Colonial Downs’ motorcycle race CUP receives no attention

Motorcycle racing at Colonial Downs apparently is no longer a burning issue among New Kent County residents, most notably those living close to the racetrack.

Unlike the heavily attended and often heated public hearings leading up to approval of Colonial Downs’ conditional use permit application for last August’s event, no one showed for tonight’s county Planning Commission hearing on the racetrack’s latest permit request. Thus by a 9-0-1 vote, commission members forwarded the application to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation for approval. Supervisor Tommy Tiller abstained, choosing to vote on the matter with the full board.

Track officials tentatively propose to host one day of motorcycle racing next Aug. 23 (Saturday) with a Sunday rain date.

The silence in the commission’s meeting room echoed what has transpired in the county’s planning department. Planning manager Kelli Le Duc said that much to her surprise, her office has received no comments, either pro or con, on the application.

Colonial Downs’ president Ian Stewart told commission members that next year’s event will mirror racing held last August. The event is a nationally sanctioned “Virginia Megamile” that opens with practice runs from 2-3:30 p.m. and actual racing from 5-8 p.m.

Last August’s event attracted over 3,500 spectators with “no significant incidents,” he told the commission, adding the event is “first class in every way,” and boosts tourism and business in the county.

Excessive noise levels, which topped the list of complaints leveled by opponents at the earlier public hearings on the track’s initial application, failed to materialize, Stewart noted. Sound studies showed the average decibels at last August’s races fell into the 45-75 range, well below the 95-decibel limit imposed in conditions adopted by the county.

“This [decibel level] is not unduly disturbing to surrounding residents,” he said.

Several commission members agreed with Stewart’s assessment and praised track officials for conducting what they termed a positive and professional event.”

Michael Lane said he rode through nearby neighborhoods during last August’s running and, “The noise just wasn’t bad at all.

“I think the citizens realized it was no big deal at all,” he added. “It was a very positive event for the county, and I look forward to [the next event].”

Richard Kontny applauded what he termed track officials’ “professionalism” in conducting last August’s event and addressing any complaints that arose. He told Stewart, “You’ve done a service to the county by taking time to do things the right way.”

Following another public hearing during which no one spoke since no one attended, commission members cast a similar vote on a set of amendments to the county’s zoning law.

Proposed is an amendment adding a passage that allows an applicant to request a conditional use permit for a land use not listed in the current ordinance’s table of land uses.

Also proposed are amendments to the section governing truck stops that remove passages currently prohibiting trucks from remaining on premises more than four hours unless there for repairs and preventing trucks from idling more than 45 minutes while on premises. Enforcing the former has become a problem, said county attorney Michele Gowdy, while the latter is no longer needed due to cleaner truck exhaust emissions.

Kontny said the county could become home to more truck stops, adding, “We don’t need limits at this time, but we may have to address it in the future.”
Both the amendments and Colonial Downs’ motorcycle racing request head to supervisors for public hearing, most likely at the board’s January meeting.