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Frequently Asked Questions

>> I just found out about the proposed range, and my property will be affected. How can I get up to speed?

Welcome to the party, neighbor. You can read about the proposed range, including a timeline of events, media coverage, common neighbor concerns, and more, by navigating our website at the top of this page, or you can use some of the bookmark buttons below.

>> How does the CUP application work? Where are we in the timeline?

A conditional use permit application follows a development process from pre-application to complete application to implementation if the application is approved by the Board of Supervisors.

 

As of July 15, 2026, the County has conducted Development Review Meeting #2. ​​

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Upon completion of all five stages in the pre-application phase, VSP's application will be scheduled for a hearing before the Goochland Planning Commission, which meets the third Thursday of every month. After passing the Planning Commission phase either with a vote to recommend or vote to deny, the application will go before the Goochland Board of Supervisors.

 

The Board of Supervisor vote is the deciding vote. They can approve or deny the entire application, and they can affirm or reject any/all conditions suggested by the County or Commissioners. Only four Supervisors will be permitted a vote because Mr. Winfree, Supervisor for District 3, is also the president of VSP and cannot vote. A tied vote would be considered a denial for the application, and VSP would have to wait a full year before applying again.

Planning Commission Hearing

Board of Supervisor Hearing

August 20, 2026 at 6pm

October 6, 2026 (tentative)

>> What can I do?

Speak Up, Show Up. Speak with County Staff, Commissioners, and Supervisors. Show up to every scheduled meeting, even if the VSP application isn't being voted upon that night.

SPEAK UP

Reach out to County Staff, Planning Commissioners, and Board of Supervisor members with your concerns. Due to the complexity of this application, they will be reviewing the information long before the night of the vote, and your conversations with them ahead of the vote could have an impact on their decision. Speak up now.

SHOW UP

Face-to-face conversations are far more impactful than emails or even phone calls. We encourage you to do all three, but introducing yourself to Commissioners and Supervisors before or after their regular public meetings is very important. Many of us have been attending ALL public meetings since November 2025 and welcome you to grow our numbers.

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The Planning Commission meets the third Thursday of every month at 6pm in the Goochland Administration Building, Room 250. The Board of Supervisors meets in the same room on the first Tuesday of every month at 3pm and 6pm. Public hearings are scheduled for the 6pm meeting.

>> What actions are we requesting from Goochland County?

Because Goochland's conditional use ordinance states that an application must not be detrimental to comfort or injurious to the use and enjoyment of neighboring properties, we contend that the VSP application does not meet this threshold and as such, should be summarily denied. A public-use shotgun range operating upwards of 10 hours a day, 361 days a year, with up to 50 stations constructed on their course(s) will be noisy and detract from the use of our backyards -- all 120+ of us within a mile and 400+ residences within two miles.

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The following conditions could mitigate some concerns but would not eliminate all.

1. Hours of Operation (Range Only, Not Archery)

The County should condition the following hours:

  • Wednesday - Saturday: 9am to 5pm, with shooting to cease no later than 4:30pm, year-round

  • Closed Sunday through Tuesday.

  • Closed Good Friday, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day.

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No other range in Virginia operates seven days a week and for as many hours per day as VSP is requesting. 

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2. Sound Mitigation

VSP is currently proposing no sound mitigation measures in any form. Sound mitigation measures should incorporate redundant features to minimize the noise impact, such as:

  • Earthen berms, continuous and at a minimum height of 8 feet above shooting stand height.

  • QBO Blankets or Outdoor Acoustic Blankets, suspended from fences or berm walls to block directional gunfire noise. 

  • Acoustiblok 3mm, a high-density, weatherproof sound barrier that can be pinned to fences or buried behind berms.

  • Quiet Barrier® HD composite panels or blankets, providing modular, cost-effective noise reduction.

  • Singer Safety Outdoor Acoustic Blankets, vinyl-coated fiberglass panels that survive wind and weather.

  • Additional vegetation (Note: additional vegetation cannot be used alone, only in tangent with other mitigation measures, as it is insufficient in mitigating noise.)

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3. Ammunition Conditions

VSP has made conflicting statements about ammunition loads permitted on site. The County should condition the following:

  • All ammunition to be purchased and used onsite.

  • A dram equivalent no greater than 2 1/2.

  • Shot load no larger than 7/8 ounce.

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4. Number of Shooting Stations and Max Number of Shooters on the Course

The County should condition that only the number and type of shooting stations on the Conceptual Site Plan as of the date of the County vote should be permitted, and that the number of active shooters on the course and using the stations cannot exceed twenty (20) at any given time.

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5. Events

If the County will not condition that shooting be prohibited on Sundays or condition a limit on the number of active shooters at any given time, it is even more imperative that the number of events be limited. Events will draw significantly higher attendance than typical weekend business hours, and the generated noise would be markedly higher. As such, it should be limited to no more than one (1) event per calendar month and includes fun shoots, tournaments (sanctioned or informal), private events, VSP-sponsored events, or any event that would result in more than twenty (20) shooters at any given time.

>> What's the big deal? Living in the country means hearing gunfire. You're just a NIMBY.

Let me be clear: this isn't about the personal, recreational use of guns on private property. We have no problem with neighbors enjoying their second amendment rights on their property, and we are thankful to have good neighbors who give courtesy "heads up" texts when they plan a fun shoot. Personal, recreational use does not occur all day, every day, but a shooting range open to the public would subject the neighborhood to sudden, percussive, inescapable noise whenever the range is open. Currently, VSP proposes to operate 361 days of the year, 8-10 hours per day.

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Not every proposed land use is appropriate or reasonable for every piece of land, which is why zoning, land use laws, and conditional use permits exist in the first place. It is not appropriate to place a nitroglycerine plant next to a hospital, a rehabilitation center for sexual offenders next to an elementary school, nor a gun range next to family homes. A nitroglycerine plant, a rehab center, and yes, even a public-use gun range have merits, but their placement cannot come at the expense of existing property owners.

>> How do I stay informed?

Neighbors within the affected radius can be added to our email updates. Send an email to NoRangeOnWalton@gmail.com, including your name and street address. We try to keep the website updated, but email is the best way to stay informed. 

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