Elko New Market Council approves Speedway PUD

The Elko New Market City Council approved 3-1 the Elko Speedway Planned Unit Development (PUD) ordinance, during its Thursday, April 27, meeting.

City Planner Bob Kirmis said the update to the race track’s PUD was being continued from the council’s March 23 meeting. One of the items that caused the ordinance to be continued was to double check on an overflow parking area that is close to Scott County Road 91. Kirmis said they checked with Scott County and found the overflow parking area is valid.

City staff and representatives of the speedway have been working on updating the ordinance, which include: • Allowing an increase to 70 events over the year with up to 40 being races. For the last seven years the raceway has had an average of 27 races. • Occasionally having track events and the drive-in theater running at the same time. This would only happen due to unanticipated race delays.

• A modification for signs with the existing billboard signs along Scott County Road 2 and France Avenue being used for on-premise advertising.

• A new monument sign for office use, which occupies the former residential parcel located south of the midget track along France Avenue.

• A 10-year extension related to the allowance of general office and speedway-related storage and repair uses upon the former residential parcel. It was requested that the termination date be extended from 2019 to 2029.

Council member Josh Berg has had reservations about the update. At the April 27 meeting he asked if the updated PUD would affect a future roundabout at the intersection of County Road 91 and Main Street (Scott County Road 2). City Engineer Rich Revering replied he didn’t see any affect at this point.

Berg also asked if a ......

To see more on this story pick up the May 4, 2017 print edition of The New Prague Times.