The Berkshire Eagle reports the North Adams shooting range will remain open — for now.

Mayor Thomas Bernard announced Thursday he would extend the Jan. 1 deadline and leave the gun range on Pattison Road open to permitted users until at least July 1 while the city continues to explore insurance policy options.

"The bottom line is that because the range is covered under the current insurance policy until the end of the fiscal year, I'm going to keep it open until then," Bernard said.

The announcement was welcome news to those who have fought to keep the range open.

The city has operated the shooting range — both for police officers and licensed, permitted members of the public — for more than 50 years.

But that was news to the city's insurer, the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association, which learned about the range when city officials reached out with questions about liability earlier this year. The insurance agency informed the city that it would not longer cover the range as of July 1, 2019.

Shortly thereafter, Bernard announced that the shooting range would close to the public on Jan. 1 and remain open only for police training purposes.

Councilor Benjamin Lamb lauded the mayor's decision on Thursday.

 

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