WESTHAMPTON — A motocross event set to come to town in late June has raised concerns from residents who worry that the noise and traffic generated will disrupt their weekend plans.
At a Select Board meeting on May 19, residents — many of whom live on Main Road (Route 66), where the event will be held — made their resistance to the event clear. Some speakers at the meeting said that when the event was held last year, traffic control was wanting, and the motorcycles presented “constant” noise throughout the entirety of the weekend.
While Select Board members made clear that they have no authority over the permitting of the event, they are working on a town bylaw that was passed over at Town Meeting for further refinement, which would grant them a say in whether large town events like this one would be permitted. Even with that bylaw, though, Select Board member Jennifer Milikowsky explained that conversations like the one last week would still be necessary to regulate events and gauge resident concerns.
Paul Goyette of P27 Offroad, the group in charge of the event set for June 28 and 29 on private land between 360 and 384 Main Road, said that one of the main goals of the group’s motocross events is to “keep kids out of trouble” by giving them “the best opportunities to be the best person they can be.”
He explained that this year’s event will be much the same as last year’s, with motocross races throughout the weekend. The races include age groups ranging from 2½ to the oldest racer, who is 76 years old. Goyette also apologized that the event made some people unhappy last year, but said that overall it was well managed and went smoothly, which he hopes for again this year.
“I’m not looking for high speeds where people are colliding,” he said. “It’s pretty well organized.”
However, some residents said the event last year was too loud, and they worry that this year will be the same.
Jonathan Kahane, who lives “essentially across the street from” the motocross track, said he went past the event several times last year, and was concerned that there was no traffic control. He also said that many neighbors in the area were not notified of the event, which created loud noises all weekend, disturbing the usually tranquil atmosphere in town. He noted that there are other potential locations for such an event in nearby towns that he believes would work better.
“I don’t understand why, if they’re going to make a racetrack in Westhampton, why it has to be in this residential area,” he said.
Mike Stacy, who also lives nearby, explained that he is a veteran who fought in Vietnam and came home with PTSD, which was triggered by the “phenomenal” noise generated by the event last year. He said that after last year’s event, he had to go to therapy.
“It was frightening, ” he said. “It was like I was back in Vietnam.”
Some other residents noted that they weren’t extremely bothered by the noise, but acknowledged that it was a consistently noisy event.
“Me myself, I don’t mind it,” said Lisa Marney, nothing that she wasn’t particularly disturbed by it. “[The event is] good for the kids.”
However, Marney noted that better notification to neighboring residents ahead of the event would be helpful.
The meeting was attended by roughly a dozen residents, many of whom did not speak to the issue, but diligently listened or took notes.
Select Board members emphasized that they have no role, and had no role last year, in permitting this event, nor in determining its size or scope. Most permits required for this event must be approved by the Board of Health, and Select Board members explained that local public safety officials would be charged with maintaining event safety.
Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.