Indoor shooting range opening at McCandless Crossing

An indoor shooting range facility is the newest tenant at McCandless Crossing shopping center off of McKnight Road and could be fully open within the month.

The facility, located on 900 Providence Blvd., is described as a “state-of-the art, modern indoor shooting center” featuring firearms training and a large inventory, according to the Midwest Shooting Center website.

The business is open to accept memberships, with indoor renovations currently underway. Midwest membership manager Mitchel Shaner expects it to be in “full swing” by the first weekend of November.

Midwest Shooting Center is in the space formerly owned by INPAX, which closed in April 2020. INPAX offered similar services to the Midwest indoor shooting range.

While a portion of it is open, such as for its membership drive, the business is still in the process of obtaining some permits and approvals.

Commercial weapons ranges in McCandless are required to get a special permit from the chief of police. This special permit from McCandless Police Chief Ryan Hawk still needed to be granted as of Sept. 30. Midwest has submitted information about their operations to Hawk, which he is evaluating for compliance with the weapons code, according to RJ Susko, planning and development administrator for McCandless Township.

The township also is awaiting the occupancy permit application from Midwest as of Sept. 30, but this is more of an administrative function and Susko suspects they could receive it as soon as all of the interior renovations are completed. However, this is also necessary for opening.

Although the weapons permit is separate from the zoning code, these permits work in tandem and they would confirm the police permit was valid before issuing the occupancy, Susko said.

Several comments have been made at recent McCandless Township council meetings regarding the zoning allowances in this space. In response, the township provided a question-and-answer page on its website clarifying certain zoning laws and terminology, particularly in regard to this business and its location at the development.

The community members expressed concern over the nature of the operations and whether it was properly zoned to permit an indoor shooting range. However, it is allowable according to the township code.

The McCandless zoning codes indicate an indoor shooting range is permitted by right at this location because it falls under the “indoor recreation center” or “sport activity” use at this property, according to the township website.

It also is included in the Traditional Neighborhood Development Overlay, which allows for any uses in the Development District, such as an indoor recreation center.

Council could amend the zoning to not allow this type of use in this zoning district, Susko said.

This would be a months-long process as it requires advertised public hearings and approvals. And the township would also need to ensure that the use was available in another zoning district to avoid exclusionary zoning.

Council has made no action in regard to a rezoning amendment like this at this time, Susko said.

Midwest also has locations in Ohio and Indiana.