ELYRIA, Ohio — One man who lives near Elyria isn’t thrilled about a new outdoor gun range that could be built soon through a collaboration between the Elyria Police Department and the Cleveland FBI.
News 5 Investigators got a look at the plans for the outdoor gun range. Those plans are in the rezoning phase right now.
Neil Mabrouk doesn’t live in the City of Elyria but is close in Carlisle Township off Murray Ridge Road and near city land that will be used for the joint Elyria Police and FBI Cleveland training facility.
“So about 1,300 feet from where we’re standing right now,” Mabrouk said. “My biggest concern is quality of life from the noise and property value.”
Elyria Police Lt. Lee Frank spearheaded the idea to bring gun training closer to officers in the department.
“We have to go off-site to do all of our training or any type of advanced training; we have to go within the city to do it,” Frank said.
FBI Cleveland was awarded more than $2.6 million; Frank said to build phase one of the project that repurposes portions of a capped landfill.
He said the location is the furthest spot away from where people live.
The federal money will pay for four outdoor gun ranges and two buildings, including one with moveable walls for training. There is room for expansion, Frank said, if the money is there and it’s feasible.
Frank is aware of the concerns about noise.
Under Ohio Administrative Code, shooting ranges can run from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“The frequency, the amount. You’re not going to just hear nothing. You’re going to hear the pop pop pop,” Mabrouk said.
Frank said the plan is to mitigate the gunfire sounds with 40- to 50-foot-high berms based on build teams and firms designing the project.
“I’m above that; we’re kind of looking down on the facility so that 40 to 50 feet, the sound is still going to radiate out,” Mabrouk said.
Mabrouk bought his house ten years ago.
“I fly radio-controlled airplanes a mile right over there,” Mabrouk said.
He wants more assurances to protect the quality of his life and his neighbors, and that includes hearing from the FBI.
“It will be Monday through Friday predominantly, not very many Fridays but Monday through Friday, and most of our training at the PD starts at 1 p.m., and we usually end around 6 p.m.,” Frank said.
Mabrouk worries about what could happen ten years from when it’s built when new people may be in charge.
Frank said the city is committed to making this a first-class project and maintaining those standards.
“This project is the essence of community; creating an environment for police officers, first responders and firefighters to be better. I think society demands it,” Frank said.
News 5 Investigators asked Mabrouk if he is considering moving.
“We’ve had preliminary discussions about it. I really would hate to,” Mabrouk said.
Elyria City Council will take up the rezoning of 52 acres for phase one and any expansion next month.
It will then go to engineers for the layout and design.
Elyria police hope to break ground by the fall or early next spring. The FBI Cleveland sent News 5 this statement:
“Strengthening our partnerships and protecting the people in our communities are a priority of the FBI. FBI Cleveland and the Elyria Police Department partnered to create a joint training and tactical facility to further uphold the commitment to protect the American public.”
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