Con Ed Terminates Lease For Controversial Westchester Gun Range

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – After more than 70 years in operation, a Westchester County shooting range is being forced to shutter its doors.

Neighbors of the open-air gun range in Greenburgh wanted the site shut down due to noise and safety issues.

On Tuesday, the battle moved from the neighborhood to Greenburgh Town Hall as residents took sides at a hearing on whether it should remain open.

Gun enthusiasts packed the meeting in defense of their besieged suburban shooting range. Nearby residents have said they want the facility, which is built into an old rock quarry, closed, CBS 2′s Lou Young reported.

And on Wednesday, those opposed to the range got their wish. Con Edison, which owns the land on Ardsley Road, said it is terminating the lease with the shooting range, CBS 2 reported.

An attorney for the Westchester Police Revolver and Rifle League said the decision was politically motivated.

"The range has a 73-year record of safety. If this truly was a public safety issue, it's one we could have easily resolved. Con Ed has made purely a political decision," the attorney said.

The Westchester Police Revolver and Rifle League is a private non-profit dating back to the 1940s and is not affiliated with a police agency. The small range is nestled at the base of a sheer rock wall that is about 30 feet high.

Last month, a woman was hit in the leg by a piece of metal as she walked in her backyard. Ballistics testing is underway to see if it's a bullet fragment.

The range operators insist the steep angle of the old quarry and the position of the shooting stations make it impossible for bullets to escape.

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