Nearly a year after a western Howard County resident retroactively applied for a permit to keep a newly built go-kart track on his property, a local county board is poised to decide the track’s fate later this month.
Charles “Chris” Siperko, a Highland community resident, built the track for his motorsports-loving son on their 11-acre property on Mink Hollow Road. However, he did so without the necessary county and state permits.
In addition to a stop-work order and code violations, Siperko faces neighbors who are fiercely opposed to the track.
“This property is a nuisance. … You can’t put a go-kart track anywhere in the RR [rural residential district] zone because it is inherently incompatible and was never contemplated by the framers of the law,” said Dan O’Leary, a Highland resident and chair of the Greater Highland Crossroad Association.
The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.
The Board of Appeals has spent roughly 16 hours over the past month hearing testimony from a range of people, including professional race car drivers, Siperko’s neighbors and a civil engineer.
Siperko is represented by Sang Oh, a land-use and zoning attorney. His neighbors are represented by G. Macy Nelson, a land-use and environmental attorney.
Here are some things to know about the fierce zoning dispute:
How did the track end up before the Board of Appeals?
Siperko retroactively submitted a conditional use application last August after construction ended.
In March, Katherine Taylor, a county hearing examiner, dismissed Siperko’s petition, citing a lack of jurisdiction because go-kart racing is not a permitted activity under the county code.
The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Then, in early June, the Board of Appeals overturned Taylor’s decision when it unanimously found that the residential track met the definition of an athletic field, meaning board members would hear the homeowner’s case for a conditional use permit.
Homeowner vs. neighbors
Board of Appeals Chair Gene Ryan said at a June hearing, “I’m so sad when I see this — neighbors at one point they’re talking, and then things fall apart, and they come here.”
Mink Hollow Road neighbors have voiced concerns over the track for months, citing environmental, animal safety and noise concerns and adverse effects to real estate home values.
Robert Vogel, a civil engineer hired by Siperko as a consultant, testified on June 26 that the go-kart track would not adversely affect nearby home values, the environment or Siperko’s shared driveway with a neighbor.
Throughout the appeals process, Oh called several witnesses, including professional race car drivers, the county’s former planning and zoning director, a civil engineer, a noise vibrations specialist and Siperko himself.
The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.
His son used the track one time for roughly 15 minutes, according to Siperko. The track has sat dormant since.
Tara Goldberg, a Mink Hollow Road resident, testified last month against the track. She described what she and her family heard when Siperko’s son drove on it once last September.
“We heard very loud squealing, screeching noises that sounded like an ongoing car accident,” said Goldberg, who has a doctorate in environmental policy and conducts water and environmental assessments for federal agencies.
“We didn’t really know what was happening, and we walked outside,” said Goldberg, who provided two videos of the account to the board.
What’s next?
The Board of Appeals is expected to make a decision on the conditional use petition on July 31.
The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Ahead of that, both attorneys have to submit a written summary of their cases to the board.
However the board rules, the decision can be appealed to the Howard County Circuit Court.
Comments
Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines.