Conduct test under racing conditions, residents implore

For residents of Brickshire and the other housing communities that surround Colonial Downs, resolving an impasse over whether the racetrack should be permitted to host motorcycle racing is easy. Simply conduct noise tests under racing conditions, they say.

And that’s what over 240 residents in the area have requested by way of petition. Residents presented signed petitions to New Kent’s Board of Supervisors during the board’s Monday work session.

Colonial Downs officials, meanwhile, voiced their side of the controversy to board members. Lively discussion punctuated by frequent sharp exchanges between District 4 Supervisor Ron Stiers, who represents the Brickshire area, and Ian Stewart, the racetrack’s president, ensued. In the end, though, residents could get their way. Stewart promised to “look into” the prospect of staging race condition sound tests.

At issue is Colonial Downs’ intent to host one day of motorcycle racing at the track. The event had been scheduled for April but now has been moved to Aug. 24. Racing is to be held over a three-hour span in the afternoon following about 90 minutes of morning warm-ups.

Only about a dozen residents sat in on Monday’s session, a number far below the 50 that packed the board’s meeting room on Jan. 14. That’s when matters over the racetrack’s application for a cultural events permit for bike racing came to a head. County planning staff denied the application, but now track officials are seeking to amend Colonial Downs’ conditional use permit to allow for motorcycle racing.

A 2002 revision of the track’s permit that remains in effect specifically prohibits motorized vehicle racing.

That includes motorcycles.

Residents had expected Stewart to attend a community meeting on Jan. 23 to discuss the matter, but he was a no-show. (See related story in this issue.) Stewart’s absence did not sit well with Stiers that night and drew fire from the supervisor at Monday’s session.

“Why have you not had the decency to at least approach your neighbors?” Stiers posed to Stewart as the two glared at each other across the meeting room’s table.

Stewart responded that at the time he was not prepared to answer residents’ concerns, prompting Jeff Geiger, an attorney representing the track, to jump in.

“We were just not in a position to answer fully,” Geiger said.

“If you answered just one question, it would have been worth your while to show up,” Stiers shot back.

Stewart said the one-day event could generate close to $200,000 in revenue for the track.

“I’m a businessman too,” said Stiers, back on the offensive. “And for $200,000 I’d be working to have that event more than one time a year.”

“We’re a horse track, and motorcycle racing takes its toll,” Stewart countered, pointing to damage done to the track’s dirt surface and cost for subsequent repair.

Reconditioning the surface costs $45,000 each time to convert from thoroughbred to harness racing and back again, he said, indicating that repair following motorcycle racing could run the same.

“It would be impractical to do [motorcycle racing] more often,” he added.

Stiers pressed Stewart and other track officials on noise levels and potential effect on real estates sales. Stewart cited August’s typically hot and humid weather, saying residents would likely be taking advantage of air-conditioning inside their homes, thus muffling motorcycle sound they would hear.

“Have you taken into consideration the majority of people out there don’t want [motorcycle racing]?” Stiers demanded.

Stewart responded that all of the county’s population should be considered and asked for their opinion.

“Everybody makes accommodations,” he said. “We’re taking four hours on a Saturday afternoon in August. It’s not our intention to convert Colonial Downs into a motorized racetrack.

“We’ll have one race,” he added. “If it’s too loud and causes problems, it won’t be back.”

District 3 Supervisor Jimmy Burrell suggested that the one racing day serve as a test.

“One race is not going to cause home values to go down,” he said, adding that a decision should not be made based on what people imagine could happen.

“I respectfully disagree,” Stiers responded, pushing for a test run.

“Our goal,” said Geiger, “was to come here today and hear what you have to say. We’ll digest and move forward.”

Moving forward means a conditional use permit amendment application must be filed with the county’s planning department. The application then goes to the county’s Planning Commission for public hearing and eventually lands in supervisors’ laps for a final decision following another public hearing.

A public hearing before the Planning Commission will not take place until March at the earliest. Colonial Downs officials missed a 12 noon Tuesday deadline for filing their application in time to be advertised and placed on the commission’s February agenda.

After Monday’s work session, Brickshire resident Bill O’Keefe said the solution should be to “run a well-structured test involving the county.” Donna Friend, another Brickshire resident, agreed.

“We want Colonial Downs to be a success,” she said. “We have no complaints with anything that goes on at Colonial Downs other than motorcycle races.”