The Sacramento Bee published an article on the status of the Mangan Park Rifle and Pistol Range, located on 34th Avenue near the Executive Airport, which is owned by the City of Sacramento and was closed in December 2014.
The article speculates that lead may have contaminated the soil in the surrounding areas. Although this has not been confirmed, the Parks Department recently tested soils in the surrounding area and expects results this week.
“The city will take prudent action to mitigate any soil areas determined to be at risk,” said Parks and a Recreation Director Chris Conlin.
The background information below outlines the City’s efforts to date.
The Mangan Park Rifle and Pistol Range is owned by the City of Sacramento, but was managed by the United Revolver Club of Sacramento. The City Manager, in coordination with Risk Management and the City Auditor, closed the rifle and pistol range in December 2014 until further notice.
In March 2015, the City contracted with DLR Group, an outside consulting firm to perform an inspection and assessment of the needed facility upgrades for the Mangan Park Rifle and Pistol Range building. The following areas were evaluated: general adequacy of building and structural components; ADA; Building Code review; and the adequacy of mechanical venting and electrical service. The evaluation found the Mangan Park Rifle and Pistol Range facility needed more than $1.7 million in repairs in order to meet current Building Code requirements. The City intended to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to determine if the Club or another group would be able to undertake the needed improvements and to conduct lead abatement cleaning.
The City currently does not have the funding to invest in the full rehabilitation of the Mangan Park Rifle and Pistol Range. The City is concerned that the cost of the improvements will be beyond the ability for an operator to fund.
Due to funding limitations, the recent replacement of the Parks Director, and other funding priorities within the Parks and Recreation Department, the rifle and pistol range still remains closed and in its current condition.
The City has contracted with a few other consulting firms to perform an inspection and assessment of the facility. An evaluation found that the roof of the range facility has some lead accumulation. The evaluation did not assess the lead in the soil in the immediate surrounding area of the building where lead from the roof “would presumably have settled from rain and wash off from the roof” indicating that the soil around the downspouts may need to be tested. The City determined that keeping the facility closed and contained is the best option until a plan to make the needed improvements and to conduct lead abatement cleaning is finalized.
The Parks Department intends to develop a Mangan Park Master Plan, with public input on future plans, for the park including the Rifle and Pistol Range facility.