Liberty Bell Motorsports Park

[dmano]

I went there once and went to get some turkey and saw that it came out of a can. I promptly left when I also saw the ham came from a can. I did not stay long enough to see where the beef came from.

[Brian Minkin]

There appears to be a long road before they can break gound.  There will be appeals of the Zonning Board decision in Berks County Court.  See Below:

 

Berks County, PA - Despite Union Township’s impending appeal of a controversial racetrack complex, plans to build the facility along Route 724 will move forward, the developers’ attorney said Wednesday.

William F. Fox Jr., lawyer for Ethan-Michael Inc., Montgomery County, said the appeal wouldn’t delay needed township approvals on construction plans.

“The land-development pro cess shouldn’t take a long time, and we’ll watch out to make sure it doesn’t,�? Fox said Wednesday.

Ethan-Michael officials still believe they can begin construction in late 2009. The complex would have four racetracks and 226 campsites.

Ethan-Michael, headed by developer Louis J. Mascaro, recently received zoning clearance from the township zoning board to build Liberty Bell Motorsports Park on 668 acres Mascaro owns.

That decision was based on an opinion from an impartial attorney who presided over part of a zoning hearing.

On Tuesday night, Union supervisors voted 2-1 to appeal the zoning decision to Berks County Court.

“I think there were some significant legal issues that were not addressed in the zoning hearing officer’s report,�? supervisors Chairman Donald E. Basile said Tuesday. “I think I need the Berks County Court of Common Pleas to tell me what the answer is.�?

Supervisor John Salaneck III said he had his own reasons for voting against the appeal, but he didn’t say what they were.

Only township residents and taxpayers were permitted to speak.

The appeal must be filed in Berks County Court by Sept. 24. The county commissioners have agreed to contribute $25,000 toward the township’s legal costs.

“I think they (the township) have no chance of winning,�? Fox said Tuesday night.

Josele Cleary, the lawyer representing Union in the Liberty Bell matter, wouldn’t say what arguments the township would make in the appeal.

And she said it’s impossible to estimate when a ruling would come from county court.

“How long is it going to take?�? Cleary said. “Beats me.�?

Union Township United, a citizens group opposed to the racing complex, also plans to appeal the zoning decision, group president Thomas M. Gatz said.

by Rebecca VanderMeulen

[TwentySix]

   

 http://www.libertybellmp.com/track.html

Appeals court gives OK to plan for 668-acre racetrack complex in Union Township Commonwealth Court overturns plan's rejection by Berks County Judge
By Holly Herman
Reading Eagle

Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled Friday that a racetrack complex proposed for 668 acres in Union Township can be built.  Developer Louis J. Mascaro's company, Ethan Michael Inc., wants to build a four-track racing park and campground along Route 724.  On Dec. 11, Berks County Judge Scott E. Lash reversed a township zoning hearing board decision that granted approval for the project in an agricultural zone.  The state court, however, agreed with the developer that Lash improperly raised concerns about the size and intensity of a racing park in an agricultural district. Mascaro's attorney, William F. Fox Jr., Audubon, Montgomery County, said he is pleased with the decision.

"The court did an excellent job," Fox said. "I felt strongly about this case. We spent a long time on it." Fox said the business will be an economic benefit to the area. "We will have people using the track and going out to dinner and other establishments in the surrounding neighborhoods," Fox said. Fox said the park will not change the character of the neighborhoods. The project will begin as soon as possible, he said.

Frederick K. Hatt, township solicitor, said the supervisors will review the decision next week to determine if an appeal will be filed to the state Supreme Court. Edwin L. Stock, a Reading lawyer who represented the zoning board, was unavailable for comment. The project calls for building the campground and recreational racetrack complex, to be called Liberty Bell Motorsports Park on both sides of Route 724.  The zoning board ruled in favor of the plan Aug. 22, 2007. Days later, the township supervisors voted to appeal that decision to Berks court.  Commonwealth Court disagreed with Lash's ruling that the racetrack could not be built because the Schuylkill River Greenway Association was not a party to the case. The association oversees trails in the area of the proposed development. The court said the group does not have to participate in the lawsuit.


http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=149627

 

[George3]

Wow, that's good news.

Nice find, TwentySix !

[opus]

So, when is this track scheduled for completion?  Website said 2010, but I don't know if the website has been updated or not.  Seems the news there dates back to 2008.

[TwentySix]

opus wrote:

So, when is this track scheduled for completion? Website said 2010, but I don't know if the website has been updated or not. Seems the news there dates back to 2008.

Your guess is as good as mine, just trying to keep up with the story... if you notice, the first post on this thread is almost 3 years old. If you look at the online comments under the Reading Eagle article, there is a bunch of stuff like this, cracks me up:

"It this place gets built I'm sure it'll attract the highest element of society. Get ready for old tires and motor oil dumped on the side of the road, fights, and all sorts of wonderful things in addition to the noise and exhaust. "

or

"Corvettes, Ferraris, Lambos? LOL. More like Mustang 5.0s, IROCs, and Chargers. You don't see a whole lot of high end sports cars driving around Berks county and I kind of doubt people with the money to buy them would frequent this place."

or

AWW... listen to all the big boys arguing over their overpriced toys. Car snobs. What a waste of time. Get a life. FYI, I feel bad for the people that are going to have to put up with all the obnoxious noise at all hours of the day. Maybe they should buy a sniper rifle and go for the tires?

[betegh9]

Great news................. another motorsports park. Tracks are getting easier to find and go to, while autocross sites are harder and harder to find. Hummmm, I wonder why?

[plumvr6]

Open house on Sept 19th 11am - 4pm.

I will be at Pocono at our DE event.

http://libertybellmp.com/openhouse.html

[dmano]

20min from home I can't wait.

[ccm911]

If I am not mistaken, there used to be a Motocross track in Douglasville back in the seventies.  Would be cool if they threw in a dirt track to go along with the road course.