Council approves conditional use for Middleford Speedway with noise, hour and muffler conditions

Sussex County Council on Feb. 12 approved a conditional use to operate an outdoor racetrack on a roughly 35-acre property at the northwest corner of Coverdale Road and Hastings Farm Road in Nanticoke Hundred, authorizing expanded classes of racing subject to conditions addressing hours, practices and noise.

Applicant attorney David Hutt represented property owner Greg Mitchell and said a preexisting, nonconforming racetrack has operated on the site for decades. Hutt told council the owner had added adjacent parcels to secure the track entrance and primary parking areas; he described a historical record of racing since at least the 1970s and said the conditional use was filed to authorize additional classes of vehicles beyond those referenced in an earlier Planning & Zoning letter.

Hearing materials included a DelDOT service-level evaluation (which staff described as showing a negligible traffic impact under the county–DelDOT memorandum of understanding), a Sussex County engineering utility-planning letter, staff analysis, and 43 written comments in the record. Planning & Zoning had recommended approval with 10 conditions (5[a]–5[j]).

Because noise was a central concern, the applicant engaged the Pennoni Group to perform on-site measurements during an exhibition event. Vince D’Alessio, Pennoni senior industrial hygienist, reported LMAX sound measurements at the property perimeter for several vehicle classes: existing permitted classes included readings in the low-to-mid 70s and low 80s dB; some proposed vehicle classes measured mid-80s dB at the same perimeter location. D’Alessio testified the type-2 meter used has ±2 dB accuracy and said typical manufacturer-reported mufflers could reduce measured levels by about 3–5 dB; the applicant and Planning & Zoning recommended requiring mufflers for the newly permitted classes to bring levels closer to existing uses.

During the hearing council discussed whether approved conditions would apply to previously grandfathered uses; county staff noted the wording as recommended would be enforceable against the site-wide use. At the council meeting an amendment to Planning & Zoning’s proposed hours was moved and adopted: race events may occur on Fridays and Saturdays between 6 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. and on Sundays between 12 p.m. and 9 p.m.; practices are allowed when no race is occurring but limited to 12 p.m.–9 p.m. and restricted to one automobile so that no simultaneous racing takes place.

Other approved conditions include the requirement that cars of the additional classifications operate with mufflers, that the site’s entrance, parking and staging areas be limited to the areas shown on the approved plan, and that activities comply with emergency-response staffing and safety requirements. The Planning & Zoning recommendation had also established that the racetrack would operate seasonally (generally April–November), that porta-john or temporary sanitary services are required (applicant noted such services have historically been used), and that race events employ a specified roster of track personnel for safety and operations.

DelDOT’s review found a negligible traffic impact (defined by DelDOT as fewer than 50 vehicle trips in any hour and fewer than 500 vehicle trips per day). Applicant representatives and several speakers from the racing community spoke in favor at the hearing; one resident spoke in opposition raising concerns about long-term noise impacts on health and sleep and asserting prior complaint processes had not resolved neighbors’ concerns.

Council voted to approve the conditional use as amended. The council’s action conditions the site's continued use on compliance with the approved conditions; staff and the county constable’s office were noted as potential enforcement parties. The applicant and legal team said they would comply with the conditions and that the site would continue to operate within the parameters set by council.