Justin Bruno, owner of MJ's Ammo Saloon at 514 Bridgeport Avenue, told the Shelton Planning & Zoning Commission on Dec. 10 that state rules now require live fire to complete concealed‑carry qualification and asked the commission to allow an indoor live‑fire range as an accessory use to his retail shop.

Attorney Dominic Thomas and range consultant Michael (Mike) Orbath described the proposal as an accessory use tied to the gun store — “if the gun store were to close, the accessory use automatically goes away,” Thomas said — and said the range would be membership‑based rather than a walk‑in public facility. Bruno said memberships would include training and annual recertification; Orbath said the range company’s standard design calls for an 8‑inch filled CMU wall, ballistic steel and engineered backstop and that Vibra Sciences was retained to model sound attenuation.

Commissioners pressed the applicant on safety, hours of operation and sound transmission. Commissioner concerns focused on potential noise reaching adjacent tenants and nearby residential lots, the caliber of firearms that could be used, and whether the addition of live fire transformed the prior accessory approval into a major modification to the Planned Development (PDD). One commissioner said she could not support approval without further information; another said an accessory‑use route could be continued if construction and operational limits were enforced.

The commission specifically requested: a formal acoustical analysis and decibel modeling from the retained sound engineer; construction cross‑sections and cut‑sheets showing wall, backstop and soundproofing materials; a sample or specification for the proposed recycled rubber backstop material; and clear hours of operation and tenant notification showing that adjacent tenants have been informed. The applicant said he would provide construction specifications, cross sections and the sound engineer’s report.

After debate, the commission voted to accept the application for expanded use and to hold a Planning & Zoning public hearing on the expansion, with staff directed to require the applicant to provide construction and sound‑emission details and to notify surrounding tenants. The motion passed on a roll‑call recorded during the meeting; the applicant was told the commission would also consider a site visit to comparable facilities before final action.

What happens next: The commission’s vote does not approve construction. The public hearing and the requested engineering and material details are intended to give the commission evidence to evaluate noise, ventilation, and safety details before any final determination about whether the live‑fire range is permitted as an accessory use or requires a PDD modification.