NVR2L8

Many of those on the corvette forum have known me for a long time, and I consider all of you to be my friends.

Most of you know that I spent a tremendous amount of time and money in fundraising efforts and making presentations in support of the NCM Motorsports Park. Some of you may have seen me speak at driving events or other functions. It was a labor of love for me to see the project come to fruition.

After the MSP grand opening in August, 2014 I began communicating directly to the Corvette Museum’s board of directors to alert them to the many deficiencies that the MSP was facing with the local planning commission, the most notable issues relating to noise abatement structures that were not built in accordance with the Detailed Development Plan. This was a major mistake, excessive noise just cannot be hidden or ignored.

I am not going to try to re-litigate all of the hearings, the broken promises, the legal battles or the media coverage. Anyone can find such information by a search of public records. I have for the most part remained silent about the noise issue in hopes that the NCM would address and correct the problems. They have not.

I believe that there are many on this forum who will disparage or even hate me for speaking out on these issues, and I want you to know that I get it. Others will understand that this is a moral decision on my part, based upon my understanding of the difference between right and wrong.

When forming your opinion on the noise problems at the MSP, I can only hope that you will ask yourself, “How would you feel if this were my Mother?” Many on this forum are, or have been caretakers of elderly people, and I know how they would feel.

I will probably be labeled as a “whistleblower” by some and a “traitor” by others. Regardless, I will remain a steadfast supporter of both the NCM and MSP. There are many outstanding people in both operations. Sometimes the correct path is the tortured path, which is what I have chosen.

The tipping point for me happened a few weeks ago when I learned that Ms. Betty Crump (the closest resident to the track) had been diagnosed with Type II diabetes. I am not a medical professional, but it is clear that medical studies show that excessive noise can cause stress, resulting in a higher blood sugar count and the onset of diabetes.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20193636

During the trial in Warren Circuit Court in November, 2015, Wendell Strode, Executive Director of the NCM testified as follows:


The wall was never built as promised, and six months later Ms. Crump received her bad news.

There is no way to assert a 100% correlation of cause and effect, but there is no doubt that Wendell made false testimony under oath.

In the same hearing, the local planning commission joined the residents against the track:

http://www.bgdailynews.com/news/plan...0b9e33840.html

In this never ending saga, the NCM is not (and has never been) in full compliance with the Detailed Development Plan filed with the planning commission in March, 2012.

It is understood that this thread could result in a heated debate among the members of this forum, a debate that I most likely will not participate in. As an “insider” on the MSP Advisory Committee for six years (2008-2014), I have maintained voluminous records for the entire period. I will not post this information on the open forum, but will provide access to my “drop-box” account to anyone who wishes to send me a pm with their contact information.

Thanks for listening.

Maxpowers

Your vid is showing as Private...

proexpert

So why did they not build the wall? Seems like they should do what they say.

Thunder22

the original post is odd, you spend more time hemming and hawing about what might happen in reaction to your post, than clearly explaining what the issue is and why you're posting. I assume you're talking about noise at the track, but reading through all of the drama chaff to get to that point was painful.

cliffs: residents don't like noise coming from track. ncm didn't build a wall as promised. OP is a drama queen

C82LT

Thats what people say about President Trump too. They are just following his lead lol.

BEZ06

Thanks for bringing up this ongoing problem that the NCM just is not properly addressing.

This isn't just a problem for the residents next to the track (that lived there for years before the track was built), but if it can't be taken care of it will affect us track hounds as well with noise restrictions or cancellations of events. There already have been decibel limits placed on cars with noise measuring stations around the track, and you can read here on the forum how even some Vettes with stock exhaust systems have a hard time complying with the db restrictions.

I've instructed at several NCM HPDE's at the track, including the inaugural HPDE in Sept 2014. It's a really great track!!

At that first event I learned about the "ongoing" noise abatement projects, and that seemed to me to be something that should have been done before opening the facility for track events. But I figured that if the locals didn't have a problem with the noise, then the track could work on the walls/abutments at their leisure.

After attending that first event in September 2014 I followed the problems that the MSP was having with the locals, so I realized that the locals DID have a problem with the noise!! A little review of the problem quickly showed that the NCM had not complied with what their plans had said they would do when they built the track.

I was planning to instruct at an HPDE in 2105, but there were rumblings that some legal complaints might cause cancellation of the event, so instead of towing 800 miles each way and not be able to run the event, I didn't register for it. I don't think any events have ever been cancelled, but the noise problem continues to affect the neighbors because the NCM just isn't taking care of it in the manner that their plans for construction said they would.

I attended an event in 2016 and as I recall it appeared that some earthen berms had been built up between the track and the housing area since I had last been there, but they didn't look like they would do much, and walls were what the original plans had been approved with.

This noise problem isn't a case like some facilities, such as an airport, that had been in operation for decades in an area well away from populated areas, but then had housing developments built near them, and the house owners then complained of noise.

In the case of the MSP, the homeowners lived in a well established residential area. They had concerns when the plans for the track were originally initiated, but as the video shows, they were promised that construction would include noise abatement structures that would mitigate the noise so that they wouldn't be affected by activities at the track.

They were lied to, and I can't believe that the NCM didn't have the noise abatement requirements complied with during initial construction of the track. I just can't believe that the NCM would compromise their integrity with such a lack of good-will with the neighbors that they would be moving in next to.

I hope this noise problem gets resolved. After three years of running track events in non-compliance with original requirements, it's about time for the NCM to do the right thing and build what should have been in place before that first HPDE in Sept 2014.

I'd hate to see legal action shut down operations at the track.

__________________
NCM Lifetime Member

Greg00Coupe

Just curious..........how many neighbors are affected? Is it reasonable to make them a deal they cant refuse and buy them out of all there too many?

Heck may be cheaper then ligating this issue?

yeller z06

NCM is a private, non-profit, right? Not part of GM, but an independent business, with employees who receive wages. Presumably also a board of directors, and the people that they are responsible to, in addition to their neighbors and community.

Too bad. I've been there (the museum, not the track), and it's a nice facility, but I hope that if all of this is true that the local zoning boards and what not force them to do what's right. If they promised to build these structures, then they should have done that.

AORoads

I have visited the track and surrounding homes, just to look at them. These are, as BEZ says, not brand new homes built after the track. If promises were made, the NCM has to do what it says it was going to do. I don't understand how any governmental agency can be giving them a pass on complying with what all sides agreed to.

Many tracks have noise restrictions. Many race and practice sessions have them, too. For those who want real-world cancellation of track events, history should teach the NCM board and staff a lesson. In 2002, Washington DC scheduled its first-ever auto racing event in a park-like setting---called it The Cadillac Grand Prix. It was a great event with American LeMans cars and other classes there. It was also the one and only year it happened. It was cancelled for noise, among other reasons. There was little-to-no effort made to for noise abatement.

Maybe noise isn't a serious issue to you, and maybe it has nothing to do with the diabetes onset in the neighbor to the NCM track. But take heed from those who can, and have effectively had events cancelled and been a part of imposing strict measures on tracks. Also note that your word, be it for an organization or a person, is supposed to mean something to everyone.

Rebel Yell

Living in the same town as the Charlotte Motor Speedway (Z-Max in this instance) understand what you are talking about. If the home owners were there before the track they deserve to be heard ref. their concerns. And, if they were lied too someone should be taken to task. Good luck

BEZ06

I dunno?

But it looks on the maps below that it's maybe 70 or so houses in the close in development.

Here's a thread about the noise limit they have imposed for cars running the track:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...rts-track.html


You can see below a couple of satellite maps.

The first one I just now took off the Google maps site - I can't believe they are so old and out of date!! The track has been under construction since at least early in 2014. You can see that there is an outline someone drew in of the track, and obviously the houses were there way before the track was built. It's nice to have the track right across the interstate from the NCM, but with all the open land around Bowling Green I'm really surprised that they didn't just go out a couple of miles to get a plot of land away from any sound sensitive areas.





Below is a recent view of the area:

Bill Dearborn

I really can't say much about the noise issue as I haven't paid much attention to it. However, I don't think the OP's conclusion that Wendel Strode lied under oath is valid. At the time the testimony was given the plans may well have been to build the wall. If so the he didn't lie. As we all know due to a lot of considerations and situations over time plans change. Some times they change for the better some times for the worse (that is when it seemed like a good idea at the time statement comes out).

The only way he lied under oath is if he knew at the time of his testimony the wall wasn't going to be built by the following March as he testified.

The most important causes of Type 2 Diabetes are genetics or lifestyle choices. It is debatable that increased noise levels actually caused somebody to develop diabetes but I suspect some enterprising lawyer can attempt to prove it. Juries are chosen based on lack of thinking Vs thinking and lawyers can play on the emotions to get some really weird claims believed.

Bill

DickieDoo

Might be more cost effective to give the home owners new windows and AC. Good windows can eliminate a lot of noise. And I'm sure most have AC already, but for those that don't... give them AC.

BESIDES in a few years, electric corvettes won't make ANY noise !

rmorin1249

If she demands a jury trial, I'll wager the track might settle. Juries can be very unpredictable and award outlandish judgments.

bigsapper

Guffaw! Noise and/or the related stress did not create that person's diabetes. Your suggestion so, really compromises any other point you're trying to make.

Steve_R

So you start this thread, and then say you won't participate in it or post information about it. Gee, thanks.

ErnieN85

The latest Info That I had (this week) the NCM has agreed to buy the Crumps property.
According to the release it is the three properties at the entrance and not in the development.

68ragtop69

That might be what the property owners were holding out for the entire time, a buyout!! Looking at the Satellite view of the area; it looks like the MSP can plant more trees to suppress the noise as well.

Glad they came up with a settlement!

68ragtop69

Here is the property in question.

AdamK1911

Hey folks, I'm just going to chime in here on this. The NCM Foundation settled with the Crumps within the last two weeks for an amount that was much higher than the appraised value of the property. The originator of the post was at one time an advisor, but his services were found to be no longer needed. Since then he has aided the "neighbors" of the MSP in every way possible to undermine the success of the park. For whatever reason the NCM will not ban or bar him from the grounds. However, if he were as inclined to the success of the park as he says he is he would allow the park to operate unimpeded by his efforts. The NCM was supposed to build the berm/wall initially, they did not. Since then they have gone to great lengths to try and make right any wrongs, yet people like the originator of this post continue to stir the pot and hamper the progress of the park, not because he cares about the neighbors but, in reality became irrelevant to the track.