Stop noise in our community from the Buckeye Outdoors Copley Trap Range

What is happening ?

Every Saturday starting at 9AM until 3PM the township of Copley Ohio sounds like a warzone. This quiet township has allowed the local trap shooting range Buckeye Outdoors Youth Education Inc & Copley Trap Range at 1665 Jacoby Rd to go without following the noise ordinance law. This activity happens year round and  can be heard every Saturday by going to Rizzis and the shots are so loud they can be heard for miles around.

What is the law?

Summit noise ordinance 509.08 states that any sound over a 65 decibel rating is not allowed in a residential area, and a sound of 67 or higher decibel rating is not allowed in industrial areas. A sound of 85 decibels and higher can cause hearing loss. The Copley trap range frequently breaks 90 decibels and higher, these loud shots are audible through residents walls, and audible miles away, interrupting the peace of our quiet community. 

So What? 

The trap shooting range has ignored all requests for sound abatement. A row of trees could be installed to help abate sound, shooting baffles are another device commonly used that would easily resolve this issue and provide peace and quiet to the surrounding community and neighbors, all requests to reduce sound have been ignored. This has not always been how it is, this trap range has existed for years without having these same sound issues however some shooters arrive with overpowdered shot and lower gauge rifles than allowed per club rules and the activity has only increased in the last year. A regular shot from a trap shooting gun does not necessarily break the sound ordinance. Many of these shooters are not from Copley, traveling from Cleveland in order to interrupt our peace and quiet.

Now What?

In order to stop this noise unreasonable noise complaints must be filed, unfortunately the township and the shooting range have turned a deaf ear.

What to do?

Here are numbers you should call for each complaint :

Copley Police - Report a noise complaint - 330 666 8866

Copley Code Enforcement Inspector - Jeff Newman - 330-666-0108

Scott Dressler, Jim Schulte, and Bruce Koellner, Trustees - 330-666-1853

Email

Send your name, phone number, county, address and description of the issue/complaint to minerals@dnr.ohio.gov and report the sound ordinance violation caused by unregulated firearm use. Feel free to point them to this site!

Second: Reach out to the Copley city council and request something be done about the noise and that a community meeting be held on the noise of the gun range. The council members may be reached at : CityCouncilMembers@Copley.oh.us