Elyria police looks to build shooting range with help of FBI

ELYRIA — The Elyria Police Department may be getting its own shooting range — with the help of the FBI. City Council's Finance Committee members approved a memorandum of understanding with the FBI that will begin the process of creating a state-of-the-art shooting range in Elyria. Safety Service Director Derek Feuerstein said City Council previously approved a feasibility study at 851 Garden St. for a shooting range. Elyria police had been interested in building one at the location, but the FBI expressed interest in building a facility that other departments and agencies can use. That property is owned by the city and is near the Sanitation and Street Departments as well as the Central Maintenance Garage. Feuerstein said the feasibility study is in progress, but the MOU will lay the groundwork for if the FBI decides to build in Elyria. The MOU is not a blanket approval, but will set up the arrangement of how everything would work. Elyria would be responsible for bidding out and building the facility, and the FBI would reimburse the costs. Feuerstein said the city will have to come back to Council to get the building process started. The FBI has not decided officially on Elyria as its location. The organization is looking at locations in several cities across the U.S. While Feuerstein said the Cleveland FBI office is excited about the possibility, the decision will need to come from the Washington, D.C., offices. Feuerstein said the FBI is likely to make a decision in August. Brenda Davis, D-2nd Ward, asked if the city has taken into consideration what surrounds the Garden Street location, like several apartments and houses as well as a detention facility. Chief Duane Whitely said the location is farther away from the apartments. He said his staff already done noise studies and found no issues with in. Law Director Amanda Deery said her department approved of the agreement and is comfortable moving forward. "What we've heard thus far is it will be a state of the art facility and will be very secure in terms of safety, health and quality of life around the surrounding area," she said. Elyria doesn't have its own shooting range and officers have to go elsewhere to qualify. That sometimes costs the department money, and having a shooting range would remove that cost and possibly raise revenue for the police department. The MOU will go to full City Council for final approval at its next meeting at 7 p.m. Aug. 3. Contact Laina Yost at (440) 329-7121 or lyost@chroniclet.com.