The Delray Beach Planning & Zoning Board on Oct. 20 voted to forward to the City Commission a privately initiated amendment to the Land Development Regulations (LDRs) that would (a) add a set of “service industry” principal uses to the Light Industrial (LI) zoning district and (b) allow an indoor gun‑range use as a conditional use specifically within the Wallace Drive Overlay District. The board’s recommendation was accompanied by a discussion of noise limits, separation from sensitive uses and the role of the conditional‑use review in mitigating impacts.

Why it matters: The amendment would enable a private applicant to develop an indoor range at 1215 Wallace Drive subject to conditional‑use review while adding flexibility for service‑industry uses in LI. The Wallace Drive Overlay District is small (roughly 13 properties); the proposed approach confines the potentially controversial gun‑range use to that overlay and subjects it to additional conditional‑use scrutiny.

What the amendment would change
The text amendment proposes to add “service industry” to the LI principal uses list (examples include contractor services, repair and business services) and to add a defined term, “indoor gun range,” to the definitions. The draft ordinance would then list indoor gun ranges as a conditional use within the Wallace Drive Overlay District only; the concept is that an indoor range would not be a permitted by‑right use within LI but could be approved on a case‑by‑case basis after full public review and a conditional‑use hearing.

Safety, noise and separation concerns
Staff and the applicant provided comparative research showing other Florida jurisdictions adopt separation distances (300–1,000 feet) between ranges and schools or parks and set decibel or noise mitigation conditions. The applicant submitted the NRA Range Source Book as a best‑practice reference and a short analysis of expected sound levels; staff noted that well‑designed indoor ranges typically attenuate noise so that measured sound at property lines is within municipal ordinances. The applicant and staff disagreed on whether a mandatory separation distance should be encoded in the ordinance itself; the applicant preferred reliance on case‑by‑case conditional‑use review (where hours, noise attenuation, security, and access can be tailored); staff recommended a minimum separation be considered in the code.

Board discussion and direction
Board members were divided but generally supportive of forwarding a recommendation to the commission with directions to refine noise controls and separation measures. Several board members said they would like to see a distance requirement from schools, parks or churches; one practical example discussed was a 500‑foot minimum separation from schools/parks/churches. The board also suggested including specific noise‑control language (decibel limits measured at property lines) consistent with an anticipated city noise ordinance update.

Outcome and next steps
The board voted to recommend the amendment to the City Commission with the understanding that conditional‑use review will still be required for any specific range proposal. The recommendation includes board direction that staff and the applicant refine the draft language to address: (1) minimum separation from sensitive uses (school/park/church) and (2) noise‑control metrics (decibel measurements and required attenuation standards), and to return the ordinance to Commission with those issues clarified.

Speakers
- Barbara Kingston — Senior Planner (LDR amendment presentation)
- Mark Grafton — Counsel for applicant (commented on police department needs and history of discussions)
- Applicant representative (discussed use at 1215 Wallace Drive)
- Board members: Price Patton (chair), Mitch Katz, Deidre Strong, Roger Cope, Jim Chard, Judy Malika, Gregory Snyder

Authorities referenced
- Comparative municipal codes (West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth Beach; varying separation requirements and permitting schemes)
- NRA Range Source Book (applicant provided as best‑practice guidance)

Actions
- kind: "other"
identifiers:{"agenda_item_id":"9?","ordinance_number":"27-25 (proposed)","case_number":"2025-050"}
motion: "Recommend the City Commission consider Ordinance 27‑25, a privately initiated text amendment to add service industry uses to LI and to allow indoor gun ranges as conditional uses within the Wallace Drive Overlay District; direct staff and applicant to refine the draft to address separation distances from schools/parks/churches and measurable noise attenuation standards before commission consideration."
mover: "Price Patton (motion)"
second: "Mitch Katz"
tally: {"yes":4,"no":3,"abstain":0}
outcome: "recommended"
notes: "Board requested clearer decibel standards and suggested considering a minimum 500‑foot separation from schools/parks/churches; recommended using conditional‑use review to tailor hours and security; staff and applicant to refine ordinance language prior to commission hearing."

Key clarifications and constraints
- The draft amendment confines indoor gun ranges to the Wallace Drive Overlay District and treats them as conditional uses, not as permitted uses across all LI parcels.
- The Wallace Drive overlay covers about 13 properties and includes both industrial and adjacent residential/ institutional uses; staff emphasized the overlay’s intent to manage sensitive uses carefully.
- Staff recommended a separation requirement; the applicant preferred conditional‑use flexibility. Board asked staff and applicant to return with refined language for the commission that addresses both noise metrics and separation where appropriate.

Quotes
"We feel like we’re proposing this amendment to allow a specific use in, really, at 1215 Wallace Drive…we felt like we’ve gotten super specific as staff will let us get without being spot zoning," said the applicant’s representative in presentation to the board.

Provenance
Topic intro: staff read the file number and described the proposed text amendment and scope. Topic finish: board motion and roll call forwarding the recommendation to City Commission.

Searchable_tags:["gun_range","LDR_amendment","Wallace_Drive","conditional_use"],

salience:{"overall":0.55,"overall_justification":"Policy change affects a narrow set of LI properties but raises privacy, noise and safety questions; the board directed refinements before commission review.","impact_scope":"local","impact_scope_justification":"Only the Wallace Drive overlay would allow indoor ranges as conditional uses, but policy precedent could affect broader LI approaches.","attention_level":"medium","attention_level_justification":"Public interest in safety and noise controls; staff to refine code language."}