Laconia Citizen

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

N.H. DES denies appeal of permits for Tamworth Motorsports Park

By BEA LEWIS

Northern Lakes Region Bureau

TAMWORTH  The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) has denied an appeal of a Wetlands and Non-Site Specific Permit issued to Club Motorsports, Inc.

CMI of Derry is proposing to develop the Valley Motorsports Park on the North face of Mt. Whittier, describing the facility as a private country club for car and motorcycle enthusiasts.

A citizen’s group calling itself Focus: Tamworth filed the appeal in August. In a Sept. 14 letter NHDES said, "Final review of the information submitted by Focus: Tamworth for reconsideration failed to provide significant new information that would warrant a Department reversal of the approved wetlands permit."  
"We are pleased NHDES has upheld their initial ruling to grant the
wetlands permit," said CMI President and CEO Stephan Condodemetraky.

"DES conducted a rigorous and thorough review of our application, and we are proud our project has met all of the standards required to receive the wetlands permit.  We look forward to continuing to work proactively with NHDES and the Army Corp of Engineers on remaining permits."

Meanwhile, Focus: Tamworth has mailed letters to 234 New Hampshire municipalities asking community leaders to examine and respond to a new state law the citizen’s group eyes as a threat to local control.

Senate Bill 458 was passed earlier this year and is now RSA 287-G. It was drafted and shepherded through the legislative process by CMI, and has the effect of exempting the developer from the oversight of Tamworth’s Racetrack Ordinance endorsed by voters at town meeting in March.

The New Hampshire Municipal Association has called the legislation "a dangerous precedent for seeking legislative relief from local regulation in pending cases where existing municipal and state appeal processes should be used to resolve disagreements."

"In the context of Club Motorsports’ sudden withdrawal of its application for a Special Use Permit under Tamworth’s Wetlands Ordinance, the NHMA’s concern seems particularly apt," said Charles Greenhalgh, spokesperson for Focus: Tamworth.

"Club Motorsports is apparently trying to avoid any oversight at all by the town of Tamworth."

The new law exempts "private driving instruction and exhibition facilities" from regulation. Shortly after the legislation was passed, a number of Carroll County Representatives including David Babson and Harry Merrow pledged to work to repeal it.

"This legislation was written to exempt one special interest from regulation by the town," said Greenhalgh, who was on the committee that wrote Tamworth’s RTO. "This blatant flaunting of local control leave all towns in New Hampshire open to exploitation by this kind of development. Even towns with zoning are vulnerable unless their zoning ordinance specifically prohibits ‘private driving instruction and exhibition facilities’," he said.

William Farnum of Tamworth, a candidate for NH State Senate in District 3, has pledged to sponsor legislation seeking to restore local control and overturn RSA 287-G.