Daviess County Fiscal Court has approved a real estate purchase agreement for an approximately 13-acre property in Maceo. The land is adjacent to the Mattingly Target Shooting Range, formerly known as the Daviess County Gun Club.
County Treasurer Jordan Johnson said Fiscal Court has wanted to acquire the property for some time to afford options for the shooting range. The property runs alongside the main entrance off Kentucky Highway 2830.
About one-third of the acreage is located outside the floodplain. Much of the area is currently wooded.
County officials say the land could address longstanding parking challenges for events at the shooting range, which currently operates as a shotgun-only facility.
County Commissioner Larry Conder said the immediate priority is cleaning up the property, which he described as an “eyesore.”
“The property itself is in poor condition and needs significant cleanup,” Conder said previously. “It’s going to take time and resources to get it to where it needs to be. Once it’s cleaned up, the first thing we’ll likely use it for is overflow parking. During the state tournament last year, people were lined up along the road because we simply didn’t have enough parking to accommodate an event of that size. This purchase gives us the ability to address that issue.”
However, he acknowledged that the land’s acquisition opens the door for potential future uses, including an indoor pistol range.
“That’s something we’d have to evaluate down the road, especially since we wouldn’t want to compete with private businesses,” he said. “If someone else were to develop an indoor range in the next few years, we’d step back from that idea.”
The Mattingly Target Shooting Range, formerly known as the Daviess County Gun Club, sits on the adjacent 76.28-acre lot owned by the county. Located on the north banks of Pup Creek, the facility hosts numerous events throughout the year. The facility is scheduled to open for the season on February 28.
County Commissioner Chris Castlen called the proposed purchase a strategic investment.
“When land like this becomes available and has the potential to improve or expand what we’re already doing, we take a serious look at it,” Castlen said previously. “Cleaning it up will make the area more inviting and give us flexibility for future enhancements.”
Both commissioners emphasized that any potential expansion of the facility, including an indoor range, would require careful evaluation.
“For now, the focus is on making the property visually appealing and functional,” Castlen said.
