Many up in arms about shooting range

Proposal would also have tactical driving course

Friday, Feb. 20, 2009

Washington Support Group Inc. wants to build a two-story research facility on an 80-acre parcel off Liverpool Point Road that already contains a 2,400-foot runway and a variety of aviation support structures, according to a Charles County planning report.

The company acquired the exclusive use of a private airport on the land in March 2008 and gained permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to change the name of the facility from Parks Airport to Washington Field, according to a WSG press release.

The corporation needs to obtain a special exception to operate the facility because the land is in the agricultural conservation zone and has a resource protection overlay zone placed around all of the wetlands and streams on the property, according to county planners.

The corporation said in its special exception application submitted to the county's planning department that it plans to conduct research, development, testing and evaluation services in a variety of defense and public safety areas, including technical courses for emergency preparedness, emergency and governmental vehicle safety and projectile testing.

The corporation supports the federal government's capabilities in strategic and tactical intelligence collection and enables support operations to combat the use of weapons of mass destruction, according to WSG's Web site.

But, the corporation will not be testing, researching or storing any chemical, biological, nuclear or radiological weapons at the Nanjemoy facility, said Sean Miller, WSG's founder and chief executive officer.

"It simply won't be the case," he said. "That's not the business we're in and it would be illegal under state, federal and county laws and international treaties."

Miller said that U.S. Department of Defense employees, including military personnel and diplomats will be trained at the facility. The main testing and research areas will focus on teaching people how to safely maneuver a vehicle during hostile situations and reviewing the effectiveness of using equipment such as bulletproof vests, helmets and gas masks while operating firearms.

If the special exception is approved, WSG officials said that in addition to constructing a new building on the property they are also going to build two parking lots, a driving tactics research area and three small arms firing and research areas that will be enclosed by earthen containment berms. The driving tactics area is set up to instruct drivers on how to safely maneuver vehicles when confronted with dangerous situations.

The firearm and vehicle research will be conducted in structures built to specifications in the county's code, according to the planning department.

County planners are proposing that the hours of operation should be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The facility will be closed Sunday.

Nanjemoy residents who live near the property said that they are strongly opposed to the Charles County Board of Zoning and Appeals granting the special exception.

"This kind of facility is run by a private, for-profit corporation … and in my opinion the heart of Nanjemoy is not an appropriate place for it," said Ken Kraushaar. "Folks live here for a reason. It's a last bastion of rural living that has a very special quality to it. Once something like this is granted it sets a precedent for similar development."

Deanna Wheeler and her family live a little more than a mile away from the property.

"This is just not the appropriate type of development for a rural conservation area," she said, adding that the land contains Beaver Dam Creek, a tributary of Nanjemoy Creek. "There's going to be some degradation of the creek. Some deforestation is going to have to take place, too."

Marsha Back has lived in Nanjemoy for 12 years. Her property is about one-quarter of a mile away from the site.

Back said that she is puzzled about the special exception request because it appears to the community that some activity has been taking place on the property already.

"It's confusing us," she said. "They can't legitimately be in business because they need a special exception."

County planner Kirby Blass said that currently no operations are being conducted at the site.

"We paid a staff visit to the site and there's nothing going on there right now," he said.

Heavy metals, including lead, from spent ammunition used at the site will harm the environment and leach into the Nanjemoy Creek watershed and groundwater, Back said.

"My big concerns are the noise this will generate because of the firing range and the toxic waste that will be generated at the site," she said, adding that she hopes that WSG has plans for constant security there. "Where are all of the weapons and ammunition going to be stored? The whole operation will be dangerous. … This is a paramilitary group that is going to operate with huge federal contracts. What is Charles County going to get out of this?"

Local attorney Kurt Wolfgang has lived on a farm in Nanjemoy since 1997.

"I would like to know what is going to be stored at the site," he said. "My concern is security. If they're going to have a shooting range the size of three football fields there are going to be a lot of weapons at the site. Are they going to have 24-7 security down there?"

There will be no stockpiling of weapons or ammunition at the site, Miller said, adding that WSG has an environmental stewardship program in place to address issues relating to the operation of the facility and its impact on the environment.

"We'll take care of it," he said. "We've got a plan to deal with all of the environmental issues of which lead is obviously a key one. We will insure that no lead pollution or other environmental waste will be stored on the site at any time."

A full-time caretaker will be at the site at all times, Miller said, adding that a gate will be installed at the end of the gravel road that leads to the property. A secondary security barrier will also be installed, he said.

Nanjemoy resident Gloria Heisserman said that she hopes the county will deny the special exception.

"I'm counting on the board of appeals to deny this flat out," she said. "I can't imagine them wanting anything like this in Nanjemoy or anywhere in the county. There's no economic advantage for the county. There's no plus for the citizens at all."

nmcconaty@somdnews.com