Attention any Nolensville property owners

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Sunday, 01/06/08

<!--ARTICLE HEADLINE-->Gun ordinance pits subdivisions against Nolensville's rural areas

Officials hope to please both sides, delay their vote until after workshop

By CHARLES BOOTH

Staff Writer

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NOLENSVILLE — Neighbors in the Ballenger Farms subdivision heard gunfire. Then a cat was found dead.

The calls came into Town Hall, and before long, an ordinance restricting the use of guns went before Nolensville's Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

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But for many of the community's rural residents, some who've lived for years on several acres of remote land, shooting guns is a way of life. They, too, placed calls to Town Hall, and now, in effort to please both sides, Nolensville's board decided Thursday night to do more research and revisions before passing the ordinance.

"I don't see any reason why I can't still target practice (on my land) or shoot a coyote," resident Harold Shafer said.

He's lived for decades on a rural, 200-foot-wide piece of land that has a wooded area behind his house. Under the originally proposed ordinance, which would have restricted shooting in areas less than 100 feet from a road or another property, Shafer wouldn't have much space left to target practice.

"That means I have a very narrow little strip down the center where I can stand and fire a gun," he said.

Town officials decided to postpone voting on the ordinance until February.

In the meantime, board members plan to look at what other communities are doing in regard to firearms.

The board looked briefly Thursday night at the firearms ordinances of towns in

California and Washington, discussing ideas to limit shooting to certain areas, such as subdivisions, instead of instituting a town ban.

"It looks like it's possible to pass an ordinance where you have no-discharge areas and discharge areas," town attorney Bob Notestine said.

Alderman Jimmy Alexander said a similar policy is in place in Davidson County.

"They have a geographic area, the (urban services district) boundary, where it's unlawful to fire a weapon," Alexander said. "Outside the USD, you can do it except at night."

Alderman Ken Thomas said it's important the revised ordinance lets people know what exactly a firearm is.

Do pellet guns and slingshots count?

"It might be helpful for us to have some definitions in our ordinance," he said.

"What constitutes a firearm?"

The board plans to schedule a workshop later this month for members to revise the ordinance.

The updated document will have its second reading in February, when it could become a law if it gets enough votes.