Published: November 04, 2009 06:15 pm      

Commission OKs electric cars at Heartland Outdoors

EDMOND — The market for small electric vehicles got a boost by the Edmond Planning Commission Tuesday evening. An additional use for the Heartland Outdoors shooting range was approved 4-1, with commissioner Lydia Lee casting the no vote.

The Edmond City Council approved the general commercial limited use for the range at the Shoppes at the Piazza shopping center, 1472 N. Kelly, in August. Heartland Outdoors offers a 14-lane gun range and a four-lane, 3D archery range.

Interest has sparked for the energy saving vehicles because of federal and state tax credits, said attorney Randel Shadid, representing business owner Shawn Forth.

The indoor range occupies about 8,500 square feet with 1,500 feet left for retail storage, said Bob Schiermeyer, city planner. A higher usage for the planned unit development also would allow one vehicle outside Heartland Outdoors.

“All of our inventory except one will be indoors, not visible from the street,” Shadid said.

New rules with the new Title 22 zoning laws made it necessary for the item to come before the Planning Commission because these electric vehicles are now classified as vehicles, Shadid said.

“It’s not a car lot,” Shadid said.

Lee questioned if the vehicles could be taken on test drives through neighborhoods. These noise-proof vehicles are prohibited from being driven on roads with a 35 mph speed limit or more, and the speed limit for Kelly is 45 mph, Shadid said.

“The only place where you would be able to test drive in that area would be within our parking lot and our storage facility,” he said.

Lee said one of the reasons she previously voted in favor of the gun range was because merchandise would be contained inside the shopping center.

“I just think this change, particularly with the outdoor display and test driving through the parking lot, is significantly a higher use than what was anticipated for this area,” Lee said.

There’s a major difference between a development at a major intersection and a development that’s placed further in the block, Lee said.

Shadid said Ace Hardware and a Lowe’s Home Improvement Store are in close proximity to Heartland Outdoors. Kelly Avenue is designated to become a thoroughfare with a median, he added.



HEARTLAND OUTDOORS is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 340-7530 or go online at www.heartlandoutdoorsok.com.