The Warren County commissioners won't make a final ruling for three weeks on whether a proposed youth shooting range will be allowed in the southern part of the county. A conditional use permit was previously issued to Youth Enjoying Shooting Sports Inc. (YESS), a Missouri not-for-profit, by the county planning and zoning commission in July. The shooting/archery range will be located on 33 acres off Warco Road south of the Washington Regional Airport. YESS will lease the property from Franklin/Warren Shooting Sports LLC.   The hearing was required because a protest was filed by Donald and Donna Eichholz, Robert Daus, Patricia Remstedt, Donald Schulte and Mark Schulte. The four-hour public hearing was held Monday afternoon to hear views from both supporters and opponents to the planned property use. Around 40 people attended the meeting. The majority of the property owners attending Monday's hearing do not own property within 1,000 feet of the proposed shooting range requiring them to be notified about the permit application. A petition was submitted to the commission listing 116 signatures of area residents opposed to the shooting facility. Several of the opponents live on top of a bluff outside of Dutzow overlooking the Missouri River bottom where the airport is located. "This is not a Second Amendment problem," said Don Schulte. "This is an environmental issue." The commissioners will announce their ruling Monday, Sept. 21, at 2 p.m. Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage acknowledged the commission needed some time to review material submitted by both sides. "We will have to look at all the stuff and see where it leads us," Engelage told The Record. "Hopefully we can get a compromise. I'm concerned with the noise and safety and lead reclaim. Those are all issues to look at and address." Some of the stipulations previously set by the planning and zoning include set hours, an age restriction of 22, prohibiting alcohol on the property, requiring a certified coach to be in attendance during all shooting, and allowing unannounced inspections from the county sanitarian and zoning enforcement officer. YESS was created to serve the training needs of youth shooting organizations such as local 4-H and FFA groups. Representatives of the group said it's their intent to follow all guidelines set by the EPA and DNR. Stacey Schroeder, 20, of Washington, attended Monday's hearing and stated there aren't many options for area youth to practice outside of their competitive events. A member of the 2008 Junior Olympics team with sights on making the 2012 Olympics team, she grew up participating on local 4-H and FFA teams. "Having a facility in this area will be great," she said. "It will open up opportunities for kids. Shooting has opened up many doors for me." Two sound tests held Aug. 8, 2008, and June 24, 2009, yielded mixed reviews. YESS members said the decibel readings were well within the noise guidelines, but opponents questioned the equipment used and the timing of the readings. Remstedt, a nearby resident, alleged she could hear the gunshots over the sound from a helicopter hovering near the airport. Daus, another nearby property owner, has delayed construction of a winery/banquet center next to Blumenhof Winery because of concerns related to the shooting range. "To add industrial quality noise to the Katy Trail and the wineries is very destructive," Mark Schulte said. "This part of the world is dear to me. We're not opposed to progress, but we want to protect it as well." Gary Young, of the YESS group, noted all property owners within 1,000 feet of the proposed range are in favor of the facility, including the city of Washington which publicly stated its support in July. Along with the noise factor, opponents also were concerned about the environmental impact of lead contamination coming from the participants' gunfire. As part of the conditions already set by the county planning and zoning commission, the organization must maintain a pH soil content on the site between 6 and 7. Young noted the pH level recently tested 6.7 Also, the club must have a $10,000 bond posted with the county guaranteeing cleanup of the site when no longer in use and that must meet or exceed EPA and DNR regulations.   Gerard Hellebusch, a YESS member, said there was equipment available to pick up the lead from the ground. "This could be a model on how a youth shooting range should be operated," YESS member Pat Bundy said. Mark Schulte questioned if the shooting range should be allowed in a floodplain since the county zoning ordinance prohibits the storing of hazardous material there. He added that lead should be considered unsafe. "I want to make sure as you move forward, it doesn't hurt us," Mark Schulte said. In addition, opponents were worried about the threat of traffic accidents from vehicles entering and leaving the range entrance on Highway 47. Supporters of the range, however, responded that visitors to area wineries are a safety hazard as well due to possible intoxicated drivers driving on area roads. "I'd rather see kids shooting than sending drunks onto the road," said Merlyn Petersmeyer of Warrenton. Southern District Commissioner Hubie Kluesner indicated he was in favor of stricter hours. For the permit to be upheld, all eight planning and zoning criteria must be approved by the commissioners when voting Sept. 21. "I think we all have to come to a compromise," Kluesner said. Earlier this year, the commission approved amending the zoning code to allow such shooting ranges to be built and operated in certain zoning districts within the county, including the area where the proposed facility is planned.