More details on gun range planned near Douglas County Jail; Lawrence to get national press as retirement destination

Maybe a gun range is a bit like a barber shop: Every city of a certain size will have at least one. Lawrence businessman Steve Robson has that philosophy anyway, and he says he has just the site for Lawrence’s indoor shooting facility.

Robson — who owns Ace Self Storage and Ace Bail Bonds — has filed plans to build a 12,000 square-foot indoor gun range and gun shop on property he owns near the Douglas County Jail.

“I think the city understands something like this is coming,” Robson said. “There is going to be a gun range in Lawrence, and what better place to have one than in a location where there aren’t really any houses or any schools?”

If some of this sounds familiar, it may be because I wrote about Robson floating the idea of a gun range in December. But at that time, he hadn’t taken any of the steps needed to actually start the project. Now he has.

Robson and Lawrence-based Paul Werner Architects have filed a preliminary development plan to allow the facility to be built at 2350 Franklin Road. That is a vacant piece of ground just north of the Ace Bail Bonds office. The property is roughly a block away from the Douglas County Jail.

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The other new piece of information since December is that it appears the city has limited options for denying the project, if it so chooses. I did get confirmation from a city official that Robson’s property has the correct zoning for a gun range. Now, the project must meet the various technical requirements related to site layout, parking, landscaping and other such details. But usually the best way to stop a project from being built is to argue that a piece of property isn’t properly zoned for such a use. Indoor gun ranges, though, are allowed in certain types of industrial zoning districts, and Robson’s property already has such a zoning designation.

But obviously the idea has the potential to get political. There is a large debate underway about whether concealed carry should be allowed on the KU campus, in government buildings and elsewhere. Robson hopes politics stays out of his project, but he said he thinks a gun range could appeal even to people who don’t support the concealed carry movement.

“I just think a gun range will make people safer,” Robson said. “I don’t think you ever are going to get guns away from people. Your next best bet is to make people safer with guns.”

Robson said he knows many people who own a gun but don’t have any place to ever shoot it. He said that is not a good situation.

“You need to have a place to get comfortable with a gun,” Robson said.

Robson also had a few more details about what the facility plans to offer. When I chatted with him in December he said the gun range would have 10 shooting lanes. Now, the plan calls for a dozen 25-yard shooting lanes. Plus, the range will be built to accommodate tactical shooting. That means a person would be able to walk up the range and shoot from side to side rather than simply standing at a bench and shooting straight down the range.

Robson also is planning to buy a $60,000 simulator. That is a device that includes a large video screen that will show various scenarios, such as someone robbing a home, and gives users a chance to test their skills in that situation. The user is equipped with a 9MM handgun that fires a laser rather than bullets.

In addition to the shooting lanes and simulator, the facility will offer a variety of classes, Robson said. Plus, about half the facility will be devoted to retail space, including the sale and rental of handguns, assault rifles, ammunition and accessories such as gun safes, scopes, holsters and other types of items

Planning commissioners are scheduled to hear the preliminary development plan in March. If approved, the plan then would go to the City Commission for approval. Robson hopes to be in a position to start construction on the facility in June.

Some of you may be remembering that there was a proposal for another indoor gun range. Lawrence businessman Rick Sells had confirmed plans for an indoor gun range in space at 23rd and Harper, in the building that used to house Bargain Depot. When I last chatted with Sells in December, he was still working to raise funds to get the venture started. I’ll let you know if I hear any more on that.

In other news and notes from around town:

• Lawrence is set to get some national press of a good kind. The city is featured as a “top retirement destination” in the upcoming issue of Where to Retire magazine. The March/April issue lists Lawrence among other destinations.

According to a press release from the magazine, the article touts KU’s basketball history, “pleasant downtown strolls,” an award-winning public library and “cultural bonanzas” such as Pulitzer-Prize winning speakers, NPR show tapings and musical concerts.

The magazine hits the newsstands on Feb. 14.