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NJCK

Iron Horse Pistol & Gun Club

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USANA has been embroiled for several years now combating resident complaint and township red tape over its existence as a 60+ year-old range in Salem County.  Now residents of Gloucester County are doing the same thing to Iron Horse Pistol & Gun Club.  While not a member of Iron Horse, I've shot there many times as a guest and know at least two members are on this board.  No posts of the most recent attack on the club showed up in my forum search, so I'm throwing this out there for any residents of Gloucester County to show their support of a local gun club!  For that matter, any residents of Pittsgrove throw out support of USANA!

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Iron Horse is actually in Gloucester Twp in Camden County.

It's one of only 2 outdoor ranges in the twp, the other being the Glou. Twp Police Range.

 

It's been there a lot longer than the senior housing development that sprung up on the property next door a few years ago.

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Iron Horse is actually in Gloucester Twp in Camden County.

 

 

Thank you for the clarification njJoniGuy!  I honestly didn't realize I jumped the border of my own County to get there...  Grey hairs aren't the only sign of getting old I guess!  

 

So then residents of Camden County show some support!  

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  As a longtime supporter of 2nd Amendment rights and after attending almost all the planning board meetings regarding USANA, the decision handed down centered on zoning approvals that were or were not in place over the 50+/- years the gun club operated.  The fact that USANA operated as a nonconforming use and needed zoning variances for anything other than what was originally approved was a huge factor in the decision.  The expansion of ranges and the level of activities over the years were not approved and this is what put USANA in the unfortunate bind they are in today.

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The full-auto and late night activities by the temporary owners of USANA while they were in possession really pissed off their neighbors.

On the contrary, Iron Horse delays its Sunday rifle matches until NOON (not the 9 or 10AM of other area ranges) out of respect to its neighbors.

And what does it get? Lies from its residential neighbors.

 

Go to NJ.com and search for Iron Horse Range and read the comments to the 2 recent articles there.

Not a single one against the range.

 

Residents of the retirement community newly built next door - sue your realtor for not making full disclosure to you that there was a 50+ year old shooting range next door. Or if the noise really really bothers you - turn your hearing aids off.

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Do these home owners even have a chance for a lawsuit? I worked at a small airport (Allaire Airport in Wall) when I was younger and they were constantly trying to get sued by newer home developments in the area for plane and helicopter noises and low attitude fly overs. Every law suit was dismissed never made it to court because the airport was there way before any homes were in the area. 

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  As a longtime supporter of 2nd Amendment rights and after attending almost all the planning board meetings regarding USANA, the decision handed down centered on zoning approvals that were or were not in place over the 50+/- years the gun club operated.  The fact that USANA operated as a nonconforming use and needed zoning variances for anything other than what was originally approved was a huge factor in the decision.  The expansion of ranges and the level of activities over the years were not approved and this is what put USANA in the unfortunate bind they are in today.

 

Actually woodbutcher if you knew the real history of the club's inception and development, you'd be aware of how things were very different all those years ago with the local office holders and it is because of that - hand-shake agreements - that USANA is in some of this bind.  I speak from a very knowledgeable position of that history. 

 

Parallel, it's been awhile since I lived in Pittsgrove, but when I did it was perfectly legal to shoot in one's own backyard.  Don't know if that's changed, but it makes an interestingly odd position with current officials and their decision-making if it is.

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Do these home owners even have a chance for a lawsuit? I worked at a small airport (Allaire Airport in Wall) when I was younger and they were constantly trying to get sued by newer home developments in the area for plane and helicopter noises and low attitude fly overs. Every law suit was dismissed never made it to court because the airport was there way before any homes were in the area. 

 

Yeah, that's worked for landfills and transfer stations too, particularly in NJ after the McMansion communities were built and no-one ever really looked into where they were buying.  Unfortunately, we gun ranges it hasn't been so easy because surmounting all the legal hurtles costs significant dollars and it becomes very difficult to continue a defense long enough.  In the case of the battle with USANA vs Pittsgrove, USANA has to not only pay its lawyer but also reimburse the township for theirs! 

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Actually woodbutcher if you knew the real history of the club's inception and development, you'd be aware of how things were very different all those years ago with the local office holders and it is because of that - hand-shake agreements - that USANA is in some of this bind.  I speak from a very knowledgeable position of that history. 

 

Parallel, it's been awhile since I lived in Pittsgrove, but when I did it was perfectly legal to shoot in one's own backyard.  Don't know if that's changed, but it makes an interestingly odd position with current officials and their decision-making if it is.

   Season's Greetings, NJCK.  I do have a sense of what the past history has been between the Twp and USANA and therein lies the bulk of the conundrum.  Handshake agreements were mostly done to the mutual benefit of the parties involved often without serious consideration to the legality or future consequences of their actions.  By doing this, an atmosphere of permissiveness and a sense of entitlement will often flourish to the point where certain liberties are taken and, almost inevitably, it is noticed and the local laws are enforced.  There are limits and boundaries and we all know what they are.  Exceed the limits or cross the boundaries at your own peril.

   As far as shooting in one's own backyard, that is done on a regular basis here.  I do not believe there are any municipal regulations against that.

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