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Proposed motocross facility in Volusia County gets pushback

Residents are concerned about the noise in their quiet neighborhood

Proposed motocross facility in Volusia County gets pushback

Residents are concerned about the noise in their quiet neighborhood

AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED PUBLIC RECORDS. A PROPOSED $10 MILLION MOTOCROSS FACILITY IS BEING CONSIDERED BY THE VOLUSIA COUNTY COUNCIL. WESH TWO’S PAMELA COMBS EXPLAINS. MANY LIKE THE IDEA, BUT OTHERS WORRY IT COULD BE BUILT JUST TOO CLOSE TO HOMES. IT’S A QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD, USUALLY THE MOST YOU’LL HEAR IS THE SOUND OF BIRDS CHIRPING, BUT SOON THAT COULD CHANGE. A MOTOR SPORT FACILITY IS BEING PROPOSED IN THE PORT ORANGE AREA ON LAND OFF TOMOKA FARMS ROAD. MY HUSBAND AND I WERE SO PUMPED WE THOUGHT WHAT A GREAT THING! TIFFANY WAS EXCITED UNTIL SHE FOUND OUT THIS PROJECT COULD END UP RIGHT BY HER HOME. THE AMOUNT OF PRACTICES THE RACES, THE OPEN TO PUBLIC, NOT JUST THE ATTENDANCE RECORD THAT WOULD REALLY AFFECT US, BUT THE SOUND OF THE ENGINES. ALL THE TIME. YOU KNOW, JUST A FEW DAYS A WEEK EVEN, WOULD BE A LOT. THE LOCATION WAS PROPOSED BY A CONSULTING FIRM. THE COUNTY HIRED COUNCILMAN DON DEMPSEY SAYS THESE ARE VALID CONCERNS, AND HE’S BEEN LISTENING SOLUTIONS COULD INCLUDE SOUND BARRIERS. THE WALLS ARE BUILT ALONG THE INTERSTATES WHEN THEY HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD BUILT NEXT TO THE INTERSTATE. THEY BUILT THOSE SOUND BARRIER WALLS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THOSE ARE VERY EFFECTIVE. I DON’T KNOW IF THAT WOULD SATISFY MY THE CONCERNS OF THE NEIGHBORS OR NOT. ANOTHER CONCERN IS THE COST. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FACILITY IS EXPECTED TO COST UP TO $10 MILLION. EVEN DEMPSEY, WHO WANTS THIS PROJECT TO COME, THINKS IT’S A HIGH PRICE TO PAY. MY VOTE IS NO. THERE’S NO WAY. I HAVE ALWAYS SAID, AND I STILL BELIEVE THIS, THAT YOU COULD BUILD A VERY RESPECTABLE, UH, FACILITY FOR UNDER A COUPLE OF MILLION. THE COUNTY HASN’T VOTED TO BUILD THE FACILITY JUST YET, SO THINGS COULD CHANGE. AND TIFFANY. SURE HOPES THEY DO. I REALLY THINK THIS IS A WONDERFUL IDEA, BUT I THINK IT WAS POORLY THOUGHT OUT AS FAR AS, UM, THEY DID NOT DO THEIR RESEARCH AS FAR AS THERE’S A LOT OF OTHER WONDERFUL PLACES THAT ARE MUCH MORE RURAL, RURAL IN VOLUSIA COUNTY REPORTING IN
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Proposed motocross facility in Volusia County gets pushback

Residents are concerned about the noise in their quiet neighborhood

A proposed $10.2 million motocross facility is being considered by the Volusia County Council. The location proposed by a consulting firm the county hired proposed a piece of land on Tomoka Farms Road in the Port Orange area. Neighbors were initially excited to hear about this. "My husband and I were so pumped we thought, what a great thing," said Jerrica Choufani, Volusia County resident. Jerrica Choufani was excited until she found out the project could end up right by her home."The amount of practices, the races ... the sound of the engines all the time. You know, just a few days a week, even, would be a lot," she said. The location was proposed by a consulting firm the county hired.Councilman Don Dempsey says these are valid concerns, and he's been listening. Solutions could include sound barriers."The walls that are built along the interstates where they have a neighborhood built next to the interstate, they build those sound barrier walls," said Dempsey. "My understanding is those are very effective. I don't know if that would satisfy the concerns of the neighbors or not."Another concern is the cost. Even Dempsey, who wants this project to come, thinks $10.2 million is a high price to pay."I would be a no vote if this is going to cost the taxpayers $10 million for a motocross facility," he said. "My vote is no. There's no way. I have always said, and I still believe this, that you could build a very respectable facility for under a couple of million."The county is working is hosting community meetings and gathering feedback. Dempsey is eager to get a facility up and running soon because there is not a single one in the county. "If you want to take your kid to play little league, there's fields," he said. "You want to take your kid to play soccer, there's fields. Tennis, pickleball there are fields. There's all these other outdoor activities available for various sports."The county hasn't voted to build the project just yet.So, things could change, and Choufani sure hopes they do."I think this is a wonderful idea," Choufani added. "I think it was poorly thought out as far as they did not do their research. As far as there's a lot of other wonderful places that are much more rural in Volusia County."A county spokesperson said the county could soon hold a vote. It likely won't be official just yet, but it could determine whether or not they move forward with this project.

A proposed $10.2 million motocross facility is being considered by the Volusia County Council.

The location proposed by a consulting firm the county hired proposed a piece of land on Tomoka Farms Road in the Port Orange area.

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Neighbors were initially excited to hear about this.

"My husband and I were so pumped we thought, what a great thing," said Jerrica Choufani, Volusia County resident.

Jerrica Choufani was excited until she found out the project could end up right by her home.

"The amount of practices, the races ... the sound of the engines all the time. You know, just a few days a week, even, would be a lot," she said.

The location was proposed by a consulting firm the county hired.

Councilman Don Dempsey says these are valid concerns, and he's been listening. Solutions could include sound barriers.

"The walls that are built along the interstates where they have a neighborhood built next to the interstate, they build those sound barrier walls," said Dempsey. "My understanding is those are very effective. I don't know if that would satisfy the concerns of the neighbors or not."

Another concern is the cost. Even Dempsey, who wants this project to come, thinks $10.2 million is a high price to pay.

"I would be a no vote if this is going to cost the taxpayers $10 million for a motocross facility," he said. "My vote is no. There's no way. I have always said, and I still believe this, that you could build a very respectable facility for under a couple of million."

The county is working is hosting community meetings and gathering feedback. Dempsey is eager to get a facility up and running soon because there is not a single one in the county.

"If you want to take your kid to play little league, there's fields," he said. "You want to take your kid to play soccer, there's fields. Tennis, pickleball there are fields. There's all these other outdoor activities available for various sports."

The county hasn't voted to build the project just yet.

So, things could change, and Choufani sure hopes they do.

"I think this is a wonderful idea," Choufani added. "I think it was poorly thought out as far as they did not do their research. As far as there's a lot of other wonderful places that are much more rural in Volusia County."

A county spokesperson said the county could soon hold a vote. It likely won't be official just yet, but it could determine whether or not they move forward with this project.