CONCORD REVERSING DRAG STRIP DECISION?
The city of
Smith has threatened to
build his strip elsewhere, possibly on relocated Lowe’s Motor Speedway
property.
Smith said on "Tony
Stewart Live" on Sirius NASCAR Radio, "So now they've decided maybe
they do want it.
"One day we will look
back at this, I hope, and we'll all laugh about it," Smith said. "But
in the meantime, when I get home I will take a look and read exactly what
they've done and try to diagnose the whole thing."
Council members voted to
consider amending the speedway’s zoning, which they voted last week to ban drag
strips.
John Cox, head of the
Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the move is exactly what Smith’s
company wanted.
Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ramseur admitted
that even this reversal couldn’t guarantee that Smith will keep the racing
facility in
The city of
Smith has threatened to
build his strip elsewhere, possibly on relocated Lowe’s Motor Speedway
property.
Smith said on "Tony
Stewart Live" on Sirius NASCAR Radio, "So now they've decided maybe
they do want it.
"One day we will look
back at this, I hope, and we'll all laugh about it," Smith said. "But
in the meantime, when I get home I will take a look and read exactly what
they've done and try to diagnose the whole thing."
Council members voted to
consider amending the speedway’s zoning, which they voted last week to ban drag
strips.
John Cox, head of the
Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the move is exactly what Smith’s
company wanted.
Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ramseur admitted
that even this reversal couldn’t guarantee that Smith will keep the racing
facility in
"Only one person can
make that decision," Ramseur said. "I hope (Smith) knows we are
trying to work out something in the best interest of the speedway, the city and
the surrounding areas."
Noise was a key concern
for neighbors in opposition to the strip. In the time since last week’s vote,
council members have learned of sound buffering utilized at other Smith drag
strips.
Concord Mayor Scott
Padgett said this reversal is a matter of the city looking out for their long
range good.
There is some time for
both sides to repair the situation as Smith reportedly hasn’t submitted plans
for the drag strip to the city yet.
"We have some new
information now, and we're ready to move forward," Ramseur said. "We
are trying to do what we talked about last week: Come up with some resolution
that will meet the needs of everybody."
The council also
recommended that, if the zoning board approves the change at its meeting next
Tuesday, the speedway should work with the city "to consider the (drag
strip's) impact on the surrounding area."
The council set a public
hearing on the recommended zoning amendment for Oct. 24.