Neighbors protest paintball field plan

[Junkie]

Ever since the Edge closed last summer, local paintball fanatics have been asking its owner to create another field where they can chase their pals around firing paintballs at each other.

Matt Shook said Monday that he is ready to oblige them with a new paintball field north of K-96 and west of Ridge Road.

But residents in the area are firing back. They fear a paintball field at that location will aggravate flooding problems, spook their horses and other animals, and create a fire hazard.

They plan on being at the Sedgwick County Commission meeting Wednesday, when commissioners will consider approving a conditional use permit for the paintball park on land that is zoned single-family residential.

The area lies in a floodplain, is wooded and has a dry streambed known as the Little Slough running through it.

"When it flooded, all of us had water coming way up to our back porch," said Jim Nichols, who has lived at 4425 N. Ridge Road for 25 years.

He is concerned about Shook's plan to put in at least one building at the site. If the area floods, Nichols said, "that structure's just like a dam."

Shook, who owned the Edge paintball field south of K-96 off Tyler Road for 10 years before losing his lease to a housing development in August, said he's familiar with flooding in the area, and it's the last thing he wants. It shuts down his business, he said.

"If I cause flooding, I lose money," Shook said. "And not only money, you lose time having to repair anything the floodwaters damage. We'd take every step possible not to cause any flooding."

The Metropolitan Area Planning Commission heard Shook's request last month, and also received six protest petitions in response to the request.

It approved the paintball park subject to conditions, which include a minimum 125-foot buffer between the playing field and surrounding property.

No structures can be built in the floodplain without approval, and no lights or loudspeakers will be permitted.

Properties to the north and east of the site are primarily residential farmsteads. Land to the west is used for a small airport and agriculture.
The nearest residence is more than 900 feet from where the park would be.
The 125-foot buffer isn't enough for Nichols, who has asked for 300 feet. Several neighbors have horses who could bolt into barbed wire fencing due to the guns, Nichols said.

"Horses spook real easy," he said.

Shook said 125 feet in the heavily wooded area is plenty of distance.
Paintballs wouldn't reach that far, he said.

"It would be like trying to throw an egg 125 feet through the woods to make it to the other side. Paintballs are that brittle," Shook said.

Paintballs are gel capsules filled with paint. The paint is nontoxic and biodegradable, he said.

If the project is approved Wednesday, Shook said, he could start work on the site, which would include seven fields, on Thursday. The park could open by June or July.

He would need to build a gravel access road and a parking lot and a building to rent out equipment. Most of the work would involve removing limbs and tree branches that have been there years, Shook said.

He said he expects an average of 50 players a day, although tournaments could draw twice that many, including people from surrounding states.

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centr...n/14364779.htm

[Spook]

in my opinion i dont think it is wise to build a brand new paintball field on a floodplain. i doubt the horses would get spooked, thats probably just a reason for them not build it, considering horses used to charge into battle with real guns lol. anyway where is that field gonna be at? ive never heard of edge paintball.

[recon ranger]

I agree with Spook,putting a paintball field on a flood plain i pretty stupid.Shook said that he would try not to cause flooding 'cause it would destroy his buissnes and the community around.No one can controol when It is going to flood.Unless the field owner finds a way to work around the floods that happen then a paint field on a flood plain is really un-wise.

[drewcif]

yea i pretty much agree as well

[shartley]

I agree about the flood plain as well. As for the horses, a field MAY spook them. Horses used to charge into battle were always desensitized to the noise, smoke, and overall disorder of battle. They seldom to ever took untrained horses into these situations because it would be dangerous for the rider and fellow soldiers of your own side.

When putting up a commercial field there are many things to take into consideration. And the neighbors’ rights and wishes is one thing that I think is VERY important. As a person who LOVES the sport, I would not want a commercial field opening up next to my house or property either. This is even coming from someone who has his own private field. There is a huge difference between an occasional game and a commercial field.

[beastatsnake]

I am glad to see that people work to demand more places to play paintball.