Community: No gun range

Plan uncovers long-simmering community factions and allegations of cover-up, dereliction of duty, and disenfranchisement

By Michael Edwards
Contributing Writer
Columbus Post

In the 1983 movie, “A Christmas Story,” the only thing on 10-year-old Ralphie’s wish list is a Daisy Red Ryder – a carbine-action, 200-shot air rifle. He refers to it as the “the Holy Grail” of Christmas gifts. “No” say his parents, admonishing: “You’ll put your eye out or worse!”
A plan to place a gun store and shooting range on the city’s southeast side has put out more than an eye. It has discharged a lawsuit alleging cover-up, derelict of duty, and growing community disenfranchisement.
Recently, Anchor Government Properties LLC successfully petitioned the city for permission to redevelop 1030 Alum Creek Dr., as an indoor firing range to include an observation area, and an adjacent retail shop to sell guns and ammunition.
The area is primarily zoned as C-4, commercial, light industrial, which permits the firing range and classroom space; however, it’s the proposed sale of weapons and ammunition that triggered the need for a special permit from the city’s Board of Zoning Adjustments. It is also the spark that set off a firestorm of controversy.
“The area is zoned for industrial use, including gun shops,” said Chris Presutti, chief zoning official. “And the board felt it was an appropriate land use for a firing range,” Presutti said.
Larry Gunsorek, CEO of Anchor Government Properties LLC and owner of the property, was unavailable for comment and a company representative did not return calls from the Columbus Post seeking comment. However, filings with the zoning board describe the proposed facility as a entirely self-contained, soundproof, clean, family-friendly, facility so anyone of any age would feel comfortable going in there and shooting.
“Just because there are many things that can be done, doesn’t mean they should be done,” begins Jonathan Beard, president and CEO of the Columbus Compact, when asked why he opposes the plan.
“There comes a time when Black people have to stand up for their community – you don’t welcome gun sales into a vulnerable community that is already over-burdened with the impact of gun violence,” said Beard.
Moreover, Beard states that the Livingston Avenue Area Commission (LAAC), which serves as an umbrella organization for the four neighborhood civic associations, “short-circuited the public input process” by failing to properly contact and solicit the heads of three of the four civic associations.
Underneath the LAAC umbrella are the Old Oaks Historic District Civic Association, the Driving Park Civic Association, the Driving Park Civic Coalition, and the Hanford Village Civic Association.
In addition, Beard also states that LAAC has also circumvented input from “just about every other responsible leadership group with a stake in the area.”
James A. Johnson, a long-time resident of Driving Park and chairman of the Driving Park Civic Association said that neither he, nor the Hanford Village Civic Association or the Driving Park Civic Coalition were not given the opportunity to meet with the applicants or provide input to LAAC before the LAAC cast its vote. “Simply put, we were not notified of the firing range permit application until days after the LAAC had voted on it. The LAAC failed to follow their own process.”
Johnson says he would like to see more diversity on the city’s zoning board
Rev. Gina Hawthorn-Hill, chair of the Driving Park Civic Coalition added: “A small group of people pre-empted our input, missing glaring concerns about the applicants (see sidebar) and the nature of the business, which is a detriment to the good of the area and incompatible with the general character of the neighborhood.”
Citing the additional support of the Columbus Urban League, the Africentric Personal Development Shop, the NAACP Columbus Chapter, the Youth Violence Prevention Coalition and representatives from trauma unit and behavioral health specialists from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Beard is seeking to appeal the decision.
Even Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman has taken aim and has asked his development director Boyce Stafford III to look further into matter. “I share the concerns of those residents who oppose the firearm facility … and the new adult bookstore and their effect on the character of that neighborhood,” said Coleman.
Michael Aaron, president of the Livingston Avenue Area Commission denies the accusations of a cover-up or having a laissez-faire approach to his civic responsibilities. “The reality is that the area has been zoned for such businesses for a long time and complaints are more of a zoning issue.” He added that the city would need to make more investment in the area in order to attract a different mix of business in the neighborhood.
Asked if there was any thought to re-zoning the area, he said he wouldn’t be opposed to it, but the conversation has never been formally brought forward in community meetings.
Asked the same, Beard said he certainly isn’t opposed to a conversation about rezoning, and that this lawsuit is only the first step. “The larger and more immediate issue is the apparent covert manner in which this special zoning variance was granted with no community-wide input.”
Beard says he is hopeful that the ruling can be overturned. “Our goals in neighborhood development are to build on our rich assets, rather than introduce more instability and exacerbate well-known issues.”
The 52,862-square-foot building, originally constructed in 1994 as a retail warehouse for the former Sun TV, has housed the Ohio Adult Parole Authority office, the Riser Military School and the Ohio Department of Public Safety, (an Ohio Department of Youth Services parole office remains in a portion of the building).

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