Franklin BOC Makes No Decision on Fate of Dirt Race Track

Franklin County commissioners are still trying to sort out what to do about a controversial race track. 

People living near the race track off Highway 106 near Carnesville have been complaining for months about the noise.  The track had been closed for about eight years, but was recently re-opened as a track for dirt bikes. 

At their meeting Monday night, commissioner Clint Harper said he would like to some definitive action  to help the citizens who have complained.

“We need some resolution,” he said. “I know our county attorney has looked into it. I think our citizens need to know where the board stands on this.”  

County manager John Phillips said according to his research, there’s nothing in the county’s code of ordinances that deals with the nuisance effects of a motocross dirt track.

 “I feel like we have exercised every means that we have available to us,” he told the board. “I don’t really feel that our current nuisance ordinance really deals with this situation since it does not deal with noise or dust or anything that could be associated with this operation.”  

Commissioner David Strickland suggested sitting down with the property owner and the operator of the  dirt track. 

Phillips said he has spoken to the operator of the track who offered to open the track only Saturday and Sunday afternoons, but he said neighbors have told him that’s not the case.

Phillips said the county’s zoning regulations also appear to allow the property owner to operate.

“Based on the situation we’re in, my understanding is that the property owner has been advised that he could operate,” Phillips said. “So, I guess from staffs’ standpoint, we’ve tried to investigate state law, local legislation, everything that we have on the books. We can’t find anything that we could do to really help the neighbors in this situation.”  

Commissioner Jeff Jacques said according to his review of the zoning ordinance the property owner needs to re-apply for a new business license since the track had been closed for so many years and to have the property rezoned. 

“It is very specific about a non-conforming use of a business or facility,” Jacques said. “There is a one-year duration required and if that business is not functional, it loses that status. And for it to back to a non-conforming usage, it would have to go back through zoning.”   

Jacques then asked the board for a consensus to direct the county attorney to look at the validity of the current business license in light of changes in the operation. 

No vote was taken.