Politics & Government

Prince William May Share Firing Range With FBI, Manassas

The county will explore the possibility of one day sharing a firing range with the FBI and the City of Manassas.

It's still unclear where the FBI will move its headquarters, but Prince William County may have a shot at sharing a firing range with the federal agency and the City of Manassas. 

The Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday directed County Executive Melissa Peacor to explore the possibility of a shared firing range between the FBI, the county and the City of Manassas. The new range, if approved by the supervisors, would likely be constructed at county-owned land in Nokesville. 

The existing range is over 18 years old and was not designed for use as a rifle range. Documents posted on the county website indicate that the FBI would pay $150,000 for a master plan study to determine the feasibility of a new shared site. 

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The City of Manassas has also expressed a need for the firing range, Coles District Supervisor Marty Nohe said. Nohe said the county has not yet reached out to Manassas Park to discuss the idea. 

The discussion comes at a time when Prince William—along with virtually every jurisdiction in the metropolitan area—is trying to get the FBI to move to the area. There's no indication that the range would have any bearing on the move, though, since the federal agency shares ranges with dozens of localities all over the country. 

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Brentsville District Supervisor Wally said a number of constituents in Nokesville have expressed concerns about the noise and the whether the current roads can handle increased traffic. 

"I'd like to reiterate that this firing range is a preliminary look. It's got a lot of public hearings to go through," Covington said. 


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