Well it seems this will be put to the courts to decide what the term "recreational use" means in the context of this project...
Hearings conclude on an entertainment and campground proposal for property along Route 724.
By Rebecca VanderMeulen
Reading Eagle
Berks County, PA - By the end of August, a developer will know if he can build a racetrack complex in Union Township, township officials said.
Wednesday night marked the end of a series of hearings in which lawyers argued over whe ther Louis J. Mascaro should be able to build a campground and motor-sports park on 668 acres he owns along Route 724.
The land is zoned for agricultural-preservation use, which allows recreational purposes... http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=40183
One of the folks in the SCCA sent the following (shown with response from reporter):
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Ms. Rebecca VanderMeulen;
A quick note about your article about the proposed motorsports park in Union
Township, and maybe something worth mentioning in future articles about this
topic....
From the article, I gather there is a dispute over the term "recreational
use" and that one party is assuming the general public will only participate
in a passive manner.
I suggest you ask the developer if the facilities will be open for amateur
use. There is an entire segment of amateur motorsports called Solo (or
Autocross) where practically anyone with a drivers license can get involved.
For people without a license, 8 years or older, karts are allowed.
There is a large community of amateur motor sports PARTICIPANTS in
Philadelphia. You may start looking at the Philadelphia Region Sports Car
Club of America web site (http://www.phillyscca.com). You'll see there are many
ways for the general populace to get involved and actively enjoy a safe and
exciting sport, even using their own automobile. While the Philly SCCA group
promotes many forms of motorsports, not all require huge investments in time
or commitment.
Thank you,
P......
>>>>>>>>>>>
Her reply:
>>>>>>>>>>>
Thanks for your email. I'll hang onto it.
You're right - the main issue as far as the racetrack goes is whether it fits
into the definition of "recreation."
Next time I write about this I'll ask about whether amateurs will be allowed to race. Thanks for pointing out the importance of that.
In case you haven't seen it, here's the Liberty Bell Motorsports Park website:
http://www.libertybellmp.com/index.html
It seems more targeted to neighbors and their concerns, but there's quite a bit of other information on there as well.
Rebecca VanderMeulen
reporter
Reading Eagle
610-371-5015: phone
800-633-7222: toll-free
610-371-5098: fax
http://www.libertybellmp.com/track.html
Hearings conclude on an entertainment and campground proposal for property along Route 724.
By Rebecca VanderMeulen
Reading Eagle
Berks County, PA - By the end of August, a developer will know if he can build a racetrack complex in Union Township, township officials said.
Wednesday night marked the end of a series of hearings in which lawyers argued over whe ther Louis J. Mascaro should be able to build a campground and motor-sports park on 668 acres he owns along Route 724.
The land is zoned for agricultural-preservation use, which allows recreational purposes... http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=40183
One of the folks in the SCCA sent the following (shown with response from reporter):
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Ms. Rebecca VanderMeulen;
A quick note about your article about the proposed motorsports park in Union
Township, and maybe something worth mentioning in future articles about this
topic....
From the article, I gather there is a dispute over the term "recreational
use" and that one party is assuming the general public will only participate
in a passive manner.
I suggest you ask the developer if the facilities will be open for amateur
use. There is an entire segment of amateur motorsports called Solo (or
Autocross) where practically anyone with a drivers license can get involved.
For people without a license, 8 years or older, karts are allowed.
There is a large community of amateur motor sports PARTICIPANTS in
Philadelphia. You may start looking at the Philadelphia Region Sports Car
Club of America web site (http://www.phillyscca.com). You'll see there are many
ways for the general populace to get involved and actively enjoy a safe and
exciting sport, even using their own automobile. While the Philly SCCA group
promotes many forms of motorsports, not all require huge investments in time
or commitment.
Thank you,
P......
>>>>>>>>>>>
Her reply:
>>>>>>>>>>>
Thanks for your email. I'll hang onto it.
You're right - the main issue as far as the racetrack goes is whether it fits
into the definition of "recreation."
Next time I write about this I'll ask about whether amateurs will be allowed to race. Thanks for pointing out the importance of that.
In case you haven't seen it, here's the Liberty Bell Motorsports Park website:
http://www.libertybellmp.com/index.html
It seems more targeted to neighbors and their concerns, but there's quite a bit of other information on there as well.
Rebecca VanderMeulen
reporter
Reading Eagle
610-371-5015: phone
800-633-7222: toll-free
610-371-5098: fax
http://www.libertybellmp.com/track.html