Neighbors Take Aim At Redmond Firing Range -- Some Say They Fear For Their Safety

REDMOND

The shots echo from the distance, then pellets fall out of the sky like rain, rustling through the backyard forest that separates Jim Hartl's home from a shooting range.

Over the years, Hartl, his family and neighbors have grown accustomed to the noise of gunfire. But there is again unease in some parts of Rose Hill, where one neighborhood has for years been dueling with operators of the outdoor gun range.

Last week, a stray bullet injured a teacher at a day-care center nearly a mile away from a Snohomish County shooting range, where the bullet originated.

The incident worries Hartl and others, who say their homes and family are at risk.

"It's pretty unnerving," said Hartl, whose house on Northeast 94th Street lies south of the Interlake Rod and Gun Club, a private firing range that has been in operation for decades, long before developers carved out neighborhoods atop Rose Hill.

"We heard the shooting, but we didn't realize they were shooting into the greenbelt," said Hartl, who moved with his wife and two children to the area more than two years ago.

"You can hear the rat-tat-tat-tat. We want them to point in the other direction."

On Tuesday, a small band of Rose Hill residents approached the Redmond City Council for relief. They were told the city has no jurisdiction. The shooting range, near 138th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 97th Place, is on a thin slice of unincorporated county land between Kirkland and Redmond.

Mayor Rosemarie Ives suggested that the residents press the county for help.

As part of a licensing program put into effect three years ago, but only now being enforced, King County is inspecting firing ranges throughout its jurisdiction. As part of the law, shooting ranges are required to do more to protect neighbors from the line of fire.

"We're really concerned if there are bullets leaving our range," said Chuck Huffington, president of the gun club. "If that's the case, we'd like to know."

The firing range, which has about 200 members, was opened in 1950.

"Obviously, a rifle range is not necessarily a desirable neighbor," Huffington said. "But again, when you move in, some of your neighbors are already there. We've been here for a long time."

Neighbors have voiced their worries before. Four years ago, a developer filed suit against the gun range in a failed attempt to shut it down. Then things quieted.

"The real issue is, do they have a responsibility to be safe? Do they have a responsibility to protect their neighbors?" asked Dale Potter, a longtime foe of the gun club.

There have been no reports of injuries from errant rounds. But some neighbors say they have found bullets or pellets on their properties. One bullet shattered a window, but that was years ago. Yet, there has been no evidence that any of the bullets or pellets originated from the gun range.

"I would very much like to talk with these people," Huffington said. "They have gone to the press. They have gone to the City Council. But they haven't come to me."

Over the years, the gun range has tried to be a better neighbor, he said. Berms have been made higher to prevent shots from escaping the range. The club also wants to erect shooting enclosures that would add another layer of protection.

"We're trying to prevent something bad from happening," Huffington said.