http://m.startribune.com/?id=211637041Supporters and opponents of plans for a gun range in Osseo just two blocks from a high school are expected to pack a city meeting Monday at which the proposal will be discussed.
The $3.3 million gun club would include a 20-lane shooting range and a gun shop, opening by this fall if it gets city approval over the next month.
As firearm sales increase across the Twin Cities, supporters say the gun club will serve a growing population of metro area gun owners and attract visitors to the small northwestern suburb.
But less than 500 feet away, leaders at Osseo High School worry it could threaten students’ safety.
“The location is the main concern; it’s too close to the school,” Osseo Assistant Superintendent Kim Riesgraf said.
At a May city meeting, several residents spoke out in favor of the gun range, hoping it will boost business. At the school district, Riesgraf said they understand the benefits to local businesses, but that school leaders just want to ensure student safety at the 1,500-student high school. She worries that gun owners walking from the gun club with firearms could be mistaken as a threat to school safety.
“Is that a person going to the gun range or do we have to worry about a threatening person?” she said.