Since You Asked: Is target practice OK in Browns Valley?

Q: I live in Browns Valley and my neighbors spend a good deal of time every weekend and holiday target shooting. One of the reasons we moved here was that the property is located well off the beaten path, meaning it would be quiet. The shooting scares my dogs and all of the indigenous wildlife and, I believe, certainly disturbs the peace. Is their target shooting legal?

A: "The answer is probably," said Yuba County Undersheriff Jerry Read.

Most of Browns Valley is officially designated as a "rural area," and any target shooting that takes place outside a 150-yard "safety zone" from other homes is protected, according to the Yuba County ordinance on shooting restrictions.

Anything within 150 yards, or 450 feet, is illegal.

In terms of disturbing the peace, residents have to prove their peace is being disturbed, Deputy Tamara Pecsi said.

Proving a peace disturbance can be tough.

Is it a violation of the county's noise ordinance? Probably not. Rural target shooting is not specifically discussed anywhere in the ordinance.

Bottom line, unless the shooters behave dangerously, target practice is a protected part of a rural lifestyle.

"The resident could always check with the sheriff's department on a specific incident," Pecsi said.

Church at former store?

Q: It looks like a church has moved into the former Harper's Ferry site on Colusa Avenue in Yuba City, is that correct? Do Yuba City zoning requirements allow for a church in a mostly retail area?

A: The answer to both questions is yes.

The Bride Church opened Oct. 2 in the old Harper's Ferry building at 655 Colusa Avenue, according to Tammie Rikard, a Yuba City development technician.

And, yes, city zoning regulations permit churches in commercial and residential areas, Rikard said.

Yuba City churches are allowed in every area of the city except those zoned for industrial uses.

"They're not allowed there because we want to keep all of our ugly, nosiest businesses in one spot," Rikard said.

In some residential and commercial areas churches must obtain a special use permit, but not for the area occupied by the Bride Church.

Since You Asked is published on Mondays. Send questions to reporter Rob Parsons at the Appeal-Democrat, 1530 Ellis Lake Drive, Marysville, CA 95901, email him at rparsons@appealdemocrat.com or call 749-4785.