Christien

It's official. Just got this email from Lee, the owner of the track.

Honestly, is Dunnville that sleepy of a town that the locals have nothing better to do than fight zoning laws? :

What a bummer. Guess I just freed up my Saturday.

88 951S

I guess the locals will just complain about airplane noise from the AIRPORT now. This reminds of the people who move close to train tracks and then complain about the noise from the trains.

jumper5836

wow that bites

theiceman

had some great times there ..

pongobaz

got the email too...it really sucks!

Sputter

You see city people try that **** all the time. They buy those "estate" lots and then bitch about being near livestock. They want the country without the country..idiots

Rally Guy

What the hell? With all this talk of street racing and "take it to the track" and now the ***-munching OMB says they have to close one of the few tracks we have? That's just evil.

What the hell's the reasoning? Do they have to close the airport too?

Somebody need to get Jim Kenzie on this and raise a stink here in the city. The Star has been VERY good recently at activism journalism, and I wonder if enough bad coverage about how the alternatives for motorsports enthusiasts to using the streets are being removed would perhaps offer a lifeline to the track.

<edit> Turns out I have more contacts that I ever thought possible out that way - wife's from out there - so we're doing some digging to see if we can get the inside scoop. Hoping this isn't a closed matter.

RK

mdex

I searched for the OMB case, but came up with nothing. Does anyone have a link to the case so we can see what exactly shut it down?

Christien

I also looked at the OMB website, but couldn't find anything. Apparently the decision was just handed down yesterday, so I'm sure it'll be some time until it's available online. I did a bunch of searching yesterday, and I think what happened was that the locals disliked the noise and the people and found out that the area wasn't zoned for a racetrack, and therefore filed a complaint with the OMB. The track fought back claiming they were a road course, not a race track, but the OMB I guess didn't buy it.

The group that spearheaded the movement is called Dunnville Cares. If you google them, you find their blog at mouthofthegrand.blogspot.com, however the last entry was almost a year ago.

Lee did mention in an email to me that he's working on a track in Niagara Falls for July 2010.

Torontoworker

Even worse issues there; the Greenbelt Act and the Fruitbelt Protection zone overlap. Thats one of the central problems with this stillborn oval project that some offshore group, (the project that PAID Jeff Gordon money so they could put his name on the paperwork) want to build so they can attract a NASCAR event. Stupid as it seems - the chances of building a track appear to better the CLOSER you get to Toronto! Downside is the land values are higher.

Zoning has always been central in almost every OMB hearing and without local support the only people who win are the lawyers. CMP is a case in point.

mdex

The key is you need to get the zoning done first, then open the track. It can take years of quiet lobbying to get any Official Plan change put through, and then you will undoubtedly have some crazy locals fight you on it, but at least then you will be a permitted use, and it is harder for them to shut you down once you have the required zoning in place.

Rally Guy

Well that blog give up a lot of info. Appears this shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone - since the OPENING of the track was in dispute. The zoning laws don't allow for a race track and while it was positioned that there was never any RACING - just lapping - the locals clearly don't make a distinction. Which I tangentially understand - a fast moving car can be noisy without technically "racing" anything.

In any case - appeals to change the zoning were rejected - went all the way to the OMB and the OMB upheld the current zoning. Curious - since if had they wanted to stuff a WalMart into farmer's field or clear-cut a forest for a parking lot, they'd probably approve the zoning changes.

In any case - let's hope another track opens soon.

RK

Christien

RK, you're right. I don't think it was opened under the best circumstances. I just hope he made enough money to break even in the time it operated, though I doubt it.

I really wish they'd just build a nice track at Downsview. Seems to make so much sense to me.

88 951S

Well, take one more thing off the list of what Dunville has to offer and your left with,

1. ?
2. ?
3. ?

Rally Guy

My inlaws all live there.

I'm not sure I'd put that in the "have to offer" list. ; )

And +1 on the Downsview idea - I cannot imagine a sweeter - more suitable spot!

Why isn't Fantino pushing for that???

RK