Kingston Police Department to Establish New Firing Range on Town Property
Board of Selectmen approves location near transfer station; also discusses future of Department of Public Works despite town meeting rejection
KINGSTON - May 6 - The Kingston Board of Selectmen has approved the establishment of a police firearms range on town-owned property near the wastewater treatment plant and transfer station, following a public hearing at their May 6 meeting.
Detective Lieutenant Michael Skowyra presented the proposal, which addresses the police department's need for a dedicated training facility. Currently, Kingston police must "beg, borrow and steal" from other departments to complete state-mandated firearms training.
"We're required by state statute to train at least twice a year with our firearms," Skowyra explains. "For years, we haven't had a range."
The approved location was selected after a thorough review of all town-owned property. According to Skowyra, this parcel was "the only one that really worked and met all the requirements," including being at least 150 feet from roadways and 500 feet from residences.
The range will be positioned in a natural depression near the transfer station, with shooting directed parallel to the railway tracks. The department plans to use environmentally friendly lead-free ammunition, which costs more but prevents lead contamination of the area.
Several residents expressed concerns about noise levels, particularly for nearby neighborhoods like Copper Beach Drive, which is just over 500 feet from the proposed range.
Doug Dondero, a resident of Copper Beach Drive, questioned whether other locations had been considered. "It is a neighborhood. It's not just my house," Dondero said, while expressing support for the police department.
Skowyra addressed these concerns, stating that while gunfire will be audible, "I don't think it's going to be overpoweringly loud." He estimates the range will be used approximately eight days per year for department-wide training, plus occasional additional days for tactical training or individual officer practice.
The board unanimously approved the range with the condition that if the project falls within Conservation Commission jurisdiction, their approval would also be required.
Selectman Tyler Bouchard, attending his final regular meeting before his term ends, noted that the board maintains control over the property. "If there's an issue, this is the board that gets to do that," Bouchard said. "It's our town's department. You guys care about the safety and compliance."
In other business, the board discussed next steps following the narrow defeat of a proposal to create a Department of Public Works at the annual town meeting.
Board Chair Eric Crone noted that the measure failed by only 10 votes, with feedback suggesting many residents wanted more information before making a decision.
"Based on the feedback that I've received, I feel like we need to move forward, evaluate the job description a little bit more," Crone says. "I also think we need to have some open houses for the public, because we didn't do that."
Selectman Kim Emberg agreed, suggesting the board make DPW a recurring agenda item. "With a vote of 10 being the swing, that tells me it's close. It's not a resounding no. It's a no but," Emberg says. "I still think this is the right direction for our town."
Town Administrator Keith Hickey will work with interim Streets, Trees and Parks Superintendent Shawn Turner to develop a staffing proposal to address immediate department needs while the board continues to explore the DPW concept.
"Shawn has done a fabulous job at just managing everything and trying to deal with some of the challenges he has," Hickey says, noting that Turner is currently performing both superintendent and foreman duties.
The board also:
- Approved a new common victualer license for Slack-Tide Coffee Roasters at the former Nino's Deli location, with hours from 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Accepted a parcel of land from the Silver Lake Regional School District for the upcoming Lake Street culvert replacement and stormwater improvement project.
- Appointed Kenneth Mullally as interim tax collector until July 1, 2026.
- Appointed Eileen Bulger as a Council on Aging van driver and Stacy Driscoll as Assistant Director of Elder Affairs.
- Approved a one-day liquor license for Independent Fermentations Brewing LLC for the Kingston Collections Food Truck and Artisan Festival on May 17.
- Declared a Mohawk 25R 25,000-pound four-post truck lift and a 2012 Ford F-550 as surplus equipment.
The meeting concluded with Bouchard reflecting on his three years of service on the board. "I just want to say thank you to the town of Kingston for electing me to be in this position," Bouchard said. "I'm really proud of us disagreeing well."
The next regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen is scheduled for May 20.