A proposed private shooting facility in rural Madison County will go before the county’s zoning commission on March 19, 2026, with developers pitching it as a high-end training and recreation destination and nearby residents warning it could disrupt homes, businesses and the area’s rural character.
The project, known as ‘The Vanguard,’ is being advanced by the owners of Black Flag Arsenal in Waukee and landowner Mark Marine. Owners, Keegan Garrey and Gabe Lanz, described it as a membership-based operation focused on shooting sports, firearms education, and law-enforcement-friendly training opportunities.
According to the proposal, the facility would be built on a roughly 130-acre plot in Madison County and is designed as a private gun club, separate from the existing firearms retail business. The application argues the use is allowable under the county’s agricultural zoning rules if it is recommended by the zoning commission and approved by county supervisors.
What the proposal includes
As outlined by the developers and described in the proposal materials, The Vanguard would include a range layout intended to be broader than what is currently available in central Iowa. Lanz says some of the planned offerings would be the only of their kind in the state…