It's here! We finally have an update on the range progress!
First off, we would like to give our heartfelt thanks to all of you that have given us words of encouragement and those that have inquired about the range. This has been an INCREDIBLY difficult road, extremely expensive and at times very discouraging. It is because of your support that we have continued to fight through all of the red tape and tough times to keep pursuing our dream. Thank you!
So, What is the Status of the Range?
Without going too deep into all of the issues we have faced, here is where we are after two years of work: We have the final engineering drawings done. This was a big deal because we had to engineer a building that met the country requirements, structurally supported the range infrastructure and ballistic material, met OSHA standards, and satisfied the design that we were looking for. The problem we still face is that the structural engineers decided we needed to move the range HVAC to the side of the building. On the surface, this is not a big deal...but the county regulations make it a huge deal. We had to redesign the site plan, and will go before the county again for approval in the next several weeks. All of this when we were ready to start grading!
The road has been approved and certified as wide enough! This could have been a deal breaker. A year ago we met with the county and they told us we would be responsible for widening the road, and the cost would have priced us out of the range. However, fate would have it that the road was redone by the county last June, and this fall was deemed suitable.
The "fire suppression system" is almost complete. Before we could build we had to have 26,000 gallons of water readily available for the fire department to have access to prior to construction. After a meeting with the Fire Marshall, we came up with a cost avoidance solution that meets the building requirements. Ironically, the solution was approximately half the price of a submerged tank, and funny thing is....it looks a lot like a swimming pool. In fact, to the untrained eye, it looks identical to a 35,000 gallon swimming pool with a nice little tanning deck, but for building purposes, it is a fire suppression system which will clear the path for construction. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade!
The final hurdle with the county should be resolved within 5 weeks. After that it should take another 4 to 5 weeks to excavate and site prep, 3 to 4 weeks for concrete, and then it will depend on the subcontractors availability for electric, plumbing and finish work. Realistically, we are looking at August if we don't run into any more major issues.
In March we will put another update and will speak to future memberships. We have the details, but are not ready to start addressing inquiries at this time. We have to get the shovels in the ground first!
Again, thank you all for your support. We look forward to the day that we can have you join us in this incredible facilty that is planned!
Steve and Cindi Thomas
First off, we would like to give our heartfelt thanks to all of you that have given us words of encouragement and those that have inquired about the range. This has been an INCREDIBLY difficult road, extremely expensive and at times very discouraging. It is because of your support that we have continued to fight through all of the red tape and tough times to keep pursuing our dream. Thank you!
So, What is the Status of the Range?
Without going too deep into all of the issues we have faced, here is where we are after two years of work: We have the final engineering drawings done. This was a big deal because we had to engineer a building that met the country requirements, structurally supported the range infrastructure and ballistic material, met OSHA standards, and satisfied the design that we were looking for. The problem we still face is that the structural engineers decided we needed to move the range HVAC to the side of the building. On the surface, this is not a big deal...but the county regulations make it a huge deal. We had to redesign the site plan, and will go before the county again for approval in the next several weeks. All of this when we were ready to start grading!
The road has been approved and certified as wide enough! This could have been a deal breaker. A year ago we met with the county and they told us we would be responsible for widening the road, and the cost would have priced us out of the range. However, fate would have it that the road was redone by the county last June, and this fall was deemed suitable.
The "fire suppression system" is almost complete. Before we could build we had to have 26,000 gallons of water readily available for the fire department to have access to prior to construction. After a meeting with the Fire Marshall, we came up with a cost avoidance solution that meets the building requirements. Ironically, the solution was approximately half the price of a submerged tank, and funny thing is....it looks a lot like a swimming pool. In fact, to the untrained eye, it looks identical to a 35,000 gallon swimming pool with a nice little tanning deck, but for building purposes, it is a fire suppression system which will clear the path for construction. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade!
The final hurdle with the county should be resolved within 5 weeks. After that it should take another 4 to 5 weeks to excavate and site prep, 3 to 4 weeks for concrete, and then it will depend on the subcontractors availability for electric, plumbing and finish work. Realistically, we are looking at August if we don't run into any more major issues.
In March we will put another update and will speak to future memberships. We have the details, but are not ready to start addressing inquiries at this time. We have to get the shovels in the ground first!
Again, thank you all for your support. We look forward to the day that we can have you join us in this incredible facilty that is planned!
Steve and Cindi Thomas