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Paintball promoters feeling outcast

A paintball enthusiast says his sport is unfairly stigmatized after Red Deer County’s municipal planning commission shot down his proposal to run a paintball park.

A paintball enthusiast says his sport is unfairly stigmatized after Red Deer County’s municipal planning commission shot down his proposal to run a paintball park.

On Tuesday, the commission unanimously turned down Jordan Pagacz’s proposal to develop a paintball park on 5.5 acres of agricultural land along Hwy 595, about 16 km west of Delburne.

Pagacz of Outcast Society Paintball said later he will appeal the decision.

“It’s disappointing, but we knew we were going to hit this road,” said Pagacz, 26. “We’d like the chance to prove ourselves.”

Pagacz said his sport often gets a bad rap for things like noise, but he believes people will eventually see the merits of such a sport. Players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by hitting them with capsules containing paint (paintballs) from a gun-like device called a paintball marker.

“It’s a good, athletic, energized time,” he said.

He referred to how communities are now embracing skateboard parks, but it took some time.

Pagacz, a professional paintball player who runs an indoor paintball business in downtown Red Deer, wanted to construct a recreational paintball facility and amenities including three paintball fields, an enclosed woodlands paintball playing area and a parking lot. The high netting would be visible beyond the property.

He also planned to hire up to 13 people for the business that would run seven days a week.

But area residents expressed concerns about privacy, aesthetics, traffic, impacts to the environment, possible reduction of property values, and behaviour of patrons.

Keith Fox said the business is a good idea, but it’s in the wrong location for the eight residences that live around it.

“We’re all unanimously opposed to this development,” Fox said. “If it’s allowed to go ahead, it would be a huge injustice.”

Residents spoke of problems they’ve faced since Pagacz began running “test” games many months ago.

Fox said vehicles are travelling down the road late at night and there’s been non-stop play until 9:30 p.m. on a Sunday.

Penny Johnson, who lives directly across, said she can also hear cussing coming from players, plus sirens used during the matches. The noise is also bothering her farm dogs.

The neighbours had negative experiences with a paintball park in 2002.

Councillor Jim Wood agreed with the residents.

“We have a responsibility to minimize conflict,” he said. “Would I want this by my house? No.”

Pagacz said he’s open to more discussions with neighbours so that the business can operate without disturbance.

Another paintball business was operating along the C&E Trail, but has since shut down.

Without a new one to take its place, Pagacz said he can see paintball players trespassing onto land so they can have some fun.

ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com