The Warren County Planning and Zoning Commission tabled a final vote on a proposal for a proposed racetrack at 22245 Lix Road until March 19 in order to get more specifics on sound levels and parking accommodations for the track.

The husband and wife team of Robert and Alexis Alberternst presented a proposal for what they call the Goon Speedway to be located on their 27.38 acre parcel on Lix Road during the commission’s meeting Feb. 19. The couple are applying for a conditional use permit to build an outside racetrack primarily designed for kids to race on.

The proposed location for the track is approximately 0.9 miles from Highway W and would consist of an oval dirt track approximately 320 feet long and 180 feet wide. Alexis Alberternst said the facility would have a staff of 12 to 14 for a racing season that would be anticipated to run from April to November with races running perhaps two-three days a week on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday as their schedule and track preparation would permit. They said that no races would begin before 10 a.m. or end after 10 p.m. on any racing day.

According to the couple, the track would consist of small car racing only including micros, flat karts, winged karts, junior wing cars and quarter midget vehicles.

During the presentation the couple also said that they would have fencing around the track as that is a requirement under their insurance policy.

The track would be lit by directional LED lighting which is designed in such a way as to ensure the lights focus only on the track with no light spillage Alexis Alberternst said. She said there would also be mufflers required for the vehicles and the couple envisions a tree perimeter, berms and sponsorship banners to act as buffers to attempt to reduce noise.

During their presentation, the couple discussed the decibel levels that the various vehicles they intend to race on their track emit. She said the vehicles they will race can reach up to 95 decibels. They then presented information on how decibels would reduce over a specific distance.

They said their goal for the track is to give kids in the community something to do. They also touted some of the growth, educational and family bonding aspects that racing provides to youngsters.

As the CUP proposal was scheduled for a public hearing, several residents and other individuals spoke both for and against the proposal.

The first group of opponents were members of the Bruns family. Doug Bruns spoke first and offered a series of objections to the proposed project. He said there were 20 residences within 1,000 feet of the Lix Road property. His residence is 880 feet from the center of the track. Bruns said that while the county does not have a noise ordinance, noise will detrimentally affect the health, safety, comfort and general welfare of nearby residents. Bruns said the land is not large enough to support the track, parking and other related issues. He also objected to dust and fuel discharge at the track and the environmental and health impacts. Bruns also noted that Schlanker Branch, a waterway, goes over the property.

Matt Bruns also spoke in opposition to the proposal saying one of the reasons he opposed the proposal is due to lack of transparency by the Alberternsts. He said the couple had been posting racing events on Facebook that were apparently already scheduled before the track had even been built. Bruns also challenged the amount of sound the vehicles would produce, arguing that the decibel levels produced by the engines the vehicles would use is well over 100 decibels.

Nancy Bruns said the proposed track is in a rural area and she wants to retain her rural lifestyle. She said that a racetrack is not an agricultural use (the currenting zoning classification for the property). She said she was also concerned about the people coming to the track during races and whether or not it would result in a rise of crime for neighboring residents.

Others also spoke against the proposal. Pat and John Vogler said they live half a mile west and are concerned about their property values. Jason Zwyers said he was originally a proponent of the project, but based upon everything he has seen he thinks it is a bad idea now. He said Lix is a two lane road and he is concerned about the safety of drivers in the immediate area, specifically on proposed race days.

“Bottom line is this something you’d want in your backyard?” he asked the commission.

Nearly a dozen other residents also voiced similar concerns about the track.

There were also supporters of the track.

Josh Hunt said he was in favor of the track as it would bring a significant economic impact to the community. He noted there are a number of companies related to racing in the nearby area.

Travis Newt said he felt it would promote great opportunities for kids to get involved in racing.

Still other supporters noted that the racing community is one big family and gives children the opportunity to receive an education on matters they may not normally experience.

After the public comment portion, the commission then asked a series of questions directed to the Alberternsts. Commission member Jim Bardy said his concern with the track is that it was simply in the wrong place. He said he didn’t feel that the acreage owned by the couple was large enough for such a track. Other commission members, such as Mike Mirth, voiced significant concerns regarding the decibel levels the vehicles would produce. Mirth in particular wanted more concrete numbers on the decibel levels and their potential impacts on area residents. Mirth and Commissioner Dawn Turpin also asked a lot of questions regarding parking. The couple stated that they could provide parking throughout the 27 acres, but there was no specific plan on how many places they could accommodate or exactly how that parking would be laid out other than a general idea to allow parking on their property.

There was also a discussion about the hours the track would be in operation. Several of the board members voiced concerns with racing going to 10 p.m. possibly, even on the weekend. Alan Weber specifically discussed possibly ending their racing days earlier, perhaps no later than 8 p.m.

Ultimately the commission did not make a decision, asking for the couple to get them more information, specifically on the parking and sound issues, and return on March 19 to provide more details about their plan.