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Residents urge Powhatan supervisors to reject proposed motorsports park near Appomattox River
Summary
Dozens of Powhatan residents told the Board of Supervisors May 18 they oppose a conditional-use application for a motorsports/ATV park near the Appomattox River, citing noise, environmental and traffic impacts; petitioners submitted 239 signatures and asked the board to require studies and consider removing motorsports parks from A-10 permitted uses.
Dozens of Powhatan County residents used the public-comment period at the May 18 Board of Supervisors meeting to press the board to deny a conditional-use application for a proposed motorsports/ATV park near the Appomattox River.
Matt Fisher of River Estates told the board he and neighbors were concerned about “noise, dust, lighting, and event activity,” saying the facility would be incompatible with the area’s rural residential and agricultural character. Several other speakers echoed those worries and urged the board to prioritize preservation of rural character over development.
Nancy Wise said 88 residents attended a recent informational meeting and that attendees had collected and submitted “239 signatures opposing the proposed location” for inclusion in the official record. Multiple commenters asked the board to require traffic, noise, environmental, stormwater and property-impact studies before approving the project, and to limit campground usage and other activities at the site to prevent future expansion beyond the initially approved operations.
Richard Brumfield and Peter Shreiber said no formal studies had been completed and asked that the applicant be required to provide detailed analyses of access roads, emergency response capacity, parking and sound buffers. Theresa Kelly said she was not opposed to motorsports in principle but called the proposed location inappropriate and questioned the representativeness of the applicant’s demonstration and projected usage levels.
The board extended the public-comment period to hear more speakers; the extension passed by unanimous vote (5-0). Speakers who opposed the proposal cited potential effects on property values, risks from increased trailer and event traffic, and possible environmental impacts to wetlands and the Appomattox River watershed.
The meeting record shows no final action on the conditional-use application at the May 18 meeting. Several residents asked the board to either remove motorsports parks from permitted uses in A-10 zoning districts or ensure stronger site-specific conditions through the conditional-use process. The transcript does not record comments from the applicant or a staff recommendation during public comment, and it does not show a board decision on the proposal at this meeting.
What’s next: the conditional-use process and any related staff reports, studies or Planning Commission findings will determine whether the board takes action at a future meeting.
