At the request of Councilman Chandler Loupe, the Metro Council on Wednesday agreed to ask the Planning Commission to study possible changes to the Unified Development Code for the regulation of outdoor shooting ranges and reception venues in rural areas.
Loupe said his requests are based on separate inquiries about a possible trapshooting location along River Road and a wedding barn in his district.
The councilman said he had been in communication with Planning Director Frank Duke about the two inquiries prior to this week’s council meeting.
Duke suggested expanding the study to include subjecting all shooting ranges and reception hall venues to conditional use permits rather than rezoning individual tracts of land, Loupe said. The planning commission director will establish criteria for a conditional use permits if an entity wants to establish a shooting range or reception venue in rural area, Loupe added. Duke did not speak on the two items at the meeting.
“Rather than rezoning a tracts property from C-AB-1 or C-AB-2, I’m going to suggest that we go about it with conditional use permits that way the zoning change is not in perpetuity,” Loupe said. “If we change the zoning on a particular project by means of a conditional use permit we have more control over that property now and in the future.”
At the same meeting, Councilwoman Tara Wicker lost her reappointment bid to represent the council on the Planning and Zoning Commission. Wicker’s former opponent for the District 10 council seat, Terri Anderson, spoke against Wicker reprising her role on the commission. Also, as Daily Report noted earlier this week, Loupe had nominated Councilwoman Chauna Banks for the seat at her request.
Banks, however, withdrew her name from consideration for the Planning Commission seat, saying “it is absolutely an atrocity for two blacks to vie for the same position.” She also said she does not believe any council members should serve two consecutive terms on any board.
Loupe responded by nominating Councilwoman Donna Collins-Lewis, who received eight votes in her favor. Loupe, Banks, LaMont Cole, Erika Green, Scott Wilson, Barbara Freiberg and Matt Watson voted for Collins-Lewis, who cast a vote for herself; Buddy Amoroso, Dwight Hudson and Trae Welch voted for Wicker, who also voted for herself.
—Alexandria Burris
