New club racing road course project in Mason County needs our support now!

Randy Blaylock

Highlander Motorsports
For those of you that aren't yet aware, there is a new racing venue project under development in Mason County, near Shelton WA, called The Ridge Motorsports Park. This venue includes a fantastic road course, that's oriented towards the club racer, conceived and developed by members of our very own Conference family.

This project is not oriented towards pro racing, it's not a high dollar country club deal, it's not a taxpayer subsidized NASCAR oval. It's a facility for you and me, to continue to race at the club level for years to come, where other local tracks may cease to exist because of encroaching development, noise complaints, or other political pressures.

The road course layout was designed by pro racer Johannes Van Overbeek, and has multiple configurations available, with several challenging and exciting geographic features included. There will also be a drag strip, and possibly other types of racing features oriented towards the amateur in the future.

As with any project of this scope, especially a motorsports oriented facility in this political climate, there are multiple hurdles that need to be overcome. Much progress has been made to date, and the next step is to successfully argue for a change to the local noise ordinance, that will permit the project to continue to move forward.

One of the best ways to ensure the success of this change is to demonstrate to the Mason County Commissioners that there is a population of people that are interested in this project, that will support this project as customers of the facility when it's finished, bringing dollars into the Mason County coffers.

There is a meeting planned to consider this ordinance change, where our attendance will make a material difference. There is a small group of people that are opposed to the project that will no doubt be there to express their opinion, as is their right. Just as it is our right as citizens and motorsports enthusiasts to express our opinion supporting the project.

In government decisions, numbers matter, both dollars and faces. We don't need any dollars, just your presence at this meeting, in overwhelming numbers compared to the naysayers. We need to show the Mason County Commissioners that approving this change and allowing the project to move forward is the right decision for the County because of the bottom line; the dollars that will come to Mason County from the direct operation of the facility and the collateral dollars of food, lodging, gas, etc...

The meeting will be held Tuesday May 4, 2010 at 9:30 a.m.. The meeting location is; Mason County Courthouse, Building 1, Commission Chambers, 411 North Fifth Street in Shelton, WA.

I have seats available for anyone that wants to carpool with me. Maybe we can start a roll call here to organize a caravan or something.

Please consider attending the meeting and supporting your own motorsports future. After the meeting, there will be a visit and tour of the site, with a pizza feed. Come check it out.

Please also show your support by commenting in favor of the project on the blog. There more supportive comments the better, let's push the count over 100.

Here's a link to the homepage, the blog is linked on the site: http://www.raceinmason.com/

Please feel free to copy and paste or cross post this message to other forums, blogs etc.. that can help build attendance. The more people that come to the meeting the better, even if most of us have to stand outside.
 
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Just so there is no mystery involved, it is Joe Manke and myself that are the developers. We have been working on this for two years now, two painfully slow years to be precise.

As Randy said, we need numbers in the Council Chamber, and you may not even get a chance to testify.

I trust we will all be civil, and we are happy to conduct a site tour after the meeting (it is only 4 miles from the courthouse).

I asked Randy to field questions, as some of you know I lost my home and all of my possessions to a fire on Dec. 10. As much as I would like to answer questions and emails directly, my hands are full at this point both with the track and rebuilding my home.

Pepper Randy with questions, he can consolidate them and I can answer all at one time.

Thanks for your support!

Rod
 
Very like

Oh, and...

"Mason County Planning Office
(The County Employees Responsible For Zoning, Permits, Reports, Analysis, who have dragged their feet and led the developers down numerous dead ends only to ask for more time and money for studies.)"

gets high marks too.
 
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Rod, besides hoping no one including pets was hurt and I am very sorry that you lost all your possessions, I have been through a house fire too, I hope it did not include the race car:).

Very best of luck with this project. I won't be able to attend as I will be on a business trip. I will write and call anyone I can to help out.
 
Can't make it but have forwarded the link to SCCA NWR as well as Bremerton Sports Car Club for distribution. Agree a strong show of support would be appreicated and vital, though I sincerely have doubts as to whether elected officials really listen to constituents. Hopefully this might actually become a reality.....

Bill
 
Having been to a few of these types of meetings, I'd like to add to Rod's comments:

If you desire to testify (if the chance is presented) write out your comments ahead of time - nothing worse than listening to someone's stream of open thought with no end in sight. Keep your comments factual and quantifiable where appropriate. The more facts and figures and sources you cite, the more impactful your presentation. Keep it short, but effective, and attempt to highlight a point that perhaps has not yet been presented by someone else - or hammer home the importance of points already presented.

Bottom line is that our group must be more organized and prepared than the opposition and present a well thought out argument for why the County Commisioner should make the necessary change to the current ordinance. And even if we don't get a chance to speak, just our civil, organized presence will be impactful. Bring friends (they don't have to be racers...)!

Would it be appropriate to link or post the current noise ordinance language here as well as the proposed change to that language?
 
Would it be appropriate to link or post the current noise ordinance language here as well as the proposed change to that language?

Mike, some excellent comments! I also would like more info on the current ordinance and proposed changes. I plan to attend.
 
Link to Mason County noise ordinance here, look at section 9.36.100 (8) under exemptions:http://www.co.mason.wa.us/code/commissioners/T09 - Title 9 PEACE, MORALS AND SAFETY.HTM

Essentially, the meeting is to have the County Commissioners to vote on removing the word "existing" from the exemptions that allow racing facilities. That is it, the removal of one word.

However, it means much more. Should the Commissioners decide to strike the word "existing" (and we have every reason to believe they will) then they are telegraphing us to proceed with the rezone and special use permits.

Conversely, should the decline to strike the word "existing", then it is game over, cannot operate a track without the exemption.

Here is the way the code currently reads under exemptions: (8) Sounds originating from motor vehicle racing events at existing, authorized facilities;

This is the first time the County Commissioners will have a vote in a public venue. We have had three hearings already, but they have been with the planning advisory baord (all affirmative votes). The Commissioners is where the rubber meets the apex, so to speak.

RP
 
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There is a small group of people that are opposed to the project that will no doubt be there to express their opinion
Would it be possible to hear from someone (Rod?) about what this group's objections are (other than simple noise pollution) and what the developers are doing to sway their opinions?
 
Good luck with your project. I am to far away to physically attend but will be there in spirit.

Getting lots of people to the meeting really helped us over here in the Spokane area keep our track. Our commissioners were quite amazed by the very large supportive turnout when we had an open meeting to discuss the track. Many different groups were well represented and we outnumbered the few opposition voices by at least 100 to 1 or more.
 
Would it be possible to hear from someone (Rod?) about what this group's objections are (other than simple noise pollution) and what the developers are doing to sway their opinions?

Steve, the groups primary objection is noise, coming a strong second is potential traffic congestion. They (the neighbors) feel that they were not properly consulted when we first began the process. The closest home is 1 mile away.

For whatever reasons, because the track design includes a dragstrip, the neighbors have been convinced by another neighbor that "top fuel and alcohol cars" will be running every weekend. Suprisingly, these folks are actually racing fans, they just want the track "somewhere else". They do want it in Mason County, just not one mile from their homes.

Of course, if this is the rationale, one mile neighbor radius, you end up in Montana somewhere.

Rod
 
So what are you guys doing to "fix" the "oversight" and get them included now? Since the reality of the situation is probably far, far less severe than what they imagine, what are you guys doing to get them on your side? Without going the whole route of FoPIR, it seems like some of the things they did could be useful in this situation.

If the biggest stumbling blocks to getting this done are the neighbors, government bureaucracy, and money, it seems like the easiest one to overcome is the neighbors.

(BTW, you're darn-tootin' I support the track and will do what I can to be there for the meeting.)
 
BTW, here's a link to the opponents' Web site. It's "funny" (as in, not) to read some of the specifics they object to and how far from reality it really is. Most of the parallels they draw with Thunderhill, for example, are wide of the mark when it comes to what I've seen of RMS' plans.

Want an example? How 'bout this headline: "DO YOU WANT A 24 HOUR RACETRACK IN YOUR BACKYARD????? KEEP READING!!!!!" Um, yeah, that's accurate.
 
Wow after checking out they're website I was...mad would be a good word.
But I am confident that all of the concerns will be addressed if they are willing to listen.
Many of our racers have technical writing and organization skills that will provide a positive presentation.
 
But I am confident that all of the concerns will be addressed if they are willing to listen.
Many of our racers have technical writing and organization skills that will provide a positive presentation.

Exactly - we have a pretty well-organized, articulate (at times) group that can make a positive impact. Let's face it, like the process or not, government officials are no different than the rest of us where our work loads have increased along with expectations of performance. So, anyone who comes along that make their jobs a little easier, a little smoother, are likely to be met with positive returns. The County must hear all concerns as well as well as benefits of this project. Provided the group of supporters speaks in unison with sound and reasonable logic showing that our homework is complete and we're willing to take into account the concerns of the neighbors, I suspect the Commissioners will be willing to work with RMS.

It just seems universal that way...
 
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