Facing a Reckoning

“There is a lot that needs to be worked out. The status quo is not acceptable.” That’s how East Hampton Town Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez summed up the status of the Maidstone Gun Club, which faces an uncertain future as the Town Board considers renewing its lease on 100 acres of the airport property, where it has been based since 1982.

Indeed, there is a path forward for the club to remain — and an argument that the shooting facility is important enough to a community of local sportsmen. It’s also beneficial for local police as a place to train, and as a convenient site for young shooters to both train and practice, especially since many would simply go into the woods to shoot, where there are no safety precautions, if the range weren’t available.

But there’s no question that the Maidstone Gun Club faces a reckoning. Safety of the community is tantamount, and the fact that bullets have hit houses — possibly on several occasions over many years — is evidence of a failed operation. Town Police finally did a thorough forensic investigation to trace stray shots back to the range, and that suggests that other such incidents, chalked up to guns used in the woods nearby, could also have been further evidence of bad practice at the range.

There are plenty of rules in place at the gun range to keep it safe — and the lack of enforcement of those rules by the club is beyond concerning. Complacency is no excuse: This is an activity that can be undertaken safely, but only if strict measures are firmly in place and compliance is monitored. The Maidstone Gun Club has lost the town’s confidence — and that has to be the first thing rectified before any new lease is considered.

That said, lessons can be learned from mistakes. If the club’s leaders present a plan moving forward that recognizes the serious lapses and finds ways to assure that they won’t happen in the future — and they can confidently assure nearby residents that the club can corral every single bullet — the discussion about a renewal can begin. But that’s the foundation upon which any future operation will be built.

As for town officials, the decision whether to renew the lease will be made by three people with potentially long careers in town government ahead of them. This is a good test of their leadership. A vote to renew the lease should be considered, but it requires the club to make major improvements.

The pistol range is indoors. Quite frankly, if that were all that is allowed at the site, it might solve the problem. Even shotgun use can be mitigated, as long as the use of lead ammo is monitored. But adding rifles — and particularly tactical weapons — to the mix exponentially raises the risk off property.

Because the $100-a-year lease is likely off the table, the club must do some soul-searching as well. Can it shoulder the new costs via dues and still keep its membership? Is it willing to take on the necessary changes, at whatever cost, to better assure a safe facility?

Unless the courts step in and settle the matter preemptively — a distinct possibility — there is a great deal to be discussed and tough numbers to crunch on both sides. Frank and honest discussions are necessary. As noted, the status quo is no longer a reasonable risk.