Wescott commission returns racetrack permit to county for review

Shawano Leader/January 4, 2006
By Tim Ryan

Midwest Amusement Park’s conditional use permit allowing it to operate a racetrack has been sent back to the county for review.

The Town of Wescott Plan Commission referred the permit back to the Shawano County Board of Adjustment after racetrack officials failed to appear at the commission’s meeting Tuesday morning.

One condition attached to the racetrack’s permit is a requirement racetrack operations be reviewed by the Town of Wescott Plan Commission – which is what had been on the agenda Tuesday.

"They had this as a condition and they failed this condition," town chairman Mike Schuler said.

However, general manager of USA International Raceway Scott Paape did arrive at Town Hall about half an hour after the meeting ended to present the racetrack’s schedule for the coming year, Schuler said.

The schedule shows karting races scheduled from mid April through the end of October, as well as a number of motorcycle racing events.

Schuler said there are at least three events that would fall under the town’s special event ordinance.

"They’ll have to come in and get permits for those," Schuler said.

Schuler said that Paape is also requesting that the racetrack be allowed later hours of operation and approval to build a dirt track.

Schuler said a review of the racetrack’s operations and future plans will be on the commission’s agenda next month, but he also said the unanimous vote of the commission to refer the permit back to the county still stands.

Commission members said the racetrack had not met all of its obligations under the conditional use permit, including the construction of a second driveway.

"There’s a couple (conditions) they haven’t met in addition to meeting with us," Schuler said during Tuesday’s meeting.

Commission members had also hoped to ask Paape about the scheduled sheriff’s sale of Midwest Amusement Park, set for Feb. 8.

Midwest was ordered last November to pay $380,817 to Northeast Asphalt Inc., of Green Bay, for work done on the park’s USA International Raceway. The judgment also entitled Northeast to a construction lien foreclosure.

"I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens to that property," said Plan Commission chairman Phil Zuhse.

The commission referred the conditional use permit back to the Board of Adjustment rather than the county’s Planning, Zoning and Development Committee because it was the board that had ultimately approved the permit.

The Board of Adjustment voted 3-1 last July against Wescott’s appeal of a Planning, Development and Zoning decision to grant a conditional use permit for operation of the racetrack.

The town had unsuccessfully argued that nothing in Shawano County’s zoning ordinance allows for a professional racetrack.