Madison residents urge selectmen to step up role in racetrack debate

Aruda says Tamworth just has to ask

Nate Giarnese

MADSION—A group of Madison residents urged selectmen Tuesday take a firmer stance in the ongoing debate over the proposed race track in Tamworth.

A letter signed by 75 Madison residents and property owners was presented to the board in reaction to what selectmen say was a news report interpreted as misrepresentative of the board's position and actions. In response, selectmen documented a written pledge sent to Tamworth, and telephone calls to a Pennsylvania mayor whose town has a track similar to the one proposed off Rt. 25 in Tamworth.

Resident Noreen Downs read from a prepared statement at Tuesday's regular selectmen's meeting: "I would like to introduce a letter which has been signed by over 75 Madison residents during the past few weeks in response to our interpretation of an article appearing in the August 19th Carroll County Independent. This article related to reporting your reaction to the many letters received concerning issues with Club Motorsports developing a racetrack in Tamworth. We understand that a vast majority of these letters were in opposition to the development with stated reasons, and that these letters were encouraging you, the selectboard, to express these concerns to the town of Tamworth at future meetings relating to future applications from CMI.

"The article in the Independent led us to believe that your response was to take no action other than to call the Tamworth selectboard and let them know you have received many letters and comments in opposition to the development of the racetrack, and ask them what they wanted to do about it."

"In our opinion this is not enough. Tamworth selectboard and the planning board have publicly stated that development within the Ossipee watershed and on the side of Mt. Whittier by CMI is of regional concern, and therefore they are requesting public comment from the neighboring towns. So, our expectation is that you will report these concerns to Tamworth publicly." Downs continued, "The letter came to you from the constituency who elected you to represent them as their selectboard."

She then read the brief letter which listed concerns of residents over noise, air, water and visual pollution and potential negative impacts to tourism and property values. Downs concluded by announcing that a representative from the anti-track citizen's group, Focus: Tamworth, will speak before the board at its September 21 meeting.

Selectmen's chair John Arruda responded that the board's position was made clear in a formal letter sent by Madison to Tamworth selectmen on August 18. The letter documents the board's inundation with letters of concerns from residents and notes that minutes from three recent meetings containing racetrack discussion are posted on the town's website, www.madison-nh.org. The letter pledges the board's support if asked, but explains that Madison selectmen do not want to interfere with administration of government in Tamworth . "With that in mind," the letter reads, "the board of selectmen is willing to provide assistance to your board upon request." It adds that information will be forwarded to Madison's planning board for review and possible comment. The letter was not known to the Independent until after press time.

"You think we've taken a position that we haven't taken," said Selectman Mike Brooks, noting that his house points directly at the proposed racetrack location. "Your concerns are not falling on deaf ears. I fully understand that I was elected to speak for the town of Madison."
"We stated that we're ready to help them," joined Arruda. "All they have to do is ask us. If they need help, we will step in."

The letter to Tamworth goes on to say that Arruda researched a similar track in operation in Big Beaver Borough, Penn.,, and spoke with the town's mayor, Donald Watcher. "... Mr. Donald Watcher, who has first hand experience with the impact of the track on his community. You might consider contacting him to discuss this matter directly. Selectman Brooks suggested that someone might contact the developer to discuss the possibility of their chartering a bus to make a trip to Big Beaver Borough, PA, to experience the impact of the community there.," the letter reads.

"Sometimes you need to go to the horse's mouth to find out what's going on," said Arruda. "No one from central New Hampshire ever called the mayor of this town.

"They faced all the same issues. The single biggest issue is noise," he reported of his conversation with Mayor Watcher. "He said, 'we didn't do enough homework on our noise'."

"The only thing we know about this racetrack is what we read in the papers," said Arruda. "But if I had to hang my hat on anything I would hang my hat on noise," he said, reinforcing what he says turned out to be the biggest issue in Big Beaver Borough. "Noise is the single biggest factor."
Silver Lake resident Bruce Gordon agreed, arguing at the Tuesday meeting that the mountainside racetrack location looks down on the Silver Lake Basin, unimpeded by trees. "Many people in town will actually see the site," Gordon said. "Noise will not be coming through the trees, but through the air." In his estimation, the sound of motorcycles racing on Mount Whittier would be comparable to "... a blender three feet from your ear, or a lawn mower at 50 feet. We can hear motorcycles on 41 and they're not racing, usually," he said.

In defense, Scott Tranchemontagne, spokesman for Club Motorsports Inc., the company developing the 251-acre site, pointed to a sound study conducted on behalf of CMI by Tech Environmental, Inc. of Waltham, Massachusetts, concluding that Valley Motorsports Park “…will generally produce sound levels less than those currently generated by vehicles on Route 25 and local roads.”

"The science and the data says that it is not going to cause sound issues in surrounding towns, and not even in Tamworth," Tranchemontagne said. "We're asking people to decide by looking at the science and the data, not on emotion."

Kate Vachon of Focus: Tamworth described the September 21 general information visit by Focus' Stephen Gaal, as prompted by Madison residents seeking answers and a voice. "A lot of people in Madison have asked selectmen to ask us about the issues for Madison," Vachon said. "We are making a presentation on the basis that Madison should be concerned as this is a regional issue," she explained. "Noise is why a lot of people in are Madison concerned."

Selectmen maintained that while the track development is primarily a regional planning board issue, they are acutely interested. "We welcome Focus: Tamworth to our September 21 meeting," Arruda said.