This was one of the first stories I did for The (Lexington, N.C.) Dispatch. When this story ran, the newspaper was still publishing on an afternoon production cycle.
Fate of proposed Spencer racetrack still to be decided
BY BEN LEDBETTER
The Dispatch
Last Modified: Friday, August 3, 2007 at 12:00 a.m.
SPENCER | The fate of a proposed raceway slated for this Rowan County town will wait another week after Thursday's meeting of the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
After a public hearing that went nearly five hours, the board decided to schedule deliberations for 6 p.m. Thursday with another meeting scheduled for that Friday, if needed.
The first phase of High Rock Properties LLC's project - primarily the two-mile racetrack and 114 condominiums - is included in the company's request for a conditional-use permit. The developers also were asking for a pair of variances from town buffer and setback requirements.
However, if High Rock is allowed to build on the property, it might have some work ahead.
High Rock Chief Executive Officer David Risdon said part of the land is contaminated with benzene, arsenic and mercury. Risdon said the elements are not on the property for the actual racetrack, but his company would clean it up.
Although he agreed to clean up the contaminated land, Ann Brownlee, founder and president of the Trading Ford Historic District Preservation Association, said she does not think a racetrack and the historical area could coexist.
"The current plans would irrevocably destroy the site," she said.
Brownlee said the racetrack site was where a one-day battle occurred in April 1865 during the Civil War.
Risdon said Thursday the short battle occurred near but not on the property and that he had confirmed that with the state.
Out of the six people who spoke for and the two who spoke against the racetrack during the public comment portion of the meeting, one was a real estate attorney and one owned land on the site.
Salisbury real estate attorney Randy Reamer spoke in support of the High Rock project and said he represented a group of businessmen who owned property near the site.
"Our belief is the project will increase the value of the land," he said. "Any activity would result in an increase in value."
Two speakers in support of the project were from the Sports Car Club of America and the National Auto Sport Association.
Charlotte resident Dick McOllister with the SCCA said, if approved, the High Rock course would be the first road course in the state.
Salisbury resident Rodney Whedbey, who has driven in SCCA races, said he owns 2.9 acres of commercial land at the site.
"One thing as property owners, we would be negatively impacted" if the project is denied, he said.
The two opposition speakers were a resident here and a representative of Norfolk Southern Railroad.
Frances Driscoll, who lives in Spencer, said the area where the proposed development would go is historically significant while Scott Myers with Norfolk Southern talked about the impact on the railroad, which runs near the proposed racetrack and parking spaces.
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