MEDIA-This Week 6-3-08

The German Village Society Board of Trustees earlier this week unanimously voted to send a letter to the Franklin County Commissioners asking for an independent noise study related to a proposed racetrack.

At the June 2 meeting, members discussed the impact of the county selling Cooper Stadium to Arshot Investment Corp., which proposed turning the home of the Clippers into a motor vehicle raceway.

The $3.3-million deal has gone through, but will take up to 17 months to close because of various contingencies, include a desired 100 percent tax abatement for 10 years from Columbus.

The letter stated that through the society is pleased that the sale may create more jobs, the not-for-profit has concerns of noise that could affect surrounding areas.

"Auto racing, drag racing and crowd noise may affect quality of life in residential neighborhoods in surrounding communities as well as generate use of property issues in the German Village Area as a result of the developer's proposed activities," the letter stated.

"German Village residents are already aware of sound/noise from Cooper Stadium events as it wends its way across the Scioto River into our downtown neighborhoods, especially during evening hours," the letter went out to state.

In addition, the letter asks for the developer to remedy any problems as a condition of the sale.

Trustee Bill Curlis said the Franklinton Area Commission opposes the deal and have asked other civic minded groups to that may be affected to express their concerns.

Based on a noise impact map created by a sound engineer that was presented to the board, German Village could potentially hear between 60 and 70 decimals of noise during a race.

In more understandable terms, the noise would be between a conversational speech at three feet and a busy office or vacuum cleaner at 10 feet, according to the report.

And though this might not sound like a huge impact, because the proposed use is a raceway the noise would be constant.

"It would be pretty constant; it would be a constantly busy office or vacuum cleaner," said Jody Graichen, Director of Preservation Programs, who attended a meeting on the subject on behalf of the society.

Curlis said the society doesn't want to pay for a study itself.

"These sound engineers are expensive and we don't want to get ourselves into the position of having to come up with our own," he said.

Katharine Moore, executive director of the society, said she has been in touch with several other groups who would be affected by a racetrack.

"I think the really good news is there are so many other people that will be impacted. We are not out alone on this," Moore said.

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