Denton: Black Acres seeking new property

The Black Acres Training Center site near Coot’s Lake might not be going forward as planned, according to County Manager Matt Denton.

Denton said on Sept. 16 that he received an e-mail from the group of men wishing to run the firing range and training facility that they are looking at new locations for the facility.

“I don’t think there’s been any movement at all,” he said.

He did say however the organization sought to stay in Polk County, and were looking at properties here along with ones in Paulding County.

Calls to JX-3 Security by the Standard Journal were not returned.

The Polk County Board of Commissioners narrowly approved a special use permit 3-2 back in their August session following a denial by the planning and zoning commission for the property on Highway 278 near Coot’s Lake.

Commissioners tied several caveats to approval, including but not limited to having berms more than 1,500 feet away from the closest home and more than 2,000 feet away from the Silver Comet Trail.

No firing would be allowed after sunset or 7:30 p.m., which ever came first, with the

exception of allowing one night a month for low light qualifying for police officers using the facility.

There were also stipulations on no use of explosives, no shooting from moving vehicles, no more than 10 pistol and rifle bays, several environmental stipulations including noise mitigation, independent lead testing, impact study by the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, and lead removal from berms after 500,000 rounds.

The range was also to be made available to Polk School District shooting teams.

Nic Fields, who represented the group during their previous appearances before the planning and zoning board and the county commission, said only a portion of the 199 acres would be developed, and the engineering would include berms upwards of 20 feet high to ensure rounds would not stray onto the trail.

The facility was planned to include shooting bays for pistols, rifles, shotguns, a platform for bird hunts, a restaurant and future plans included a ammunition and gun store on the property.

Local residents have long been concerned about safety in their homes on and their properties with stray rounds, lead contamaination in area streams and creeks, and the noise caused by a firing range.