Motorsports club gets permit to build track /NH

[PeteSC]

Tamworth track gets Army Corps permit


By BEA LEWIS
Northern Lakes Region Bureau
blewis@citizen.com
 
TAMWORTH — Following 18 months of review, the Army Corps of Engineers has issued a permit allowing a controversial motorsports country club to be built on the north face of Mount Whittier.

The permit, the last of three major state and environmental permits, gives a green light to Club Motorsports to begin construction of the $28 million complex that includes an 18-turn, three-plus mile long European-style road course for drivers and motorcyclists to develop and practice their skills and attend performance driving schools.

Prior to issuing the permit, the Army Corps made multiple site visits to verify wetland delineations, opened two public comment periods to address key public interest factors as well as a well-attended public hearing in Tamworth last October. The project has previously garnered approval from the state Department of Environmental Service. The project received a dredge and fill permit in July 2004 and a permit to alter terrain n September 2004.

Efforts by FOCUS: Tamworth, an anti-racetrack group, to scuttle the project to date have failed. In April the state's Wetland's Council voted unanimously to deny the appeal of the Wetlands Permit. "We are extremely pleased that Valley Motorsports Park has met the Army Corps rigorous environmental permitting standards," said new CMI President Lloyd Dehmen. "We and our environmental experts and engineers have spent more than 6,000 hours working to develop and purpose a project that is sensitive to the environment. In many instances, the technology and techniques we will be use to protect the environment go above what is required. Receiving the Army Corps' permission to proceed is a validation of our efforts to be environmentally sensitive and shows our company's commitment to the entire permit process. Without question this is a major step forward for our project. We thank the ACOE for their thorough and complete review of our application. We recognize that the Corps has made a tremendous effort to carefully follow their stringent process and fairly address all the public input that was submitted."

According to the permit, Damen said, the Army Corps agreed that the Valley Motorsports Park's construction and operation will not cause or contribute to significant degradation of water bodies, and that CMI has taken appropriate steps to minimize impacts.