READER'S VIEW: SHOULD ALLOW A RACETRACK IN TAGHKANIC?

Mike Brenner

Taghkanic

April 13, 2009

The subject is the present situation in Taghkanic. But first some personal background. I’m in my late 60s and like many others my age, with an accumulation of life experiences. I first discovered Columbia County in 1962 and purchased property in Taghkanic a few years later. In 1969 before starting construction on my vacation home, I asked the Town Supervisor what regulations must I follow. The reply was: “Unfortunately we have nothing written, we ask only that you do not infringe on your neighbor.” In 1972 our zoning ordinance was put into effect. The upfront part (Scope and
Purpose) with greater detail echoes the same sentiment as what the supervisor communicated on a more personal level. It was written by local people and remains unchanged to this day.

We have before us a proposal for a race track. Presently it is about 90% complete. It was built without and still does not have a permit. Is this respectful of the town and its people? Our planning board is considering allowing the track with the provision that no racing is done when church is in session. Church services are an important part of community life, not to be infringed on, I agree. Yet this consideration alone acknowledges that there will be noise spill out. What about the people that live closer to the track? First off it is simply unreasonable to subject them to the infringement of ongoing, unpleasant sound. Second when the time comes, their property will be harder to sell and at reduced value. This clearly is in violation of our zoning ordinance which states “Paragraph C. Enacting Clause and Purposes, Provision 2, to encourage the most appropriate use of land in the community in order to conserve and enhance the value of property." Property rights are in fact a two-way street. Yes, we should be allowed to pursue our private paths to pleasure, but at the same time are we allowed to interfere with our neighbor’s existence? Such neighborly interference isn’t considerate morally or appropriate legally. Seated in the grandstand, noise produced by racing vehicles is an expected part of the
action, and yet that same noise, be it commercial or private in source, entering the privacy of your back yard is unpleasant to put up with, and has the effect of reducing property values.

One observation I have made during my life is of the unfortunate human tendency of allowing emotion to create a filter that interferes with the application of common sense. Could it be that this behavior is alive and fully functioning in Taghkanic? Common sense would indicate that racing vehicles at high speed will produce noise that will spill out beyond the property line. Common sense would also say putting one person’s interest before the overall welfare of the town, under a banner of property rights, should not be allowed. Before deciding on this issue, members of the town boards who are ruling should ask themselves this question. If my close neighbor decided to install a motorcycle racetrack, how would I feel?

I’m a quiet person and generally keep to myself. To date, voting has been the extent of my involvement. I am known for minding my own business. I am not an activist, but currently, and surprisingly, I find that I am part of a group of intelligent, rational people that oppose the racetrack on the ground of common sense. To my mind the only issue here, is the race track and its potential impact on my community.

This communication is not an attempt to get through to deaf ears. Life experience has taught it is futile, to attempt communication with closed people. There are however some who may occupy a middle ground. They may decide that they want to weigh in on this important issue. It has long-term potential for negative effects on our still quiet town.

Unfortunately, in the name of property rights and backlash against outsiders coming in and telling us how to run our town, we may indeed get a racetrack. To those people of the middle ground, I make this request; cut this out and hang it on your refrigerator door. Read it over a few days time and then apply common sense to the issue. There will be an important public hearing on April 21. Please be there!