Harpersfield Asked Not To Approve Safety Track Expansion

HARPERSFIELD  - A letter from Matt Moyse to the Harpersfield Town Board asked them to consider the impact of allowing NYSafety Track to expand its operations and Town Board members approved a motion to hire the Albany law firm of Young and Sommer to represent the town in the litigation filed by the track against the town's planning board.

NYSafety Track is seeking to have the planning board take action on its site plan.

Moyse's letter was read into the minutes on Mach 13. He lives at 180 Parker Schoolhouse Road and has been a neighbor to the track for more than 10 years. He is also the son-in-law of Dale Butts, of 180 and 294 Johnson Road, the largest bordering neighbor to the track. He shares ownership at 420 Johnson Road, which shares the largest property line along the northern side of the track. He believes they are the most regularly affected by the track on a daily basis.

He cited that people do not obey the speed limit and when those traveling down the hill with their oversized campers and trailers do catch his children playing in the yard, it is too late for them to slow down enough to observe the speed limit.  He also referred to the traffic and a buzzing airplane.

"I am unsure with the change in ownership if there is still a registered firearms dealer on site, but there is still a shooting range that faces downhill within a very short distance of our property. There have been times we have been in the woods, tapping trees or monitoring our property, and felt unsafe due to the sound of whizzing bullets. I would be willing to lay down a hefty bet that there are no lead catchers installed."

His family deals with the current usage of the track. It may not be ideal, but at 5 p.m. the humming of the engines stops and they can enjoy an evening cookout or meal, ride their horses, and enjoy the country setting they still live in, except for all the shooting, which commences after 5 p.m.. To operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days per week, would be an incessant level of disruption that no individuals should have to endure, wrote Moyse. He asks if any other businesses in the area operate under those guidelines.

He challenged the economic impact of the track and contends in his letter that most of those who go to the track stop on their way in Stamford or further down State Route 23. Very few turn in the other direction and if they do, they go on to Oneonta.

His family is in the process of renovating the barn for a family wedding this May and they would like to fully operate in the future as a complete wedding venue and homestead, which he contends would bring an economic benefit to the local municipalities and others. If allowed to expand operations at the track there would be no way for them to operate their venue due to the noise. He asked if there is any economic benefit of expansion of the track. He also asked if the town of Davenport Highway Superintendent has received any revenue from the track that would cover the cost of the damage to Parker Schoolhouse Road.

"We are where we are and there is no going backward on the framework deal. But any expansion to the use of that property, the hours in which it operates, or the allowable days would be a dramatic error for anybody who has a vote," the letter concluded.

Board members also passed a motion not to pursue a CBDG grant application through the Western Catskills Community Revitalization Council (WCCRC). Discussion over the home rehabilitation grant indicated the board was not willing to pay the $4,500 administrative fee and asked for assurances the money is not used to fix up homes that will again be in disrepair. WCCRC has been seeking interested homeowners for the application.

Laurie Bedford was once again appointed town assessor, due to a term in the law. She will be appointed again later to have her term coincide with the time the town approved a sole assessor.

Board members also discussed legal newspaper and the possibility of changing it in the future.

The town will rebid a new truck after the original notice was incorrect in the newspaper.

Councilman Patrick Funk said he had started a Freecycle Page on Facebook to hopefully keep some things out of the landfill. It encompasses the towns of Harpersfield, Kortright, and Stamford.

Highway Superintendent Russell Hatch reported that damage from a beaver dam break on Champlin Road is nearly complete. Water released from the break damaged Champlin, Quaker Hill Road, and county Route 29.

In other business, board members approved a shared services agreement with the town of Delhi. It will be added to the long list of towns under the agreement.

Board members then moved into an executive session to discuss personnel.