Benton Community Services committee to consider changes to firearms ordinance

The Benton Community Service Committee meets tonight and will consider an amendment to the city’s firearms ordinance. If the amendment passes it then go before the Benton City Council for final approval at their next meeting on September 23. No specific changes have been proposed yet, but they are beginning discussions of how to change the law if the Benton City Council approves the conditional use permit for an indoor gun range, according to Matt Thibault, spokesperson for the City of Benton.

At a meeting on September 3, the Benton Planning Commission approved a conditional use request for an indoor shooting range in Benton. The request was made by Lewis Engineers. Since gun ranges are listed as conditional use under the city zoning ordinance, the request will go to the City Council for final approval at their next meeting.

“To determine if something is “Conditional Use” we rely upon a ‘use matrix’,” said John Parton, Director of Community Development in Benton. “That can be found in our Zoning Ordinance (14 of 2017, and amended) that outlines some general categories of what would be permitted, what would be conditional use, and what would not be permitted in each of the zones.”

The site plan was also approved pending landscaping requirements. The indoor gun range would be located off of Interstate 30, on Fleming Drive, behind Popeyes and Wood Grill.

Currently, the closest indoor shooting range is at Arkansas Armory, Inc. in North Little Rock.

In February 2009, the City of Benton passed an ordinance that made it illegal for any person to discharge a firearm within the city. The ordinance had exceptions for law enforcement during the performance of their duties, for individuals acting in self-defense, and for discharging blanks for ceremonial purposes. Currently, any person or entity who violates the ordinance is guilty of a misdemeanor upon conviction and would be subject to a fine or penalty of more than $25 but less than $500 plus court costs.