Thursday night more than 100 people packed the Willington Public Library for a meeting to discuss potentially moving the Simsbury state police gun range to their neighborhood.
Problems with the current gun range location have forced state police to search for a new place for the last several years.
"The range in Simsbury isn't fitting the bill. We've had a lot of historical water problems there, and the state has decided it's time to move," said State Police Sgt. Shane Hassett.
The state's narrowed in on three sites, two in Willington and one in East Windsor, but the vast majority of Willington residents say they want nothing to do with it, citing noise and environmental pollution.
It'll take our quiet town and turn it into a combat zone," said Willington resident Donald Parizek.
"It is so frightening and so jarring and so disturbing, and that is what's going to come to this community," said Willington resident Phyllis Banton.
"We are the ones that charge towards the gunfire, and we all deserve the best training facility to provide that training possible," said Lt. Marc Patruzzi with Connecticut State Police.
While everyone agreed about the importance of having a gun range, there were few willing to have it close to their homes.
State police say that this is all still very early in the process. They still need to do an environmental impact study
and plan to have a follow up meeting in the fall.
