Selectmen raise concerns about late special-event license for racetrack bike weekend; plan short meeting before event

Town staff delivered a special-event license application for the racetrack's bike weekend after the Board of Permit meeting deadline, prompting selectmen and department heads to raise concerns about late submission and public notice.

Police Chief Dana Flanders, Fire Chief Tom Blanchett and zoning/planning considerations were discussed in the context of public safety: the license process centralizes vendor insurance, tent inspections and emergency plans, but late filing "circumvents the process," a selectman said.

Chief Blanchett said special-event licenses — adopted by Loudon in the early 1990s — allow promoters to provide blanket insurance and simplify hawkers-and-peddlers permitting; they also require inspections for tents that meet state-size thresholds and coordinate weather, evacuation and crowd-management plans. Flanders noted that demo rides associated with the racetrack historically use the Ridge/Lower Ridge roads and that enforcement and highway-safety overtime have been used during those weeks.

Because the application arrived after the board-of-permit cycle and before the event, selectmen asked that planning and zoning review the paperwork, that the public be given notice and an opportunity for comment, and that the racetrack provide route and safety details. The board agreed to schedule a brief meeting next Tuesday evening to gather planning and zoning input and to invite a racetrack representative to present setup plans.

No final action was taken at the June 3 meeting; the board directed staff to post notice and hold the short meeting to ensure public input and to finalize any conditions before the event.