Chappy gun-range owner says objections are all just noise

Town officials decided that an article aimed at a homeowner’s backyard pistol range is too broad.

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In this file photo, a firearms instructor gives a young woman pointers at the Martha's Vineyard Rod and Gun Club gun range.

One week prior to annual town meeting, Edgartown selectmen Monday said they plan to indefinitely postpone an article that had targeted a private firing range on Chappaquiddick which has been the source of complaints from a neighbor.

At their regular weekly meeting Monday, selectmen agreed that the language of the article needed to be refined so as not to affect hunters or the long-established Martha’s Vineyard Rod and Gun Club.

State law currently prohibits the discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling or building in use without the authorization of the dwelling owner or occupant. One of several exceptions to the 500-foot restriction is an outdoor skeet, trap, target, or test range, according to the 2014 edition of the Municipal Police Institute’s Law Enforcement Guide to Firearms Law, written in part by Edgartown interim police chief and lawyer, John M. “Jack” Collins.

Several times last summer, Edgartown police filed reports related to complaints of gun shots on Chappaquiddick. The source was a private firing range Ronald Monterosso had constructed on his property at 1 Handy Avenue.

In a report dated June 23, 2014, Stephen Olsson, called police to report that Mr. Monterosso, his neighbor, had erected signs stating “the property is a shooting range and for people to stay off the property.” The police report noted 17 past incidents.

One week later, on June 28, Officer William Bishop responded to Handy Avenue following complaints from Mr. Olsson. A red flag was up, indicating the range was active, he said. Mr. Monterosso invited Officer Bishop to enter the range, which was dug into the ground at least four feet.

He described the backstop as consisting of a large dirt pile that was nearly 15 feet high, with several layers of railroad tie running through it, topped by a six-foot wall of 6” x 6” beams.

“The range area appeared to be well put together, and in my opinion safe to use … As no laws were being broken, I cleared the area,” Officer Bishop wrote.

In a telephone conversation Saturday, Mr. Monterosso, a lawyer, questioned the genesis of an article attributed to the selectmen, which he said appeared on the warrant without any prior discussion by selectmen, and was designed specifically to clamp down on his firing range.

“One thing they forgot is it affects the Martha’s Vineyard Rod and Gun Club as well,” he said.

Mr. Monterosso said he built his range in October 2013. He said it is massive and has been examined by police and the building inspector.

Although there are several other ranges on Chappy, he said, which also generate gunshot noise, his neighbor was able to exercise political clout to place an article on the warrant aimed at shutting him down.

Asked what he thought about how the noise affected the peace and tranquility of his neighborhood, as well as his relationship with his neighbor, Mr. Monterosso said his neighbor runs equipment, including chippers and brush cutters, on a regular basis.

“And his tenants play their stereos at the same decibel level as maybe a shot. So what’s the difference, it’s all noise,” he said. “What is so sacred about his noise? I don’t get it.”

Taking the issue another step, Mr. Monterosso questioned why Massachusetts lawmakers will not allow gun owners to use available equipment to reduce gunshot noise. He likened it to not allowing vehicle owners to use mufflers.

Mr. Monterosso said ranges are exempt from noise bylaws. However, one cannot just put a target on a tree, he said. Endangerment laws do apply, he said.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that state law required written permission to discharge a firearm within 500 feet of a building. State law only refers to authorization of the property owner or occupant.