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Several proposals for expanding the sports complex at the Meadowlands have been submitted, including two different proposals to bring a racetrack and NASCAR to the scene.
So what do officials who will have significant input on the decision have to say about bringing big time stock car racing (probably any other racing for that matter) into the area? Nothing much good, much to my surprise.
excerpt from NorthJersey.com:
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, the sports complex's landlord, will choose a development plan, perhaps by the end of the year, either picking one outright or mixing and matching different elements of the six plans.
Although local mayors, state legislators, and county officials already have opinions on some elements of the plans, most of the 20 who were interviewed say that before endorsing one over the other, they'll need to see more.
Like how many cars each proposal will add to southern Bergen County's already congested roads, how much revenue each will add to government coffers, and how many more police officers towns will have to hire to patrol the site. And all want to make sure the construction of a commuter rail link is attached to any deal.
There is near consensus on one issue. The NASCAR plans have most of the officials' heads pounding.
"We are opposed to the NASCAR proposals," Carlstadt's Republican Mayor William Roseman said of the competing racetrack plans offered by International Speedway Corp. of Daytona Beach, Fla., and Liberty Management Team of Secaucus. "With the amount of people within the area, the traffic would be too difficult to handle."
"It just doesn't sound like it's a good fit," said GOP Bergen County Freeholder Chairman Anthony Cassano. "It's loud. It's noisy. And this is a very densely populated area."
The idea was no better received in northern Bergen, far away from the imagined engine roar.
"It's early, but my gut reaction is noise, fumes, and a lot of danger," said Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk, a Montvale Republican. "If we start taking the younger generation to see that, they may think they're going to follow in those footsteps and try it on the roads. I'm not happy with that."
One official could be found who was more receptive to a speedway.
"I happen to be a NASCAR fan, personally," said Schuber, the county's chief executive. "It's only two or three weekends a year. And the revenue on those two or three times is significant for not only the county but for the municipalities and their businesses."
Schuber said he understands the concern of noise and traffic. "It needs to be addressed," he said. But, he added, "You'd be surprised how many NASCAR fans there are in Bergen County."
So what do officials who will have significant input on the decision have to say about bringing big time stock car racing (probably any other racing for that matter) into the area? Nothing much good, much to my surprise.
excerpt from NorthJersey.com:
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, the sports complex's landlord, will choose a development plan, perhaps by the end of the year, either picking one outright or mixing and matching different elements of the six plans.
Although local mayors, state legislators, and county officials already have opinions on some elements of the plans, most of the 20 who were interviewed say that before endorsing one over the other, they'll need to see more.
Like how many cars each proposal will add to southern Bergen County's already congested roads, how much revenue each will add to government coffers, and how many more police officers towns will have to hire to patrol the site. And all want to make sure the construction of a commuter rail link is attached to any deal.
There is near consensus on one issue. The NASCAR plans have most of the officials' heads pounding.
"We are opposed to the NASCAR proposals," Carlstadt's Republican Mayor William Roseman said of the competing racetrack plans offered by International Speedway Corp. of Daytona Beach, Fla., and Liberty Management Team of Secaucus. "With the amount of people within the area, the traffic would be too difficult to handle."
"It just doesn't sound like it's a good fit," said GOP Bergen County Freeholder Chairman Anthony Cassano. "It's loud. It's noisy. And this is a very densely populated area."
The idea was no better received in northern Bergen, far away from the imagined engine roar.
"It's early, but my gut reaction is noise, fumes, and a lot of danger," said Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk, a Montvale Republican. "If we start taking the younger generation to see that, they may think they're going to follow in those footsteps and try it on the roads. I'm not happy with that."
One official could be found who was more receptive to a speedway.
"I happen to be a NASCAR fan, personally," said Schuber, the county's chief executive. "It's only two or three weekends a year. And the revenue on those two or three times is significant for not only the county but for the municipalities and their businesses."
Schuber said he understands the concern of noise and traffic. "It needs to be addressed," he said. But, he added, "You'd be surprised how many NASCAR fans there are in Bergen County."
