)