Asbury Park Press
TINTON FALLS – Some residents of the borough said they would consider leaving if a proposed three-track motocross before the Zoning Board is approved.
“I would absolutely. It’s (the motocross) good for out-of-towners but it’s not fair to residents here,” said Laura Negron, a 60 year-old Fox Chase resident. “The noise will carry, the traffic will grow. We’re already contending with a landfill; now we’ll have to deal with this.” The applicant, Jersey Shore MotoCross, is asking the Zoning Board for a use variance to build its track on 21 acres of land currently owned by Dominick Mazza on Shafto Road. A motocross is not a permitted use in town, said Thomas Hirsch, the attorney for the Zoning Board. The complete proposal includes a 3,200-square-foot registration and pro-shop building, a 2,400-square-foot maintenance building and parking for 405 vehicles.
The application hearing began in October 2013 and drew crowds of concerned residents, forcing the township to hold hearings in a larger facility. There was no need Thursday evening to seek different accommodations. Though the hearing was well attended, the number of residents easily fit in the township’s regular meeting room in the municipal complex. “There are a lot of problems with it. It’s very unclear what’s going to happen here,” said Christopher Payne, 29, and also a resident of Fox Chase. “They say it’s just going to be a practice facility with occasional races — that’s going to draw crowds.”
Payne said he thinks the motorcross may also devalue property in the borough. On Thursday, the Zoning Board heard testimony from the applicant’s sound expert and engineer. Of significant concern to the Zoning Board and its experts was the design of the parking lot. The applicant is asking for a waiver to build a gravel parking lot without landscaping, which Zoning Board Engineer Jeff Rauch said are both requirements of borough ordinances. The applicant’s engineer, Timothy Lurie, said the applicant has revised its plan and will pave half of the parking lot. However, Rauch suggested full pavement. “I have an objection to granting that use because when you have gravel parking lots you can’t have striping designating parking. I believe that it should be paved and striped,” Rauch said. “The other issue I have is people with the bikes will be doing maintenance in the parking lot. You have gravel, if you have spillage of gasoline or oil it could percolate into the ground.”
Mark Aikins, the applicant’s attorney, said bike maintenance would not be allowed in the parking lot. “Maintenance would be conducted under a roof in a building.” said Aikins.
The hearing will resume on Jan. 15 at the borough’s municipal complex.