Rich from Rich's Custom Auto on turbobuicks.com went to the meeting this is what he posted about it:
Hi All,
I attended the big town meeting that discussed everyones concerns about the noise coming from Raceway park.
First off the meeting was packed in the Manalapan library and it was run by two assemblymen. The 1st assemblyman got up and said he was neither here for his constituents nor Raceway Park but here to let all air their concerns and hopefully come to a workable solution that would be fair to all parties. The Napp family were there handing out flyers that read "I Love (heart symbol) and I Vote" which was cool and people were waving them in the camera's face as a localnews channel was there filming it all.
I would say 98% of the people there to support the track, you had to sign up to get up to the mic to speak and it took only seconds for the catcalls supporting the track to start which were quite entertaining.
The town put up a health officer who said they did sound tests in peoples yards and it exceeds the legal limits, then another sound expert got up and he too was booed and jeered, the assemblyman called it back to order stating "let them talk then you too will have a chance to talk but be fair to all sides".
Most people said the same thing the track was there 1st and then all these developers came in and put up these $600,000 McMansions and expect a major NHRA track to be quiet.
Alot of people told the homeowners if they didn't like it they had an option to pick up and leave, some talked of putting up a wall along the 1/4 mile to stop some of the noise, then a guy said lets spend some of the taxpayers money like we are for this meeting and build a wall over the 5 homeowners who are doing all the bitching..........setting off a huge round of applause.
A few homeowners got up and said they bought near the track cause they race and they don't mind the noise and one guy said he raised his three kids with Etown right there and hearing Top Fuel cars go and they had no problems having BBQs in the back yard etc etc. However these home owners said they are OK with the racing and the noise but what bothers them alot is the "racing" that goes on after the track is closed and racers are driving out and the racers think the roads in front of there track are a continuation of the track and that when they call the Old Bridge police to do something about it that it gets nowhere, so in that regard you can understand their frustration and one guy said his kids play in the front yard there and doesn't want his kid or anyone else's kid hurt by this racing right out of the track but to rather keep it on the track.
Of course no town meeting such as this would be complete with the a$$hole of the meeting award given out. The winner was a guy in the back who was against the track and almost got into it with track supporters and when he finally got up to speak he said the noise of the dragsters bothers him and that he lives 12 miles from the track.............he was promptly booed......hissed and jeered off the mic.
The meeting lasted 2 hours and the assemblymen said there would be more meetings with all parties to see if some type of compromise could be worked out..............so stay tuned.
This is your Turbo Buick world reporter Rich Rezes signing off.
