Shooting range lawsuit up in the air?

WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) -- In just a few months, $5,000 to $7,000 has been spent on a lawsuit over having a shooting range close to a Waterbury school. Parents say it's a lot of money, but now they're worried that the Board of Education may change their mind.

"They shouldn't have the shooting range close to the school," said Aries Duarte. "That's for sure."

"Still against it," said Principal Donna Perrault.

However, now Mayor O'Leary is asking the Board of Education to re-think the lawsuit the Board of Education has filed against the City of Waterbury Zoning Board as the bills are piling up.

"I think the mayor has not made up his mind either on this issue, one way or another," said Joe Geary, Chief of Staff.

O'Leary and others on the Zoning Board played no role in the unanimous approval of a plan presented by a gun range developer to put a shooting range less than 500 feet away from Sprague Elementary School.

That all happened in late June under the last administration.

Perrault says parents and administrators weren't notified properly. They didn't like the idea then and they don't like it now.

"They've talked about lead concerns, noise, they're not sure if students with special needs would have keener senses," said Perrault.

News 8 found the plans, showing the gun range would be in the basement with an air filtration system to address the concerns about lead, but Perrault says there are other concerns like heavy traffic and overall student safety.

"We should still fight that fight," Perrault said.

Some parents agree.

"Suing is ridiculous," said Duarte, "but if that's what it's gonna take to not have it too close then that's what they've got to do."

"The Board of Education may decide after they tour the facility and have some level of certainty that it's safe," said Geary. "I assume they would entertain the idea of withdrawing the suit."

Or they could stick to their guns.

"They also may look at the proximity of the school and decide they want to move forward with the lawsuit," said Geary.

"I'm hoping they don't like it," said Duarte, "so they won't have the shooting range near the school."

Having a shooting range is not a done deal; the city says the Board of Education has agreed to tour the building at the end of the month.