LaSalle council limits special-event noise exemptions to eight per location, approves most racetrack date requests

The LaSalle City Council on May 27 voted to limit special-event noise exemptions to no more than eight per specific location in a single fiscal year and approved six of eight late-night permit requests from LaSalle Speedway and Event Center, while asking the track to revisit two requested dates.

The ordinance amendment adds a provision that “there shall be no more than 8 outdoor special event noise ordinance exemption permits issued for any specific location within the City of LaSalle in any 1 fiscal year,” with the city fiscal year running May 1 through April 30. Mayor Grove said the change would be effective immediately for future requests.

The measure matters to nearby residents because the Speedway asked for extensions of amplified music and higher permitted decibel levels for multiple 2025 dates, including several Saturdays and holiday-adjacent nights. Neighbors and council members raised complaints about late-night racing, bright lights and vibrations. Julie Ader, who lives across US Route 6 from the track, told the council, “The racetrack shakes our whole entire house,” and said music and lighting kept her awake past 1:00 a.m. on recent event nights.

Council discussion centered on whether to cap permits going forward and how to balance enforcement of the noise ordinance with long‑standing uses. Mayor Grove acknowledged the Speedway’s history in the area and said he would “take full responsibility for the Speedway” in council discussions. Alderman Herndon pressed to vote on the Speedway’s requested dates individually; the council first voted on one contested date, which passed 4–3, and later approved a motion to grant six of the eight requested late-night approvals (excluding August 17 and September 3) after asking the Speedway to consult with neighbors about those two dates.

The council clarified that the special-event permit applies to extensions of allowed music time (the permit request described an extension of outdoor music until 11 p.m.) and that, if approved, the noise ordinance would allow certain events to run until 11 p.m. on permitted dates. Council members also discussed enforcement and complaint procedures; municipal dispatch and Illinois Valley Regional Dispatch were referenced as recipients of noise complaints. Members noted the importance of consistently enforcing the ordinance so residents view the rule as meaningful.

Following the votes, the council instructed staff to notify the Speedway of the action and encouraged the applicant to adjust timings on the two deferred dates or reschedule. The council also agreed that previously granted events earlier in the season would not count against the new cap for future permit calculations, per clarifying remarks from staff and the mayor.

The ordinance vote and the permit approvals resolve the council’s immediate questions about the track’s summer schedule but leave two requested dates for follow-up between the Speedway and city staff.