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PRESS
RELEASE
FOR
MORE INFORMATION:
Focus:
Tamworth spokesperson:
Charles
Greenhalgh
603
356-5439 x516
If unavailable:
Kate
Vachon, press coordinator
603
323 8224
focus@focustamworth.org
Area residents speak their minds to the Army Corps
Among the concerns:
noise, water pollution, and who will pay to stabilize the enormous
construction site if the project is abandoned
(TAMWORTH, NH, October 8)
On Wednesday night, 204 local residents gathered at Tamworth's K.A.
Brett School to give the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers important
information and a local perspective on the proposed Club Motorsports Inc
(CMI) private racetrack on Mt. Whittier. Of the fifty speakers, only one
spoke in favor of the proposed track.
It is unusual for the Corps
to hold a hearing like this on a private development project. The Corps
agreed to the hearing after hundreds of letters from people concerned
about the project asked them to do so. The hearing lasted almost four
hours, breaking just before 11.
The hearing was on CMIs
application for a Section 404 permit. When it considers a permit for a
large project like this one, the Army Corps evaluates the projects broad
impact on the regions economics, aesthetics, cultural values, recreation
and a variety of other areas. Speakers representing the Tamworth
Conservation Commission, the Tamworth Community Nurse Association, St.
Andrews Church, the Tamworth School Board, the Community School, the
Wonalancet Outdoor Club, the Chocorua Lake Association, the Chocorua
Mountain Club, the Silver Lake Association, the Saco River Corridor
Commission, the Madison Conservation Commission, Green Mountain
Conservation Group, Friends of the Sandwich Range, the New Hampshire
Department of Resources and Economic Development, the Maine Department
of Environmental Protection and the Ossipee Lake Alliance delivered
those organizations messages of concern about damage to the regions
water quality and quality of life.
Noise was mentioned by
nearly everyone. Several speakers pointed out that the track will be
open to motorcycle groups, which have not been included in any noise
studies done so far.
Other speakers mentioned
concern with CMIs finances, and questioned what would happen if
construction is started and then abandoned.
Stephan Gaal, a Tamworth
resident and 20-year veteran of the venture capital industry, said, This
is a tiny start-up company, thinly-financed and highly mortgaged. Mr.
Condodemetraky and his management team have no prior experience in
building or operating similar businesses. I am concerned that they will
start to build it, run out of money, and leave us with the problem of
stabilizing the site.
Engineers from the firm
Haley & Aldrich in Manchester estimated that construction of the
track would cost $50 million, not the $28 million figure frequently
quoted by the developers. They said that the cost of stabilizing the
site, if the project is abandoned before it is finished, could be as
much as $11 million.
Sherry Young of law firm
Rath, Young and Pignatelli in Concord pointed out that the Tamworth
Racetrack Ordinance had included a bond to protect the town against such
costs, and urged the Corps to include a bond as a condition of any
permit it might issue if it had a reason to think that the project might
not be completed. The Tamworth Racetrack Ordinance was apparently made
invalid by the passage of RSA 287-G (formerly SB 458).
The New Hampshire
Department of Environmental Services was also present at the hearing.
The project needs a Section 401 Water Quality Certificate, which falls
under the DES jurisdiction.
Attorney Christine Fillmore
of Rath, Young and Pignatelli noted that CMI will need, and has not yet
applied for, a permit under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). This permit
would need to be obtained before the DES could issue its Section 401
certificate.
Army Corps representatives
emphasized that they would weigh all comments equally, whether given
verbally or in writing, presented in person at the hearing or sent to
the Army Corps during the comment period.
The Army Corps will accept
additional comments until 5 PM on October 16. They can be mailed, faxed
or e-mailed. Comments sent to the Army Corps will be shared with the
DES, so those interested in commenting on either permit application
should send their comments to the Corps. Comments may be sent to
michael.c.hicks@usace.army.mil, mailed to Michael Hicks, New England
District, US Army Corps of Engineers, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA
01742-2751, or faxed to (978) 318-8303. Comments should reference
"Motorsports Holdings, file number 200302257."
Focus:
Tamworth is a coalition of local residents who support careful and fair
regulations that protect Tamworth’s economic and natural resources.
More information on Focus: Tamworth is available at www.focustamworth.org.
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