The Warren County Commission voted unanimously on Feb. 8 to pull the variance on a 45-acre tract of land that effectively shuts down the Old Warrenton Studios film set.
The variance, obtained by the film set’s owner, Brad Owens, changed the zoning from R-1 rural to allow for commercial activity. Owens also obtained permission from the county to operate a live-fire shooting range.
The set was designed to resemble a 19th Century Gold Rush town and was to be used for shooting mainly western genre films.
Residents complained that they have heard gunfire occurring on the property outside of the 8 am to 8 pm time restriction, however they offered the commission no evidence such as time-stamped video.
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The variance calls for a 50-foot buffer zone throughout the property to help in sound abatement.
On Jan. 7, a shooting occurred on the property that seriously wounded Joseph Eckert, 21, of Marietta, Ga. Jason Owen, 25, of Akron, Ohio, was arrested and charged with one count of reckless conduct.
MORE: Arrest made in Old Warrenton Studies shooting
Authorities concluded that the shooting had nothing to do with a film being shot on the property that day and was the result of improper handling of a personal firearm that was not being used as a prop in the film.
Warren County Commission Chairman John Graham said earlier that the variance issue had nothing to do with the shooting, but the incident was discussed at length during the meeting.
Commissioners said that Owens, in his application, stated that only films of the traditional western genre would be shot on the property, but the film being shot when the gunfire incident occurred was a science fiction thriller.
Owens says he never made such a statement and that the movie set is open to filmmakers looking for a rustic backdrop for their film project.
“I totally don’t get that. What is ‘Blazing Saddles?’ Is it a western or a comedy? What about ‘Back To The Future III?’ Is it science fiction or a western? Both of them are filmed on western sets, but neither of them are what you would call traditional westerns,” Owens said.
MORE: Warren County Commission to discuss pulling zoning variance for Old Warrenton Studios
Owens also maintained that live fire has never taken place on the property outside the time constraints.
For Owens, having the variant removed means he stands to lose tens of thousands of dollars, and he says it has hurt the film companies that have already contracted and planned to hold their productions at Old Warrenton Studios and have made necessary deposits on hotels and meal services.
“I built this entire set by hand. First, we had Covid shut everything down, that made for costly delays and then lumber prices went through the roof. We managed to survive all of that only for the commission to tell me that film cameras are no longer allowed and that I can’t use a firearm on my own property,” Owens said.
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According to Owens, his only recourse now is to take the matter to court.
“For them to yank a variance, there has to be some evidence that we broke the rules, we didn’t break the rules. I specifically chose that property because it is out in the middle of nowhere and I thought I wouldn’t have to deal with politics, but that did not turn out to be the case,” Owens said.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
