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Neighbors and officials press Select Board after Iron Tails events exceed permit conditions
Summary
Code Enforcement and the Sheriff reported unpermitted activities, high noise readings and overcrowding at Iron Tails events. The owner said he has applied for a permit amendment and will appear before the Planning Board; the Select Board signaled it will pursue enforcement options.
Code Enforcement Officer Dave Riley told the Select Board that the June weekend events at Iron Tails included a stunt show and a burnout competition that were not part of the venue’s conditional use permit and are not listed as allowed uses in Acton’s Land Use Chart. "It was not an approved portion of their conditional use permit," Riley said, and he reported decibel readings that exceeded typical background levels near the site, with local readings into the 80s and peaks into the 90s near event activity.
Sheriff Bill King described heavy traffic and a multi‑agency detail that included Saco, Old Orchard Beach and State Police and said his office logged about 81 stops that day. "It did seem to be chaotic between the people coming and going," King said, and he emphasized concern about emergency access and crowd control with high attendance and vehicles congesting Route 109. Deputy Jeremy Forbes noted limited deputy availability that day and the department’s reliance on mutual aid to cover large events.
Owner Greg Martinez acknowledged that the event exceeded occupancy limits and apologized for a prior wording about hiring police presence. Martinez said he has submitted an application to the Planning Board to amend his conditional use and expected a public hearing soon; he also said he had completed a sound study and was working on an emergency plan. Neighbors told the board they have made repeated complaints: Michael Demers said noise at his house reached about 90 dBA during weekend events and urged stricter enforcement, while Hope Denekamp described hazardous roadside parking and U‑turns on Route 109.
The board discussed civil penalties under M.S.R.A. Title 30 §4452 and asked Code Enforcement to document violations before bringing formal recommendations back to the Select Board. Selectmen said they will not ignore resident concerns and indicated enforcement and potential fines are under consideration. The matter of a liquor license and the Planning Board amendment will return to the public docket at upcoming meetings.
