The State of Connecticut will not be moving forward with plans to build a Connecticut State Police gun range in Griswold, according to the governor’s office.
The issue of the gun range goes back for years as the Connecticut State Police have been looking for a new location for the site. The current facility in Simsbury dates back to the 1940s, and was badly damaged by floods in 2007. The agency has been searching for a new site ever since, and at one point settled on the Griswold site, adjacent to Pachaug State Forest, as the best location due to its rural location, and minimal impact on residents, relative to other proposed locations in the state.
Many residents in the area spoke out against the plan, citing environmental and noise concerns.
On Friday Gov. Ned Lamont announced that the state terminated the purchase and sale agreement for the 113-acre piece of land. Lamont did not seek bonding for the property, and the Department of Administrative Services notified the property owner that they no longer plan to make the purchase in a letter.
“We will no longer be placing the state gun range in Griswold. The state will do a complete analysis of the project and search for viable alternate locations, while ensuring the overall project is cost-efficient and produces the best results for the needs of the State Police,” Lamont wrote in a statement.
Tim Herbst, who was representing Griswold residents in a lawsuit to prevent the shooting range from being build, said his clients were happy with the outcome.
“On behalf of my clients, we are very pleased with Governor Lamont’s announcement today. This misguided proposal was wrong on so many levels. I commend the Governor for changing the leadership of the Connecticut State Police and putting an end to this waste of taxpayer money and resources. On behalf of the residents of Griswold, I thank Colonel Stavros Mellekas and the leadership of the Connecticut State Police for bringing closure to this matter," Herbst wrote in a statement to NBC Connecticut.
