published: Friday, November 16, 2012

Local residents complain about motorsports park

GREG JONES | Staff Writer

gregjones@dailycommercial.com

While Astatula officials have touted the benefits of a new town motorsports park, called Coyote Mud Bog, some area residents are now howling about the noise.

The 376-acre park off U.S. Highway 561 provides a recreational vehicle park that can hold about 120 people, an all-terrain vehicle park, camping grounds, nature trails, a 5-acre mud pit, and an 18,000- to 20,000-seat amphitheater for concerts and special events.

Town officials believe the park, like the recently-built Dollar General store in Astatula, will help bring more revenue and employment opportunities to the area. But Michele McGowan, who moved to an area less than a mile away from the park about four years ago, said the only thing the park will be bringing is noise on the weekends.

"Our neighborhood was never given notification or ability to vote on the rezoning of this land," McGowan said. "Most of my neighbors found out about this park the same way, sitting in our peaceful backyards, only to hear the roaring of the vehicles at the park and music. This is no exaggeration. This past weekend is when we found out that this facility is planning on having concerts on a regular basis."

Mayor Jack Farley said residents in the area were notified of the rezoning change. He said there have been some noise complaints at town council meetings, and the owners and city officials are working to find a solution.

McGowan said she and her husband moved to their property because they have three small children and wanted to raise them in the country.

"Maybe the members of the council need to be reminded of why a person chooses to buy a home," she said in a letter to the board.