Another type of ‘illegal’ overlooked
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C,P. Brothers III
Published: July 10, 2008
Year after year, several evenings a week from March to October, Prince William County refuses to enforce its own laws. The public nuisance known as the Old Dominion Speedway and dragstrip violates
Prince William County Code section 14-4. Google it.
Anyone who lives within a mile or so of the this earsore knows about this.
Anyone trying to sell a house in these tough times can’t show it up to four afternoons a week because of this. Take a look at the county decals on the vehicles attending events at ODS and you will find
many, if not a majority, come here from outside of our county; some come from out of state. This does not benefit our local community.
Calls to the police usually fall on deaf ears. Nothing happens. It appears that the county attorney’s office refuses to prosecute noise complaints concerning ODS. Imagine this in a county where the
mantra “what part of illegal do you not understand?” defines us nationwide. I bet we’d get a better response if the drivers were alleged to be illegal aliens!
C.P. BROTHERS III
Manassas
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( raywilliams ) on July 11, 2008 at 3:49 pm
ejben, most HOAs have restrictions on parking non-licensed vehicles and also rules on work performed. Based on what you cite, this would be easily and quickly corrected. Moving next to Dulles Airport and complaining about jet noise falls into a different category. Like the stupid category.
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Posted by ( ejben ) on July 11, 2008 at 1:02 pm
All these non-conforming uses will get us into alot of problems.
I too understand that the Rcae Track was there,too so again “Buyer Be Ware”
What I think is uncalled for is people buying a home on a small division lot and then moves in their racing car.Works on it faithfully before a race but it’s always 9:30 and 10:00 pm with all the reving of the engine and a fast spin around the streets. It’s bang,bang,bang sometimes till mid night.
Why didn’t the buy on an area or two????
No sense I guess.
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on July 11, 2008 at 11:39 am
Welcome back phdee !
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Posted by ( concerned long time resident ) on July 11, 2008 at 11:16 am
We beat this horse to death when they were going to close ODS due to big new development. I have lived in PWC since 1972 and ODS was there when there were no houses near it. If you choose to live near it then you have no reason to complain. It was one of the only fun things to do here and still is especially with NASCAR being the most popular spectator sport in the USA! I am glad its still there and hope it stays there. Its a reminder of our former country living atmosphere that I sorely miss before McMansions were built here.Our new so called upper class residents just don’t ‘get it’. At least the races are not every day/ night like some of the noise we have to deal with every single day from living near roads with constant blasting and vibration from those blankety blank blank deafening car bass speakers. Makes me want to choke them.
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Posted by ( Godsaveus ) on July 11, 2008 at 9:42 am
Sorry Mr. Brothers but your complaint does not have much support. You have to be silly to buy a house close to a racetrack; I have no sympathy for you. Bukiry ,bukiry, bukiry let’s go racing....go ...go...go…
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Posted by ( phdee ) on July 10, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Give the guy a tissue. ODS was long before the houses. He should not have bought one. No sympathy at all for him. Just another ignorant county resident.
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Posted by ( RonCharest ) on July 10, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Actually, over the past years courts around the US have pretty consistently ruled against farmlands sited in the middle of newer residential neighborhoods as nuisances.
The legal basis for these rulings is that the smells of farms were always a nuisance even before the houses were built up around it and there was nobody to complain. This is how many county zoning boards force farmers to sell, so the land can be developed into non-nuisance housing developments that bring in more tax money.
I’m guessing that ODS is making far more money for the county than if the land was otherwise developed. Else, someone would have already taken them to court as a “nuisance.”
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on July 10, 2008 at 12:48 pm
And people wonder why Haymarket people did not want Disney in Haymarket. ‘Cause the people were there first. T-Dawg, I think C.P. misunderstood DW’s vortex theory on rain and thought the cars circling the track would carry the noise up up and away. And at last check (lunchtime) there are two signs on Rt 234 advertising the Speedway. I miss the chili too.
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Posted by ( ZIGGY ) on July 10, 2008 at 12:00 pm
PWCMom has a good idea that needs to be improved upon. Yes - lets get some sound barrier walls put up - but not charge ODS. After all - they were here first. Let the homeowners in the community who have the problem raise the money. Maybe ODS will even allow you to use their facilities to have bake good sales, car washes or exhibits. They might even chip in if they see how serious the community is when the community starts taking money out of their own pockets and not expect someone else to pay for it. Good idea PWCMom. Let me know how far your idea goes. I would be willing to pay to see a car show at ODS - just an idea.
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Posted by ( PWCMom ) on July 10, 2008 at 11:15 am
I live nearby and realize ODS was here before my home was built. The noise and smoke are really bad, especially on hot summer nights, but they were here first. Some nights we can’t even hear our TV in a closed up home! However, the area WAS a rural area when it was built, and the area has changed to a more urban setting.
In an effort to alleviate the noise and show some concern, why can’t the County or the owner put up some soundproof walls (like the walls along PW Parkway)along Old Dominion Drive? Would be a good step at trying to address these concerns.
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