Business owner and archery instructor Shane Fitzgerald requested a special exception for an indoor archery range at the September 6 council workshop. An archery instructor for over two decades, Fitzgerald said he wants to put in a six lane indoor archery range behind the store’s showroom.

Fitzgerald teaches multiple kinds of archery, with National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) style the most popular. "It’s a very big thing and it keeps the kids that aren’t always athletic into the sport," he said.

Fitzgerald’s Bowhunter archery classes constitute four-week classes, noting ages for the program typically start at around seven to eight years old.

Fitzgerald was teaching private lessons at his previous location but found he was running out of space. Fitzgerald has been an instructor with the NASP program for approximately 15 years, "and we’ve never had any accidents," he said.

In business for over 30 years, Bowhunters Den is located on Frederick Street, having recently returned to Taneytown. The property is zoned commercial and is in the general business district, which is the broadest commercial zone in the city.

The unusual request for an archery range called for the mayor and council to approve the use within the city, according to City Manager James Wieprecht.

While the City code prohibits the discharge of any gun, pistol, air rifle, bow and such throughout the city, Wieprecht said, the section does not prohibit lawfully allowed indoor target ranges by any organization having approval by the council.

"Otherwise, the code is silent on archery," he said.

As nothing additional is being constructed, the range’s minimal impact may not trigger a site development plan, and may just result in a zoning certificate and change of use building permit with the county, Wieprecht said.

"It certainly has my attention, I think this is a good idea," Mayor Pro Tem Joseph Vigliotti said.