Delray Beach’s planning and zoning board has voted against a proposal to permit an indoor gun range in the Wallace Drive Overlay District, but the measure will still proceed to the city commission for consideration.
Wallace Drive LLC, which owns an 18,400-square-foot office warehouse at 1215 Wallace Drive, is seeking approval for an ordinance that would allow indoor gun ranges within this industrial district. The site is located next to a senior housing community and a church, and it sits about 1,000 feet from Pine Grove Elementary School.
At a meeting on Monday evening, four out of seven board members opposed the proposal. Neil Schiller, attorney for Wallace Drive LLC, explained that the planned facility would be used by private members as well as Delray Beach police officers for firearms training.
If approved, the legislation would open up similar opportunities for owners of 12 other parcels in the overlay district—an area currently home to storage facilities, warehouses, single-family homes, and vacant lots. Schiller stated that each property owner would need separate approval from the city commission before developing a gun range. He also noted requirements such as 24-hour security at all ranges in the district, adherence to National Rifle Association safety regulations, compliance with noise standards, and a ban on alcohol sales.
Despite these assurances, some board members raised concerns about proximity to sensitive sites. Mitch Katz highlighted that while recent discussions had addressed distance requirements for vape shops near schools and homes, no such provisions were included in this proposal for gun ranges. “But gun ranges? Well, we can just put them across the street from a school,” he said.
Schiller responded by saying his client’s building is at least 1,000 feet away from Pine Grove Elementary School. However, Dedrick Straghn remained uneasy about allowing a private gun range so close to churches and senior residences. Straghn also mentioned that another gun range already operates nearby in a mixed industrial-commercial zone: “This doesn’t smell right to me,” he said.
Mark Grafton—another attorney representing Wallace Drive LLC—emphasized that their proposed facility would be state-of-the-art and meet police training needs such as low-light shooting scenarios and door breaching exercises.
Chairman Gregory Snyder suggested amendments requiring any future gun range to be at least 500 feet from schools or churches and limiting noise levels beyond property lines. Only three board members supported these changes; four voted against moving forward with recommendations.
Wallace Drive LLC purchased its property earlier this year for $5.8 million from Aram LLC. The location is approximately 1.5 miles from Kolter Group’s planned Alton Delray apartment complex—which will include workforce housing under Florida’s Live Local Act—and less than two miles from Aura Delray Beach apartments recently acquired by Related Companies for nearly $117 million.
