About a hundred Loudon residents – and a handful from neighboring communities – left the town offices unexpectedly early Thursday night after the zoning board voted to postpone a public hearing on two proposals related to New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s plan to host concerts.
The board recessed within minutes of convening at 7 p.m. to talk to their attorney. Upon reconvening about 15 minutes later, they voted unanimously to postpone the hearing until next month.
“This right now ends the meeting for the track and we’ll be taking it up at the Aug. 24 meeting,” zoning board Chairman Ned Lizotte told a befuddled crowd.
NHMS, which is losing one of two NASCAR events to Las Vegas next year, has proposed a three-day country music festival to help make up for lost revenue.
Town approvals for the event have been delayed as officials have worked to wade through legal issues, including a 1989 settlement in a suit brought against the town and the track by residents that specifically barred concerts not associated with a race from the site. The planning board also declared that the project would have a regional impact, which gave neighboring municipalities the opportunity to weigh in.
On Thursday, the zoning board was scheduled to consider a special exception for recreational facilities for concerts and a variance for overnight camping in conjunction with the event. Lizotte said some abutters apparently hadn’t been notified, which is why the board needed to postpone.
Debbie Franssen, who co-owns the Speedway Sports Park next door to the track, said she would definitely be back next month.
“It’s frustrating. But you want to make sure everything is in order,” she said. With her business linked to how well the track does, Franssen has obvious reasons to support the NHMS proposal. But she said the town does too.
“I think it would be good for the town. I mean the tax implications, and the tourism, and never mind what it contributes to the state. It’s big,” she said.
NHMS will need to go back to the planning board for further approvals once it clears the zoning board.
(Lola Duffort can be reached at 369-3321 or lduffort@cmonitor.com.)