Today residents of Hanover will have a chance to sound off about proposed changes to the county's rules relating to guns.

Hanover is changing. While parts remain distinctly rural, others are becoming as suburban as western Henrico. Country traditions and city sensibilities are starting to grind against each other. The Board of Supervisors is trying to satisfy the latter without stifling the former. It's a small needle to thread.

The new rules would prohibit discharging firearms within 200 yards of a home or other occupied building (100 yards is the current standard). They also would prohibit shooting within the urban service area, while expanding that service area to include more developed areas of the county. And they would prohibit shooting that "unreasonably" disturbs others.

The proposed standards might not be perfect, but there is no perfect answer. Property owners have a right to the peaceful enjoyment of their homes and land. Parents shouldn't have to worry that a stray shot could take a chunk out of the family swingset. But longtime residents who gripe about newcomers demanding that Hanover stop its country ways make a fair point, too.

The new rules strike a balance -- as does the suggestion that the sanction ought to be dialed back. Jail time isn't appropriate, and a $2,500 fine is too steep. The supervisors should sight in the penalties so they come closer to the target of right reason.

Ideally, the county would not have to wade into this bog. Residents should exercise consideration and tolerance. Sportsmen and gun enthusiasts ought to check with their neighbors before using the backyard as a firing range, and neighbors ought to make allowances that satisfy safety and common sense. Communities work best when people try to be accommodating. Hanoverians unhappy about the direction the law is changing might ask themselves why it needs changing in the first place.