A vacant building in northeast Phoenix that once housed a furniture store will soon welcome a new business. And not everyone is looking forward to it.
Jennifer Longdon told City Council members that she’s a gun owner and not opposed to shooting ranges, but thinks opening an indoor range at a shopping center could set a dangerous precedent.
During Wednesday’s council meeting, Longdon expressed safety and environmental concerns for nearby stores and a movie theater at Mayo Boulevard and Scottsdale Road. The center is known as the Scottsdale 101 Shopping Center.
“How dangerous is the lead-dust contamination of such an operation?” she asked. “How far does it spread?”
C2 Tactical Owner Beau Bergeson told council members the air inside the range is cleaner than a hospital operating room. “That air is scrubbed through three layers of filtration,” Bergeson said.
Attorney Nick Wood who represents the company said, “There’s no way that any round that’s discharged in this facility can exit this shooting area.”
Councilwoman Kate Gallego asked that the issue be continued to the next council meeting, but not enough council members supported her request. Instead, Councilwoman Deb Stark suggested staff look into what standards the city might set for future ranges to open in shopping centers. With Gallego abstaining from the vote, the plan for C2 Tactical was unanimously approved.
The range will be part of the area known as the Scottsdale 101 Shopping Center, which is on the border of Phoenix and Scottsdale at Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road.
