Voices heard regarding motocross track
Posted: Wednesday, Mar 4th, 2009 - BY: Amanda Fry, Staff Writer
http://www.pcrecordtimes.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&sto=
ry_id=1064
Wheatland Motocross Association to next go before Commissioners March
17
On Tuesday, Feb. 16, the Platte County Board of Commissioners heard
comments and discussed a proposal by the Wheatland Motocross
Association for a motocross track north of Wheatland.
The proposed track would be located on land belonging to the Town of
Wheatland. The land is zoned industrial and agricultural.
The Platte County Planning and Zoning Commission gave recommendation
for the Commissioners’ approval on the track in an earlier meeting.
The agreement featured 17 stipulations. This included a requirement
that the Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as the Platte County
Commissioners, review in one year or on a complaint basis the track
activity.
Applicant Dallas Mount spoke on the project before the Commissioners.
“I think the Planning and Zoning Commission summed it up very well –
this is [a]…partially industrial zoned area. Things that are noisy and
dusty, and have those kind of potential impacts…if they can’t be
located in an area that’s zoned industrial, I think we probably need
to say we don’t want it anywhere,” he said.
Mount said the proposed track would see no more than four days of
events per year, which would account for the “maximum nuisance” from
the track. He added that the track would be designed with residences
in mind, including berms to help block noise to residences.
He emphasized throughout the meeting a desire that the track be “given
a chance” for one year.
Several residents from the area of the proposed track spoke against
the project to the Commissioners.
“I would rather have a gravel pit,” resident Ron Darling said, citing
the distance restrictions placed on pits in regard to nearby
residences. “If I could get [a minimum distance], I’d take it – they
wouldn’t bother me a bit.” He added the 50-100 yard buffer between his
house and the track “isn’t near enough space.”
“I kind of have a problem that this [track] has been pushed through
quite quickly with inadequate planning,” area resident Gary Gail said.
He cited concerns about the lack of planning, including who would be
responsible for the track.
In response to some of the concerns, Mount said the Motocross
Association is a chartered organization, and is registered with the
Wyoming Secretary of State. He added that a posted sign would be
placed on the track’s locked gate with contact information should
anyone have a complaint.
Mount said the Motocross Association intended to treat the
stipulations in the track agreement “very seriously.”
County Planner Marlin Johnson explained in some cases, applicants
“need to know they’re headed for approval” before they pay for
expensive planning for the project, and that Planning and Zoning
applied this rule for the track project. He said the Motocross
Association Club would have to negotiate with the Town of Wheatland
before final approval.
The Commissioners also voiced their views of the issue.
“The one thing that I couldn’t get past was the fact that we have
quarter mile setbacks for gravel pits,” Commissioner Tim Millikin
said. “I just think that this is one of those uses that need to
require the quarter mile setback.”
Commissioner Dan Kirkbride didn’t consider the quarter mile setback
applicable in the track’s case, saying it was a “unique” situation. H=
e
referred to the McMurrey Ready Mix gravel pit in Guernsey, which he
said effected residents beyond the quarter mile distance. “This isn’t
McMurrey gravel pit to me,” he said.
Kirkbride suggested several other stipulations to an agreement,
including more limited hours for practicing, and days of use.
Commissioner Terry Stevenson was concerned about the amount of
negative feedback concerning the track from area residents, an aspect
that “weighed heavily” on him.
“I’d like to see one of these things around here – I have a tough tim=
e
saying this is the right place,” he said.
After discussion, the Commissioners voted to table the application for
one month as requested by the Motocross Association, in order to give
the organization time to prepare a more detailed plan concerning the
track.
There will be a community information day at the proposed site on
Saturday, March 7. Motocross Association members will be on hand to
answer questions, as well as demonstrate noise levels with dirt bikes.
The event will begin at 11 a.m. and last until 1 p.m.
The track is located north of Wheatland, at the East Fairview and
Wheatland Highway intersection.
On March 17, the Motocross Association will again go before the Board
of Commissioners for further discussion on the proposed track.
dfhyman@optonline.net wrote:
>> Posted: Wednesday, Mar 4th, 2009 - BY: Amanda Fry, Staff Writer
>
>> Commissioner Dan Kirkbride didn’t consider the quarter mile setback
>> applicable in the track’s case, saying it was a “unique” situation. He
>> referred to the McMurrey Ready Mix gravel pit in Guernsey, which he
>> said effected residents beyond the quarter mile distance. “This isn’t
>> McMurrey gravel pit to me,” he said.
>
> I am most stunned that a Staff Writer doesn't know the difference
> between effected and affected.
> The world is doomed.
Around here they're still working on its and it's, their, there and they're and
whether or not a plural needs an apostrophe. Sometimes the errors show up in
the headlines. The difference between effected and affected is still a world
away.
But never feer, Obama's stimulus package will change all that.
--
Cheers, Bev
********************************************************************
Organized people will never know the sheer joyous ecstasy of finding
something that was believed to have been irretrievably lost.
-- D. Stern
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> Commissioner Dan Kirkbride didn’t consider the quarter mile setback
> applicable in the track’s case, saying it was a “unique” situation. He
> referred to the McMurrey Ready Mix gravel pit in Guernsey, which he
> said effected residents beyond the quarter mile distance. “This isn’t
> McMurrey gravel pit to me,” he said.