Edgartown selectmen voted Monday to withdraw an article from the upcoming annual town meeting warrant that would regulate firearms, after hearing concerns from local hunters.

The article asks voters to amend town bylaws to prohibit the discharge of firearms within 500 feet of a dwelling without written permission from the property owner or a permit from the town.

The full text of the article reads: “No person shall, except in the performance of a legal duty or in the lawful defense of a person or property, discharge any firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling or other occupied structure, unless granted written permission by the owner of the land on which the dwelling or structure is located, or unless the use is pursuant to approval or permit from the town of Edgartown.”

The brewing dispute is more about firing ranges and target practice than hunting, according to police. There is already a state law that prohibits the discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, but the law includes an exception for firing ranges. The proposed local ordinance would not provide an exception for firing ranges.

Selectmen placed the article on the warrant for the April 14 annual town meeting warrant after hearing concerns about a private firing range from Chappaquiddick residents.

According to police, Chappaquiddick resident Ronald Monterosso uses a portion of his property for target practice. Some of his neighbors object.

On Monday, Tom Taylor, an Edgartown resident and hunter, told selectmen he understood the worries of Chappaquiddick residents, but he said hunters are concerned that the specific language of the warrant article could affect hunters. He said many communities are wrestling with the issue.

“It’s been a back door move by many organizations to try to ban the discharge of a firearm, which would preclude hunting,” Mr. Taylor said.

Edgartown police officer Joel DeRoche, who is the department’s firearms training instructor, asked that the article be withdrawn and the issue sent before the planning board to determine whether private target practice is an appropriate use of land.

“Maybe it just needs a little more time to be looked at by the planning board so it won’t adversely impact local hunters,” Mr. DeRoche said.

Selectmen said the article was not intended to curtail hunting activity.

“Absolutely not,” said chairman Arthur Smadbeck. “Let’s make that clear. If anything, we want to encourage it.”

Selectman Margaret Serpa agreed and said more review is in order. “After hearing some of the concerns that were raised, I think the right move is to go to the planning board and have a bigger forum, come up with something that will address the concerns, and not totally tie hands,” she said.

Selectman Michael Donaroma did not attend the meeting.

Mr. Monterosso, who did attend, was critical of selectmen for including the article on the warrant.

“The way this was handled was entirely inappropriate,” he said. “It was secret, it was not transparent. But let it go, it’s done.”

In other business Monday, selectmen voted to accept a donation of $143,835 on behalf of the town from the Edgartown Library Foundation, which originally raised the funds for an expansion of the current library building on North Water street. The donations were the subject of a prolonged dispute with the town-appointed library building committee, which ultimately chose to build a new library on the site of the old Edgartown School. That building is nearing completion, but the library committee will ask town meeting voters to appropriate more funds to cover unanticipated costs. “It’s going to be a big help to the library,” Mr. Smadbeck said after the meeting.