The Mountain Ear, September 30 2004

Public hearing is another bump in the road on Oct. 6
FOCUS: Tamworth again draws bead on CMI race track

By Paul Stuart, Contributing Writer

Thursday, September 30, 2004

TAMWORTH — Valley Motorsports Park originally was to have been operational this summer, but except for some tree clearing on the lower slopes of Mt. Whittier, yellow caution flags have bogged development down, sometimes almost to a standstill.

Whether the green flag finally allows the development to pick up speed again may be decided on Oct. 6, at a joint hearing starting at 7 p.m. at the Kenneth A. Brett School, conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers and the N.H. Department of Environ-mental Services.

Shortly after plans were announced last year for the racecourse project, one citizens group after another blossomed up in efforts to halt the multi-million dollar plan of Club Motorsports Inc.

Nevertheless, CMI CEO and President Stephan Condodemetraky pushed on, and the barriers to his dream of a combination racecourse and resort seemed for a while to be falling away, one after another.

But one big speed bump still remains for Valley Motorsports, and that’s continuing stiff opposition from the group FOCUS: Tamworth.

Barriers fall for CMI

Last fall, repeated attempts by opponents to push through zoning actions to block CMI failed when Tamworth residents, with a long history of reluctance to approve property-use regulation, refused to pass a zoning measure at the polls.

And an end-run play with noise-regulation measures also proved inadequate to halt CMI’s progress.

Then, on July 29 this year, the DES issued a critical Wetlands and Non-Site Specific Permit to the project.

FOCUS: Tamworth jumped in with an attempt to block that permit by appeal, but on Sept. 17 DES denied the appeal.

Next, on Sept. 20, DES issued a Site Specific permit, also known as an “Alteration of Terrain” permit, to CMI.

“This is another major step in the permitting review and approval process,” Condodemetraky said, “and we are proud to be moving forward in our project’s development.

“We look forward to continuing to work pro-actively with New Hampshire DES, the Army Corps of Engineers and local planners, as necessary, on the remaining permits,” he added.

The Army Corps of Engineers/ DES joint public hearing Oct. 6 concerns the permit CMI is seeking to fill in approximately 0.73 acres of wetland and stream by site development activities, which would include the filling of 14,759 square feet of wetlands and an impact of 165,952 square feet to intermittent streams.

DES representatives will be at the hearing because DES is continuing to collect information for its ruling on CMI’s 401 Water Quality Certification application. The 401 certification is a key tool required for just about any project that gets a federal permit.

FOCUS: Tamworth digs in

In the face of all of this, the FOCUS: Tamworth activists dug in all the harder.

The group intends to ask for a restoration bond and protection of water quality of the Bearcamp River, spokesman Charles Greenhalgh announced.

Greenhalgh’s self-described citizens’ watchdog group plans to ask the Army Corps of Engineers to require that the developer post a restoration bond — the amount as yet unspecified — to provide enough funds to ensure that if the project is abandoned before completion, the cost of environmental restoration would not fall on the state or the Town of Tamworth.

“The massive size and extremely high cost of the project raises concerns about possible abandonment,” Greenhalgh said in a statement to the press. He also said he had serious concerns about the project.

CMI spokesman Scott Tranchemontagne took issue with Greenhalgh’s concerns and call for a restoration bond.

“We’re going into this project with every intention of completing it, so it won’t be necessary,” Tranchemontagne said in an interview with The Mountain Ear on Tuesday, Sept. 28. “And,” he added, “we have the dollars available.”

Tranchemontagne said that the first two major phases of the project are expected to cost $28 million.

CMI’s viewpoint

And just how big is the planned project?

CMI officials themselves described it this way in a public statement this month:

• “A first-of-its-kind concept for New England, the Valley Motorsports Park development is located in wooded land on the north face of Mount Whittier off Route 25 in Tamworth, approximately two miles west of the intersection of Routes 25 and 16. Described as a ‘ribbon through the woods,’ the road course would be available for use by its members, much like a golf course country club.

• “The $28 million development includes a more than three-mile, 18-turn, European-style road course for drivers and motorcyclists to develop and practice their driving skills and attend performance and safety driving schools.

• “In addition, Valley Motorsports Park will feature a vehicle dynamics area for driver development, short and long-term garage buildings, locker room and shower facilities, vehicle maintenance facilities, and a professional driving school.

• “The Clubhouse,” CMI’s description continues, “will feature spectacular views of the White Mountains, function rooms, a pool, tennis courts, an automobile museum, additional locker rooms, a closed circuit media center, and an elegant restaurant.”

FOCUS: Tamworth’s rebuttal

Greenhalgh and FOCUS: Tamworth disagree with CMI on a number of points:

• First of all, Greenhalgh claims the engineering firm of Haley & Aldrich of Manchester has estimated that the most recent re-design of the private racecourse complex will cost approximately $50 million to build, almost twice the $28 million figure CMI has cited.

• The group also has deep concerns it intends to outline to the two government agencies about possible damage to the water quality of the Bearcamp River, which flows only 900 feet distant from the lower edge of the CMI property.

• And, in summary, Greenhalgh said, “Whatever it’s called, CMI’s proposed development is designed to let cars and motorcycles drive at high speed around its racecourse. It could have major impacts on water quality and on Tamworth and other towns in the area, and should be subject to all state, federal and local regulations.”

FOCUS: Tamworth defines itself as “a coalition of local residents who support careful and fair regulations that protect Tamworth’s economic and natural resources.”

As for the lengthy delays in construction, Tranchemontagne on Sept. 27 said, “The permitting process obviously took longer than expected.

“For obvious reasons,” he added, “we won’t discuss a specific timetable now, but I can say that as soon as we’re allowed — that is, as soon as we have permits in hand, we’ll go ahead with this.”

Tranchemontagne emphasized the work that has been done so far, noting that, “… much clearing of trees for the track itself has already been completed, as allowed under law.”