Appendix 1210. Firearm training and sports facilities.
A.
Applicability —Commercial and public firearm training and sports facilities shall be allowed as a conditional use in HI, FA, CFA, LFA, AG2, and AG3, per the conditions listed herein.
B.
Definitions .
1.
Firearm training and sports facilities—Commercial or public facilities designed and specifically designated for training, safe shooting practice and competition with firearms, whether open to the public, open only to private membership, open to organization training such as law enforcement, or any combination thereof.
2.
Commercial facility—An outdoor range receiving remuneration for the activities associated herein. Seasonal "turkey shoots" shall be exempt from the standards herein so long as the Horry County Department of Public Safety is notified prior to the event.
3.
Public facility—An outdoor range owned and managed by the State of South Carolina and/or the County of Horry.
4.
Range—Any individual or group of firing positions for a specific shooting type.
5.
Shooting type—Rifle range, pistol range, archery range, tactical, skeet, trap, 5-stand, sport clay courses. Any type closely associated with those listed herein.
6.
Firearm—Any rifle, pistol, air gun, shotgun, and/or bow available to the general public.
C.
Operating standards and specifications.
1.
Range planning, construction and operation shall be in substantial harmony with the guidelines in The NRA Range Source Book: A Guide to Planning and Construction, published by the NRA, latest edition , or the guidelines established by various publications produced by the NSSF for range planning, design, and management.
2.
Ranges and all buildings shall meet the setback requirements of the zoning district.
3.
A building/structure meeting commercial requirements shall be required on site.
4.
Hours of operation shall be posted in a conspicuous place. Shooting activities shall be permitted during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to one (1) hour after sunset. Sunday hours shall be limited to 2:00 p.m. to one (1) hour after sunset. Hours shall be extended to accommodate law enforcement certification for low-light conditions training, or upon a finding during county council review that extended hours will have no deleterious effects to surrounding property owners.
5.
Rules and regulations as stipulated in the application detailed in Chapter 13, Article IX of the Horry County Code of Ordinances, shall be conspicuously posted throughout the facility.
6.
All firearm training and sports facilities shall have a designated range master/officer or masters. A designated range master/officer must be present whenever the facility is open for shooting activities.
7.
The sale and/or consumption of alcohol on-site shall be prohibited.
8.
All firearm training and sports facilities shall comply with the Horry County Noise Ordinance (Article 3, § 13-33), unless preempted by the South Carolina Shooting Range Protection Act of 2000 (S.C. Code § 31-18-30).
D.
Ranges for concealed weapons permits.
1.
On-site classroom instruction for activities associated with concealed weapons permits (CWP) shall require a building/structure meeting commercial standards. Facilities offering CWP, where only the active live fire shooting portion of the course is instructed on-site, are exempt from this requirement.
2.
Ranges offering only CWP are exempt from the permitting requirements of Chapter 13, Article IX of the Horry County Code of Ordinances. Said ranges shall be designed in accordance with 1207.C.2. Plans and specifications shall be submitted to the planning department for review.
3.
CWP range operators are required to have a CWP instructor license issued by the State of South Carolina.
E.
Sign requirements.
1.
Signs shall be mounted along the perimeter of the facility when adjacent lands are publicly owned.
2.
Signs shall be separated by no more than one hundred (100) feet, with the words "Firing Range" and "No Trespassing" on each sign.
3.
Signs shall be a minimum of eighteen (18) inches by twenty-four (24) inches and shall be fluorescent red or orange.
4.
Owners/operators are responsible for all fees associated with production and placement of signs. In no instance shall a facility receive a certificate of occupancy until said signs are placed where applicable.
(Ord. No. 76-13, § 1, 1-21-14)