tool name
closeConcord vs. drag strip
The Charlotte Observer
Thursday, Oct. 04, 2007
Concord City Council members probably surprised a lot of folks Monday, including Lowe's Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith. The council pulled the plug on a drag strip Mr. Smith was already grading land for. Residents organized opposition and told members it was too close to them.
Of course, another likely factor is this: The area's racing godfather ticked off council members by starting work on the drag strip without even notifying them. Concord officials said they learned about the grading work when an Observer reporter told them about it last Thursday. Speedway Motorsports didn't even apply for the required city and county permits.
But Mr. Smith wasn't chagrined about those lapses. He was fighting mad at the council.
He blasted council members who, at Monday's meeting, changed zoning on the property to ban the drag strip. He said city officials -- especially Mayor Scott Padgett -- weren't doing enough to support motorsports. On Tuesday, he showed his ace: He threatened to shut down his speedway in Concord and spend $350 million to build it somewhere else if the city didn't get on board with his program.
That's pure Bruton Smith.
Remember three years ago when he got into a spat with Mecklenburg's elected leaders over trees? Accused of illegally cutting down hundreds of trees to make way for a parking lot, his speedway was penalized by Charlotte officials and required to replant 166 trees. Mr. Smith got into a nasty name-calling match with then-chairman of the Mecklenburg County commissioners Tom Cox and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, saying they gave him permission to cut down the trees. They said they didn't. Mayor McCrory demanded an apology. He's still waiting on it.
Rather than replant the trees, the fuming billionaire sold the land. Geez.
Cooler heads seem to be at work in the Concord flap. Speedway spokeswoman Lauri Wilks said Monday she hopes Lowe's will get a chance to change minds on this matter. "We're really serious about addressing the concerns of the neighborhood and the council," she said.
Mayor Padgett seems conciliatory. He said the city wants data about how much noise the drag strip will generate and how the company plans to deal with it. He said the council could reverse its stand if the speedway provides that information.
Mr. Smith is still in the driver's seat. The drag strip promises high-paying jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue -- money and jobs the area badly needs. And if the speedway left, the area would lose more jobs and money.
So, residents may find their victory short-lived. Bruton Smith knows he has a pretty nifty hand. He said Tuesday he's prepared to play it.