Liberty Bell Motorsports Park

[rhargy]

Great news, but I'll be a believer when I see dirt actually being moved.

[michael lang]

Damn things sure do move slowly with this project.

[Phokaioglaukos]

Any new info on this track? Any dirt moved?

[TwentySix]

Any new info on this track? Any dirt moved?

Fingers crossed

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=463194

Originally Published: 3/24/2013 Plan for Union Township motorsports park getting closer to green light
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Stephanie Weaver
Reading Eagle


At the Union Township site of the proposed Liberty Bell Sportspark and Campground are, from left, Marco Sanna, director of motorsports; Matt Mascaro, director of business development; Chris Mascaro, business development; David Kleckner, CEO; and Rob Armbruster, director of sales and marketing.
The proposed Liberty Bell Motorsports Park and Campground in Union Township has certainly hit plenty of speed bumps since it was introduced in 2000.

However, even though Louis J. Mascaro's project initially received plenty of community opposition, the long wait seems to have shifted feelings in Liberty Bell's favor.

Money is tight in the community, with the Daniel Boone School Board dealing with more than $90 million in debts and local municipalities facing their own financial binds.

Union Township raised property taxes 70 percent for 2013, and supervisors say there's simply not enough money for even routine infrastructure repairs.

Potential revenue from the motorsports park along Route 724 near Birdsboro now seems to be outweighing concerns about noise and traffic.

"We feel that now the township is working with us, and we attend meetings monthly to keep them updated on our progress," said Rob Armbruster, director of marketing and sales for Liberty Bell. "The team Mr. Mascaro has put in place has really worked hard to solidify relationships with the township so this can be a positive thing for the community."

Armbruster said residents and even Daniel Boone officials have contacted him to ask how soon the business would open.

"We know it's not the cure for everything, but it will be a help to the current financial situation," he said.

At a recent Amity Township meeting, Supervisor Robert Yanos said he thinks the additional traffic flow from the motorsports park in Union would also help Amity, particularly in the Route 422 corridor.

"It will help our restaurants and maybe other vendors will come and build in our township if flow is increased," he said.

Mascaro's land doesn't qualify as a Keystone Opportunity Zone, which could have provided the racetrack with tax relief. And, while Liberty Bell officials could ask the Daniel Boone School Board and Union Township for tax breaks, Armbruster said they aren't looking for any favors.

"We haven't asked anyone to do that," he said. "We haven't brought that up to anyone, nor do we foresee looking to do that. We believe in paying our fair share."

Waiting on a dream

Mascaro has waited a long time to see his dream of a motorsports park take shape.

So long that some of the initial work for Liberty Bell is outdated.

Mascaro floated the idea nearly two decades ago after attending a racing event and realizing the need for a local facility. Liberty Bell would accommodate sports car, motorcycle and kart racing, or karting, which involves small, open-wheel vehicles.

Mascaro's development company, Ethan Michael Inc., submitted the original plan to Union Township in 2000, but the effort stalled due to a nearly decadelong legal battle.

After the dust settled in 2010, Mascaro hoped to move quickly, but key personnel losses and a rigid permitting process have made it tough to get the project moving.

Liberty Bell officials believe they now have a plan that will speed things up. They hope to split the project in two, creating separate plans for the motorsports park and campground.

"Each side of the property has its own unique features that require different types of permitting," Armbruster said. "We decided to concentrate our efforts now on the motorsports park."

Organizers are working on dropping the campground portion from the land development plan that's before Union Township supervisors.

After the motorsports park is approved and construction begins, they would work to get the campground plan approved. Armbruster said 285 acres would be developed for the motorsports park and 38 acres for the campground.

Mascaro owns a total of 663 acres split by Route 724. The portion not included in the Liberty Bell project would continue to be farmed or remain wooded.

Permits key to action

Progress depends heavily on obtaining government-agency permits, which makes it difficult to speculate when Liberty Bell would open for racing.

For the preliminary plan, Liberty Bell must receive permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Protection. The final plan requires even more permits.

"They're the ones who control our timetable," Armbruster said. "The township's not holding us up."

Armbruster said Liberty Bell officials would love to break ground this year, but he admitted it would be tough. Once the project starts, construction would take a year to 15 months.

Union Township Manager Carol Lewis said the permits post the biggest obstacle.

"They're going through the planning process, getting the plan corrected and submitted," she said. "Once they get final plan approval, my understanding is they'll move pretty quickly."

[michael lang]

This definitely sounds promising. My fingers will be crossed as well.

[betegh9]

it is great to have a track close by..........I just hope that after so long, I still have the driving enthusiasm in 2015 or so.

[ccm911]

The Egyptian Pyramids were built faster than this pig in a poke. LOL!!

[betegh9]

The Egyptian Pyramids were built faster than this pig in a poke. LOL!!

How do you know? We're you there?

[ccm911]

No, Nick, but there is a study called "Ancient History" which was taught in High School.

[betegh9]

I skipped school when they were teaching ancient history, I hated it.