ENM, township to hold meeting on annexation issues

By Patrick Fisher, Staff Writer

The New Market Township Board and the Elko New Market City Council will hold a joint informational meeting 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, to consider an orderly annexation agreement. The meeting will be at the Elko New Market City Hall, 601 Main St.

The property being considered for annexation is part of a major motorsports complex being proposed for the area.

Elko New Market City Administrator Tom Terry said the public meeting will focus on the annexation of roughly 195 acres owned by the Adelmann family New Market LP. The property is in the northwest quadrant of the Scott County Road 2 and the Interstate 35 interchange.

New Market Township Clerk LeRoy Clausen and Terry both said that the discussion of the annexation of the property goes back to 2007.

Any questions people may have are to focus on the proposed annexation and not the sports complex.

The city council will consider action on the annexation agreement during its regular meeting to be held at 7:30 p.m. on January 26.

The township board will consider the agreement at its 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, meeting at the New Market Town Hall, 8950 230th St.

International Motorsports Entertainment and Development Company (IMEDC) is proposing the construction of Minnesota Speedway Park (MSP), a major motorsports complex, near Elko New Market.

The complex would cover approximately 400 acres, which is currently in New Market Township. The cost of the project is estimated at $400 million and would be privately funded. IMEDC would seek help from local governments for such things as infrastructure and traffic. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2013 with the speedway operational by 2014.

MSP would consist of an oval racetrack with seating for up to 65,000 spectators, a drag strip to seat a crowd up to 35,000, a hotel, conference and exhibition center. Other events would also include concerts, auctions and motorcycle and snowmobile races.

The city council and Scott County Board of Commissioners have already approved a memorandum of agreement about the complex. The agreement establishes the roles and responsibilities of the city and the county. It includes contact people and who will be doing what concerning the project. The agreement covers the process for environmental and land use applications and the state mandatory Environmental Impact Statement.