Longtime gun club survives effort to revoke permit

Neighbor blamed club for ricochets but NRA analysis concluded they were unlikely

A gun club north of Sioux Falls survived an attempt to have its conditional use permit revoked on Tuesday after the Minnehaha County Commission reaffirmed the permit.

Dean Sands, who lives near the Garretson Sportsmen’s Club, had sought to remove the permit for the longtime club, which has been at that site sine 1952. The permit had been issued in 2006 when the club expanded.

Sands said he was never notified when the 2006 permit was granted for the club, which sits 1.25 miles south of Garretson. The club includes a pistol and trap range, as well as 100- and 200-yard rifle ranges.

Sands said he has documented several instances over the years of bullets that have ricocheted from the range. The last ricochet he heard was in April, and he said that latest instance started the process to challenge the permit after he had tried to work with club to address safety issues.