Noisy motorcyclists rile Stow neighbors - Council considerin

[totalmotorcycle]

Noisy motorcyclists rile Stow neighbors - Council considering 100-foot setback rule
Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - By Gina Mace - Special to the Beacon Journal - Akron Beacon Journal News - ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/16228090.htm




STOW - The roar of motorcycles on good weather days has frustrated some Compton Court residents who petitioned City Council last month to outlaw a dirt track on an adjoining Fishcreek Road property that sits 20 feet from their property lines.

On Monday, at-large council member Ron Alexander fulfilled his promise to introduce legislation requiring 100 foot setbacks from residential property bordering the track. The law also would apply to areas built for recreational vehicles on residential property throughout the city.

Alexander told residents who attended the Planning Committee meeting Monday that the legislation will be transferred to the Roads and Safety Committee during Thursday's regular council meeting at the suggestion of the Law Department. But he encouraged those in attendance to speak at Monday's hearing.

Doug O'Brien, who owns the property and the dirt track, said his son races motorcycles, uses the track to practice and noted that about 10 percent of the time there is more than one motorcycle on the track.

``When you drive a bike, it is noisy,'' O'Brien said. ``He rides about half an hour after school and two hours on the weekends.''

O'Brien said he is willing to work with the city's Law Department and his neighbors to find a solution, but said he has never been contacted by the neighbors.

``I have a couple of ways we can do it and I think people can be happy without putting some kind of ordinance on it,'' O'Brien said. He suggested that landscaping and building a mound may block some of the noise.

But Compton Court resident Lori Inglezakis said she doubts more trees or moving the track another 80 feet will help.

``I have large pines on the back of my property and it doesn't stop the noise,'' she said.

Inglezakis said O'Brien's family has been less than cooperative. She said she was threatened when she spoke with O'Brien's wife and got no sympathy when complaining about the noise.

``I'm a nurse practitioner,'' she said. ``I work nights and sleep during the day. She said I picked the wrong job.''

Ward 1 Councilman Ron Gauthier told O'Brien he visited one of the Compton residents' property to hear for himself.

``I was actually offended,'' Gauthier said. ``The noise is unbelievable. They can't enjoy their property. You can hardly hold a conversation. I'm not concerned with stopping kids from riding. I'm concerned about your appreciation of your neighbors' concerns to get it away from their homes so they can enjoy their property.''

O'Brien told council members that his son is done riding on the outside track until spring. By then, Compton Court residents hope legislation will be enacted.

[CNF2002]

I agree with the neighbors. This should have never gone so far as the court. They should have just gone to the offending neighbor, talked it out, and come to a compromise. If the bike track was built AFTER all the neighbors built their houses and moved in well...I say the neighbors have first say on what should be built around there, especially when you consider the negative effects it has on property values.

[jonnythan]

Man, today is a bad day for me.

I read this:
``I have large pines on the back of my property and it doesn't stop the noise,'' she said.

As:
``I have a large pencil on the back of my head and it doesn't stop the nose," she said.

[CNF2002]

Well...as Freud would say...