I don't know what's up with everyone hating on motocross tracks --- they're great for keeping kids off of the streets (they can't be out selling drugs, robbing your house or stealing your car if they're occupied at the track), and they're fun. People who complain about the noise are waaay too uptight, especially considering that most tracks aren't even open before noon, and almost none are open after dark. Essentially, your neighbor mowing his lawn at 8am on a Saturday is a much bigger pain in the ass than any motocross track would be.
So, what's up with so many communities shutting them down? Gary, Indiana is the latest of a string of towns that I've reported on doing this kind of thing. According to the Post-Tribune, a special-use variance for a proposed motocross track on the Griffith Golf Course site was rejected in a 3-0 vote by the Town Council at its Tuesday meeting, despite impassioned pleas by its supporters.
Bob Farag is the guy trying to get the track off of the ground, and he proved to the city council that the decibel levels that the bikes would create on the track was below the point of becoming a nuisance. He also argued that the track would be great for the area's economy, and would help prevent kids from riding their bikes on the street. Still, the council nixed the plan.
