The corps held an 18-month consideration of the permit that included public hearings to hear and address resident's concerns about the proposed Valley Motorsports Park. Among the many concerns was the possible noise impact a race track would have on the small, rural area.
Focus: Tamworth retained the services of Harris, Miller, Miller, Hanson, while the Derry-based Club Motorsports used Tech Environmental. While the Harris group determined that the race track "would have significant adverse effects on the town," Tech Environmental said there would be no major effects. The corps then used the services of James Cowan of Acentech in Concord, Mass., to review the analyses made by both companies.
The report dated March 15, 2005, was sent to Michael Hicks, attorney for the New England District Corps of Engineers and was scanned and posted on Focus: Tamworth's website.
In the report, Cowan said that the Tech Environmental's analysis is based on the Federal Highway Administration's Traffic Noise Model. According to an e-mail he received from Mark Ferroni of the highway administration, the criteria "are not intended for the use in the analysis of racetrack noise."
The report said that the proposed track closely resembles the Lime Rock Park track in Lakeville, Conn., which keeps the noise at a decibel level of 89 dBA; a level that is appropriate for the flat area on which the park is located. While 89 dBA might be an appropriate level for the Tamworth track, the location is on the side of a mountain and surrounded by a 40-foot rock ledge that will send sound back to the town. The proposed Valley Motorsports Park, according to Cowan, could generate a decibel level of 100 dBA which would be "more than twice as loud as the Lime Rock Park limit."
The report also said that with the track operating during daylight hours within 1,000 feet of the community, the noise levels should be regulated to avoid having an impact on the town.
Club Motorsports was granted the Army Corps of Engineers permit, which Focus: Tamworth said does not take into account the recommendations of the expert they used to analyze the reports.
"When the corps granted Club Motorsports' permit and accepted the noise standards proposed by the applicant, we were concerned," Focus: Tamworth spokesman Charles Greenhalgh said in the press release. "When we saw the Acentech report itself, we felt we had to ask the corps to reconsider its decision."
Jim Hoenscheid, vice-President of marketing for Club Motorsports, however, said that the company had given the Army Corps six different examples of racetracks similar to the proposed Valley Motorsports design, yet Cowan only listed one the Lime Rock facility in the report.
"It was interesting only one was used," he said. "Some of the other facilities run unregulated, they can run as loud as they want to be."
Hoenscheid said GingerMan Raceway in Michigan is such a facility and has been running since the early 1990s with 3-4 churches close to the facility. The race track there does not run on Sunday mornings, and Club Motorsports plans to follow that same rule. Hoenscheid also noted that Beaver Run in Pennsylvania is located on an elevation, though not like the Tamworth facility.
"GingerMan is in a very similar town [to Tamworth]," Hoenscheid said. "[It is] very much a tourist destination and they've had great success."
Hoenscheid also said that the analysis conducted by the Harris group was done on the first design of the track, while Club Motorsports has modified to better conform to the area.
"We will use the typography to our advantage," he said, including keeping as many trees as possible in the area.
Additionally, the park will not run year round as stated in the report but in the period between mid April and the end of October.
Hoenscheid also stated that the Army Corps gave the project a more thorough review than is usually conducted. While the Corps usually requires a one years review with one public hearing, Club Motorsports received an 18-month review with two public hearings.
"What the Corps has done has gone above and beyond what was required," he said. "Focus: Tamworth didn't like the results."
Focus: Tamworth said it is ready to request a reconsideration of the permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act this week and Greenhalgh said the group would be willing to go to U.S Federal District Court if the bid is unsuccessful.
Hoenscheid said that the group has challenged almost every permit the project has received
Club Motorsports, Inc. proposed the $28 million, 3.3-mile, 18-turn course for car and motorcycle training and racing in 2003.
Hoenscheid said the track will create jobs and promote tourism for Tamworth, in which the primary industry is education. Town residents, however, have expressed great concern over the impact the track will have to the environment and character of the town.
Hoenscheid and Club Motorsports President Lloyd Damon are scheduled to appear at the selectman's meeting on Thursday night.
