Corey Smith of Otsego, who was running a twice yearly charity fund-raiser with a hill climb on his 60-acre property at 120th Avenue and 16th Street, has agreed not to have the event again this year.
The Watson Township Board has agreed in the meantime to try to come up with an ordinance that will allow Smith and his comrades to have the event without violating local rules. Smith may need a rezoning and a special use permit.
However, some township residents also are objecting to loud noises from motorcycles who use his property for practicing with their dirt bikes.
Smith and Dave Sebright were ticketed by Professional Code Inspections earlier this summer for violating local ordinances by putting on the hill climb, selling tickets for attendance and illegally operating a marijuana grow on the land where the event took place. They may face a $250 fine apiece for having the for-profit event without explicit approval of the Planning Commission or Township Board.
Township Supervisor Kevin Travis said he and Kirk Scharphorn Jr. of Professional Code Inspections visited the site and caught them red-handed in the activity. He said there were about 200 people who were charged $15 apiece to attend and some camped overnight on the property.
Watson officials agreed they should look into updating the local gathering ordinance, which was adopted in 1971, but it does not deal with gatherings such as Smith’s. The property is zoned agricultural and a race track or commercial event are not permitted.
Doug Fuss accused dirt bikers of flying around the site and campers making the noise “unbelievable.”
“Don’t you have your benefit registered?” he asked Smith. “There’s something wrong here.”
Trustee Michelle Harris said, “The hill climb is just two weekends out of the year, but the motorcycles are there every week.”
But a woman who didn’t identify herself said she has permitted her daughter to ride a motorcyle there often in the same way parents let their kids play softball or football.
“This is more of a family-type thing,” she insisted. “They practice at Corey’s house… He opens up his property and teaches them (how to ride properly).”
Bo Steinke of Freeport, a state-certified motorcycle mechanic, said he comes to Smith’s property, “as a participant and as a spectator… and there’s a lot of families involved.”
He asked the Township Board to consider changing the local ordinance to permit the hill climbs twice a year.
“I’d hate to see all this go away,” he said.
Angie Fuss, daughter of John, who lives near the site, said she has no doubt the activities can be beneficial, but she has an infant daughter whose sleep is disturbed by the noise.
John Caras, who was present to talk about his proposal for a marijuana grow, interjected his opinion that Smith needs to carry insurance and have written plans for fire suppression and handling injuries.
Jen Spaulding, who also attended to talk about cannabis, said there was similar controversy in her home township of Onondaga near Jackson, but it was resulted just recently after three years of wrangling over rezoning and $57,000 spent by the hill climb owner.
Holly Alexander said, “Corey is being blamed for some things that aren’t even happening on his property” and because he shuts down the riding by 10 p.m. he isn’t violating the local noise ordinance.
Supervisor Kevin Travis, however, he is concerned about dirt bike riders too often illegally using county roads.
The issue is being sent to the Planning Commission, which will attenpt to come up with some kind of solution.
PHOTO: Corey Smith
