Speedway owners pull back
petition to Board of Supervisors
Rockbridge County residents flocked to Monday's Board of Supervisors meeting in support of the Natural Bridge Speedway's bid to add Friday racing.
Owners of the speedway had petitioned the board to amend the conditional use permit they receive from the county. But Jerry Deacon, one of four owners of the speedway, announced at the meeting at the county administration building that they had withdrawn their petition.
"At the last minute we needed to dot some I's and cross some T's; that's why we withdrew," he said. They plan to resubmit the petition later, he said.
According to their Web site, speedway owners are requesting three permit changes. Because the drag strip and the speedway no longer operate together, the owners would like to focus the permit on the speedway.
The owners also want to race on both Friday and Saturday nights, as the drag strip does. The speedway currently races on Saturdays only. And they would like to get rid of a provision requiring their permit to be renewed every five years, because they are worried that the speedway could be shut down arbitrarily.
Several community members spoke on behalf of the speedway. One citizen from the Kerrs Creek District, who supports the Friday-night extension, said the track costs the county little.
"I don't think people realize how big Natural Bridge is across this state," he said. "The speedway is the No. 1 dirt track in Virginia."
Another community member said the speedway is active in community service, including raising $13,000 for cancer research.
Said another: "The Board of Supervisors needs to let this track operate."
Karey Ramsey, wife of co-owner Larry Ramsey, said the track hosted 219 competitors in 2007, up from 2006. It employs 36 people, 31 of whom are Rockbridge County residents. The speedway also pays almost $3,000 in taxes to the county, Ramsey said.
On another matter, Supervisor Hunt Riegel, newly elected from the Natural Bridge District, addressed the Natural Bridge community's concern that the vacant Natural Bridge High School gym might no longer be used for recreational purposes. County residents have indicated a strong interest in maintaining the gym and property. Subcommittees were created at a meeting last week to look into structural repairs and other issues.
The next public meeting on the fate of the gym will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 6 in the Natural Bridge Elementary School gym.
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Phylissa
Mitchell
Editing supervisor:
Prof. Pam Leucke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd