BMX Proponents Start Petition

WAITSBURG - Carlos Norris entered his first BMX race when he was 6. It was at the Walla Walla Valley BMX track where the Waitsburg youngster got his first taste of a course sanctioned by the American Bicycle Association, the ex­citement of competing with other racers and the cheers from his family. "I liked going over the hills and stuff and go after a trophy," said Norris, who is now 8. But Norris hasn't raced in two years. His mom, Lisa, who works in Walla Walla, had to come all the way back to Waitsburg to pick him up and go back to Walla Walla for weekly practices and events, which was just "too hard," Norris said. Now if Waitsburg had a track, that would be an entire­ly different story, Norris said.

"That would be a lot eas­ier," he said. "My parents could drop me off, and I could practice during the week to see how fast I can go. I could warm up before

race." That kind of enthusiasm among local kids, along with the economic benefits an officially sanctioned BMX race track could bring to Waitsburg, is what Tawnya and Greg McVey want to convey to the Waitsburg City Council during its meeting on Dec. 15.

They and others in the community want the council to reconsider its decision to deny the use of a city-owned parcel that had been desig­nated for the development of such a track by the outgoing council earlier this year. At its last meeting on Nov. 17, the council voted unanimously to turn down the land's use, but none of the track's advocates were present.

Members of the new council say they have con­cerns about the city's expo­sure to maintenance cost and liability, plus they don't like the idea of tying up industrial land for part-time recreation­al uses if a full-time user can be found instead. But the McVeys say they have gathered nearly 350 signatures in favor of their plan and want to have a chance to address the coun­cil's

concerns at its upcoming meeting.

"The city council's con­cerns that led to the reversal of the previous council's approval of the track) were previously addressed and on record," the McVeys wrote in flyer they circulated around town this past week.

"A sanctioned national-class BMX track in our com­munity would give our fami­lies and community a new sport and opportunity that we have never had before," they said. "National races in Waitsburg would bring national attention and a great deal of money to our com­munities." But City Councilman Scott Nettles, who owns property close to the previ­ously

designated land east of the McGregor plant and north of Highway 12, said there are too many unknowns for him to support it. The track would take up five acres of a 20-acre city parcel. "The McVeys have the best intentions, but I don't think this was thought out cost-wise," said Nettles. "Who pays for the track when it's not in use? The city will get stuck with the cost of insurance (outside the ABA-sanctioned and insured events), power and water. The money just isn't there. The only way to cover that is to raise taxes or fees on Waitsburg residents. As far as I'm concerned, it's done."

Rather than use the pro­posed five acres of industrial land for an activity that only generates an economic ben­efit

for part of the year, why not hold out for a business that does so year-round, he said. Though Nettles said he may be more open to de­veloping the existing BMX track off Main Street, the same concerns will apply there. BMX track advocates, including former councilman Leroy Cunningham, have pointed out numerous prob­lems

with that downtown site, which is in a flood zone where nothing can be built, has little room for parking and will affect more nearby residents. So far, the concept hasn't cost the city anything other than some staff time. The McVeys, who recently re­ceived a $5,000 grant from Wilbur Ellis, have been suc­cessful in raising private-sector funding and in-kind donations to cover the track's development and some of its equipment. Dunham Cellars of Walla Walla has agreed to provide the clay dirt for the mounds, Premier Excavating has of­fered to donate time and equipment to help create the track, Walla Walla Valley BMX has donated a registra­tion booth, the American Bi­cycle Association will send a pro bono track builder to de­sign

and engineer the course plus train the track operators, Rural Green Youth Enter­prises has agreed to help with fundraising and support track maintenance. Council members have also expressed concerns about the lack of interest among residents and their kids to use other recreational projects, such as the RC track and the existing BMX track. But the McVeys, who say there are at least 40 kids in Waitsburg and Prescott who want to be on a combined BMX racing team, argue that the track off Main Street is unsafe, too small and can't be developed further because of federal restrictions on building in designated flood zones. They said 40 Waits­burg kids alone signed the petition. The track advocates also question whether council members followed the cor­rect process under the state's Open Public Meetings Act by conducting no real discus­sion even among themselves in public before voting on the issue. Carlos Norris' dad, Buck, said he has a bit of a bitter taste in his mouth from what he calls "the finger pointing" among various players who helped develop the current track off Main Street, for which no one seems to be responsible. But if a new track were built and properly staffed, he would support it. "We would definitely use it," he said, echoing his son's sentiments.