Motocross track limited to one year

Douglas County commissioners served notice Thursday that operators of Nevada Motocross Park will have to find a new location next year for their track now on public property adjacent to the county fairgrounds and transfer station.

After more than two hours of debate, the board voted 4-1 to grant a one- year park use application. The applicants had requested a two-year extension that met with complaints from neighbors who objected to the noise and the dust they said disturbed their weekends last summer.

Commissioner Doug Johnson, who voted against the application, said he gave his word a year ago that the site was to be temporary.

"My position is that Nevada Motocross Park has no intention of looking for another location. There is absolutely no way I can go back on my word and support this," Johnson said.

The commissioner, who lives in Ruhenstroth near the park, said he loved motocross and was not anti-business.

"I'm going to be voting against something I love to watch," he said. "It's almost a credibility and accountability issue with this board."

The commissioners agreed that the motocross park benefited the community, but was in the wrong location.

"It's really unfortunate," said Commissioner Nancy McDermid. "I believe in the right location, this is a homerun for Douglas County."

The board voted to grant a one-year permit with all the conditions passed last month by the Parks and Recreation Commission. They increased the liability insurance from $2 million to $5 million and required a $5,000 bond from proponents for restoration and revegetation of the 15-20 acres of county-owned land across from the fairgrounds, between the animal shelter and the transfer station.

The board also said after this year, the land can no longer be used as a motocross track.

Nineteen events were held there last year including practice race days and both pro and local races, with the final race on Sept. 27.

This year, the Carson Valley Visitors Authority submitted a two-year application with the season from April 1 to Nov. 29 for each year. They proposed 36 use days per year on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays on no more than 12 weekends.

Applicants hoped to spread the use out for a longer period of time in the more desirable spring and fall seasons. The applicant also said there would be a 15-20-day track test period as the facility was rebuilt.

The driving forces behind the motocross track are Nevada Motocross Park, LLC, which produced the events last summer, and the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Authority, which had submitted the parks use application.

The board listened to an hour of public comment Thursday on both sides of the issue.

Gerald Brown told commissioners they couldn't compare motocross to Little League or soccer.

"Your $2 million (insurance) policy is a joke. One death of a child is going to be a lot more than $2 million," he said.

Maggie Hakansson used the forum to announce she was the listing agent for a parcel of land that would be suitable for a permanent track, but hadn't been contacted by the motocross group.

"Why start a business when the county is willing to give the land to you?" she asked.

Joan Tierney said her two sons had been racing since 1986.

"I knew where the kids were every single weekend for 30 years," Tierney said.

Mike Torres, 46, said he first raced when he was 15 in Ruhenstroth.

"It changed my life. It's a sport that knows no limits, no gender, no age or ability," he said.

Torres, a Douglas County juvenile probation officer, said he has worked with youth since 1984.

"This is one of the activities available to kids who don't fit the football team. I don't call it noise. I call it music to my ears," he said.

Rachel Christensen, who lives close to the track, called the noise level "obscene."

"I thought there was a plane going to land on the house. It's way more noise than the fairgrounds," she said. "Not one person in Carson Valley would want to hear this for one day."