News
Noise, property value concerns raised at hearing
By John Mason
TAGHKANIC — Whether it’s called a track or a club, the number of people willing to defend Alan Wilzig’s right to build a mile-long, 40-foot-wide paved motorcycle track on his Post Hill Road property has appreciably diminished, going by the speakers at Monday’s public hearing at the West Taghkanic Fire Station.
Wilzig is a collector of Ducati motorcycles. He bought the property in 2005, began building the track and since then has been wrangling with the town over whether it’s permitted. The issue currently before the Planning Board is whether to grant Wilzig a “recreational use” so he can pave the track.
The odds were better than seven-to-one against. Between about 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., 34 persons spoke: 30 were opposed, and four spoke mildly in favor, mostly suggesting in conciliatory fashion, “give the guy a chance.”
Noise and property values dominated the messages delivered by residents and non-residents alike. Underlying both themes was the question of whether a person has the right to make improvements on his own property that damage the property of others, a right apparently forbidden under Taghkanic Town Law.
Bill Sinclair of Taghkanic, a retired New York City detective and racer of boats, motorcycles and cars for more than 50 years, spoke about the noise of racing engines.
“Racing engines have harmonics,” he said. “Harmonics emit frequencies that can’t be heard. The noises you can’t hear are the most destructive.” The inner ear can be destroyed, he said. On dairy farms, the biggest animals with the biggest ears — cows — are the most affected, Sinclair said. But “all the young, babies, children, would be affected by the harmonics.”
Wildlife, he said, have no ability to leave.
“There are a lot of parameters,” Sinclair said. “This area is filled with shale that can enhance and magnify sounds. They can go up to 50 miles.”
“If you put more than one motorcycle on a track, would they race them?” a man asked from the audience.
“Definitely,” Sinclair said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Several residents testified that they have been bothered by the motorcycle sounds, despite the fact that the track has not yet been paved.
“I live three miles away,” said Harriet Schor. “I could hear the roaring of the engines on my porch last summer. This will change the rural quality of this town forever.”
“I moved here 19 years ago to get away from traffic and noise pollution,” said Jose Rodriguez, whose land adjoins Wilzig’s. “I got me a nice piece of land, and now someone will be racing motorcycles in my backyard.”
Mary Bartlett, who also lives nearby, said she spent “many days this summer putting up with annoying sounds. I was told it would not be used on Sunday mornings [so as not to interfere with the services of the Methodist Church]. My home is closer than the Methodist Church. What about us?”
George Bartlett, wearing a jacket that said, “Korean War, 45th Division, No Longer Forgotten,” said he and his wife have worked hard to maintain their property, and are concerned their property values will plummet.
“I live next to the Methodist Church,” said Sally Wohlbach. “I hear the motorcycles, weekends, in the summer, in the fall. I can tell the difference between the different kinds of [bikes] because of the way the sound moves. It’s very annoying. Mary mentioned not using it on Sunday mornings: If you need to have a wedding or a burial do you have to call the track?”
Wohlbach’s solution was for everyone to become a Methodist and have services 24/7. She quoted Joni Mitchell, “You don’t know what you got till it’s gone,” and asked, “Why should one person’s pleasure affect all of our lives?”
Tony Gravett said noise is not just measured in decibels, and that human beings have higher sensitivity to certain tonal sounds, such as chainsaws. He also said the high altitude of the Wilzig property would reduce the attenuating affects of trees and berms, so that sounds would travel further.
Schor said several properties in the vicinity are for sale, and are getting few showings. “Think long and hard about the future if you plan to sell your house,” Bartlett said. “All real estate agents must divulge this exists.”
Robinson Leach, who owns a real estate company near Lime Rock Racetrack in Lakeville, Conn., implored the board members to reject the application.
“If a sports track that allows unmuffled vehicles, Ducatis, Harley Davidsons, jet skis, snowmobiles or the like is built,” he said, “everyone in three miles will have their property values [reduced] by 50 percent more or less, and the time [looking for buyers] stretched for years. The town fathers will be sentencing the town’s property owners to lowered property values.”
Gary Stoller, a 33-year resident of Taghkanic, contacted New Lebanon realtors and found they had experiences similar to Leach’s when the speedway there expanded.
“The properties closest to the track were not always the most affected,” he said. “Often a few miles away it was worse, especially in the elevated areas.”
He also learned that no new homes were built near the track.
Barbara Willner read a letter from Sydney Puccio, talking about how her New Lebanon Shaker farmhouse lost half its value and took a long time to sell in the boom market of 1998 after the speedway, three miles away, expanded.
Joseph Giovanelli, who lives 1,000 feet from Wilzig on Post Hill Road, said, “I can’t think of a more important role for the Planning Board than to protect Taghkanic’s rural character.” The racetrack, he said, is an “inappropriate intrusion into a residential area.”
“I don’t know much about this guy,” said Roy Felcitto, who owns two Ducatis, “but it seems like this guy’s just giving us the bird; he was asked to take [the track] down, he didn’t take it down. ... Give Alan the bird for me,” he asked the board.
Paul Kuhn, speaking in favor of the application, reminded the board that its former chairman, Robert Rochler, said Wilzig’s track qualifies as a club or recreational use. He added that it’s absurd for Wilzig opponents the Granger Group to call it a “200-mph track,” adding that 125 mph would be doing well.
In an e-mail, Wilzig corrected a story in Sunday’s Register-Star that cited the 200-mph figure.
“We intend to use regular street asphalt,” Wilzig stated.
Wilzig is a collector of Ducati motorcycles. He bought the property in 2005, began building the track and since then has been wrangling with the town over whether it’s permitted. The issue currently before the Planning Board is whether to grant Wilzig a “recreational use” so he can pave the track.
The odds were better than seven-to-one against. Between about 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., 34 persons spoke: 30 were opposed, and four spoke mildly in favor, mostly suggesting in conciliatory fashion, “give the guy a chance.”
Noise and property values dominated the messages delivered by residents and non-residents alike. Underlying both themes was the question of whether a person has the right to make improvements on his own property that damage the property of others, a right apparently forbidden under Taghkanic Town Law.
Bill Sinclair of Taghkanic, a retired New York City detective and racer of boats, motorcycles and cars for more than 50 years, spoke about the noise of racing engines.
“Racing engines have harmonics,” he said. “Harmonics emit frequencies that can’t be heard. The noises you can’t hear are the most destructive.” The inner ear can be destroyed, he said. On dairy farms, the biggest animals with the biggest ears — cows — are the most affected, Sinclair said. But “all the young, babies, children, would be affected by the harmonics.”
Wildlife, he said, have no ability to leave.
“There are a lot of parameters,” Sinclair said. “This area is filled with shale that can enhance and magnify sounds. They can go up to 50 miles.”
“If you put more than one motorcycle on a track, would they race them?” a man asked from the audience.
“Definitely,” Sinclair said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Several residents testified that they have been bothered by the motorcycle sounds, despite the fact that the track has not yet been paved.
“I live three miles away,” said Harriet Schor. “I could hear the roaring of the engines on my porch last summer. This will change the rural quality of this town forever.”
“I moved here 19 years ago to get away from traffic and noise pollution,” said Jose Rodriguez, whose land adjoins Wilzig’s. “I got me a nice piece of land, and now someone will be racing motorcycles in my backyard.”
Mary Bartlett, who also lives nearby, said she spent “many days this summer putting up with annoying sounds. I was told it would not be used on Sunday mornings [so as not to interfere with the services of the Methodist Church]. My home is closer than the Methodist Church. What about us?”
George Bartlett, wearing a jacket that said, “Korean War, 45th Division, No Longer Forgotten,” said he and his wife have worked hard to maintain their property, and are concerned their property values will plummet.
“I live next to the Methodist Church,” said Sally Wohlbach. “I hear the motorcycles, weekends, in the summer, in the fall. I can tell the difference between the different kinds of [bikes] because of the way the sound moves. It’s very annoying. Mary mentioned not using it on Sunday mornings: If you need to have a wedding or a burial do you have to call the track?”
Wohlbach’s solution was for everyone to become a Methodist and have services 24/7. She quoted Joni Mitchell, “You don’t know what you got till it’s gone,” and asked, “Why should one person’s pleasure affect all of our lives?”
Tony Gravett said noise is not just measured in decibels, and that human beings have higher sensitivity to certain tonal sounds, such as chainsaws. He also said the high altitude of the Wilzig property would reduce the attenuating affects of trees and berms, so that sounds would travel further.
Schor said several properties in the vicinity are for sale, and are getting few showings. “Think long and hard about the future if you plan to sell your house,” Bartlett said. “All real estate agents must divulge this exists.”
Robinson Leach, who owns a real estate company near Lime Rock Racetrack in Lakeville, Conn., implored the board members to reject the application.
“If a sports track that allows unmuffled vehicles, Ducatis, Harley Davidsons, jet skis, snowmobiles or the like is built,” he said, “everyone in three miles will have their property values [reduced] by 50 percent more or less, and the time [looking for buyers] stretched for years. The town fathers will be sentencing the town’s property owners to lowered property values.”
Gary Stoller, a 33-year resident of Taghkanic, contacted New Lebanon realtors and found they had experiences similar to Leach’s when the speedway there expanded.
“The properties closest to the track were not always the most affected,” he said. “Often a few miles away it was worse, especially in the elevated areas.”
He also learned that no new homes were built near the track.
Barbara Willner read a letter from Sydney Puccio, talking about how her New Lebanon Shaker farmhouse lost half its value and took a long time to sell in the boom market of 1998 after the speedway, three miles away, expanded.
Joseph Giovanelli, who lives 1,000 feet from Wilzig on Post Hill Road, said, “I can’t think of a more important role for the Planning Board than to protect Taghkanic’s rural character.” The racetrack, he said, is an “inappropriate intrusion into a residential area.”
“I don’t know much about this guy,” said Roy Felcitto, who owns two Ducatis, “but it seems like this guy’s just giving us the bird; he was asked to take [the track] down, he didn’t take it down. ... Give Alan the bird for me,” he asked the board.
Paul Kuhn, speaking in favor of the application, reminded the board that its former chairman, Robert Rochler, said Wilzig’s track qualifies as a club or recreational use. He added that it’s absurd for Wilzig opponents the Granger Group to call it a “200-mph track,” adding that 125 mph would be doing well.
In an e-mail, Wilzig corrected a story in Sunday’s Register-Star that cited the 200-mph figure.
“We intend to use regular street asphalt,” Wilzig stated.
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