Developers pull Lake Zurich gun range plan
The company that proposed building a shooting range and gun store in Lake Zurich this week has now dropped the proposal.
Sarosh Saher, the village's community development director, said the Shoot Point Blank representative he spoke with Friday morning said the company made the decision after hearing the feedback from the village board Monday during a courtesy review.
Representatives from the Ohio-based company wanted to construct a 15,000-square-foot building at the southeast corner of Enterprise Parkway and Oakwood Road. In addition to 20 shooting lanes, the building would feature a 3,000-square-foot retail area and classrooms for gun-safety training.
The gun range would have been in an industrial park, but some residents objected to it being about a mile from Lake Zurich High School and May Whitney Elementary School.
Several village board members said they had issues with the location of the proposed gun range.
"If you're set on that location, there's going to have to be a lot of concession," Trustee Jonathan Sprawka said.
Other issues Sprawka said he had with the business included the name and size of the sign.
"The Shoot Point Blank name gives me some pause," Sprawka said. "Several children, including mine, go by the gymnastics facility (nearby). We would have to have a conversation about that obviously."
Kevin Allee, vice president of real estate for Shoot Point Blank, said the company would not change the name.
"We can't spend $4 million and not have our name on the building," Allee said.
When village officials asked if the company would consider a different location in town, Trey Smith of Shoot Point Blank said they'd already done an exhaustive search.
"We'd prefer to be on (route) 22 and we were told that's not a good idea. We were told it's better in the industrial park, and that's why we ended up in this site," Smith said. "We've been looking at lots for three months, and this is the one that was viable.
Saher said Friday the company representative gave no indication they will pursue another location in Lake Zurich.