Willowbrook’s Upscale Range Plan Quashed Amid Fervent Opposition

BURR RIDGE, IL — The Willowbrook Village Board voted down a proposed upscale shooting range last Monday after ongoing opposition from residents. So many people opposed the plan to build a high-end shooting range in Willowbrook that last Monday’s village meeting had to be moved to a new location in Burr Ridge to accommodate them all. After a three-hour village meeting, the gun range was narrowly rejected by village trustees.

The community remained consistently opposed despite several concessions made by the company, Chicago Gun Club, which nixed initial plans for a liquor lounge, machine gun rentals and 24-hour access to the firing range.

Nevertheless, it was a tough choice for some village board members, who saw appeal in the $6 million in annual revenue in Willowbrook and the fact that the range would have occupied an area that has been unused for decades. According to Chicago Tribune, Trustee Paul Oggerino called the gun range decision his “most difficult vote” since becoming a Willowbrook trustee four years ago.

These things might have made the shooting range appealing to the village board, if it weren’t for the vehement opposition from community members who spoke out with continued concerns about safety, noise pollution and lead pollution. Another huge concern was the Willowbrook gun club’s proximity to homes and schools. As Zoltan Baksay told WGN News, “The proposed gun club is .43 miles from Gower Middle School and 270 feet lot-line to lot-line to the nearest residential home.”

For residents of Willowbrook —and ultimately for village board members— that risk was far greater than any foreseeable reward.

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