7/30/2004

Club Motorsports wins state wetlands permit

Opponents say developers of Tamworth race track have a long way to go

David Carkhuff

TAMWORTH—TAMWORTH — Developers of a proposed race track won a small victory Thursday when they were issued a wetlands permit from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
According to Club Motorsports, Inc., in its statement of findings, the state reported, "The application and supporting materials demonstrate that the project will not significantly impair the existing wetlands, surface waters, and groundwater resources."

CMI submitted a standard dredge and fill application to the agency on March 5. Through wetland delineations agreed upon by the state agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Tamworth Conservation Commission, Valley Motorsports Park will affect less than three-quarters of an acre of wetlands, the developers say.

Focus: Tamworth, a citizens' group fighting the 3-mile long track, planned to run along the side Mount Whittier, acknowledged that the permit application had been successful, but noted that the permit was issued with 36 different conditions and is subject to review.

“We expected DES might approve the application with conditions,” Charles Greenhalgh, Focus: Tamworth spokesperson, said in a press release, “but we do not believe that CMI has satisfied the DES requirements under the law. We are examining the permit language carefully and looking at our options.”

There is a 20-day window during which interested parties may request that DES reconsider its approval of the permit, Greenhalgh reported.

“A number of issues raised in the public hearing, and many of the objections voiced by the Tamworth Conservation Commission, are not addressed in this ruling. We are looking closely at the adequacy of the conditions that DES has set,” he said.

A new set of track plans, the fifth redesign of the track since the beginning of 2004, was submitted to Department of Environmental Services on Monday, July 26, Focus: Tamworth reported.

“It is likely that DES officials in the Site Specific Program will need several more weeks to review these new plans and submit their findings,” Greenhalgh said.

Club Motorsports lauded the agency's decision. "We are very proud to have reached this significant milestone in our project's development," said CMI President and CEO Stephan Condodemetraky.

"This is the first major step in the permitting review and approval process, and we look forward to continuing to work proactively with NHDES, the Army Corp of Engineers, and local planners on the remaining necessary permits. We thank NHDES for their rigorous and thorough review of our application, and we are pleased that our project has met all of the standards required to receive this permit."

Greenhalgh highlighted remaining obstacles to the track.

“CMI can’t begin construction until they have all their major permits in hand," he said. "The dredge-and-fill permit is only one of more than a dozen they need, and they still have a long way to go. The DES Site Specific Program ruling is weeks away. The Army Corps of Engineers’ comment period is still open. And the Tamworth Planning board hearing on Tamworth’s Wetlands Ordinance is now scheduled late in August. It’s hard to see how CMI can begin construction before next spring.”

Comment period on the Army Corps of Engineers permit application is open until Aug. 13. Comments may be sent to Mike Hicks, New England District US Army Corps of Engineers, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751, michael.c.hicks@nae02.usace.army.mil. Hicks’ phone is 978.318.8157 and his fax is 978.318.8303.

The Tamworth Planning Board will hold a public hearing on CMI’s application for a special use permit under Tamworth’s Wetlands Ordinance on Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. at the K.A. Brett School in Tamworth.

More information on Club Motorsports is available at www.clubmotorsports.com. More information on Focus: Tamworth is available at www.focustamworth.org.