Atlanta Motorsports Park Passed! | FerrariChat

Atlanta Motorsports Park Passed!

Discussion in 'South Central - USA (TN, MS, AL, GA)' started by Seth Thomas, Apr 14, 2009.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. Seth Thomas

    Seth Thomas Karting

    Jan 25, 2006
    246
    Atlanta, Ga
    Full Name:
    Seth Thomas
    Awesome news guys. Atlanta Motorsports Park has passed and will be a great place for us to have meets and some track events. Here is some more info on AMP.

    http://www.atlantamotorsportspark.net/
     
  2. Billdemart

    Billdemart Karting

    Mar 30, 2009
    92
    Atlanta, GA
    Full Name:
    Billy D
    Awesome. In Dawsonville too. They mentioned Chipper Jones as a high profile signed partner, but not Bill Elliott yet. Gotta imagine Awesome Bill from Dawsonville will have something to do with this.
     
  3. mwhitesell

    mwhitesell Formula 3

    Sep 17, 2006
    1,083
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Mark
    I saw that in the news. Although my first thought was the clause in the contracts that all they needed to do was get the approval and break ground in order to keep all of the deposits. I guess we will find out how it will play out.
     
  4. 4re308

    4re308 F1 Rookie

    Jun 13, 2001
    4,813
    Woodstock, GA
    Full Name:
    Mitch D
    Wow that is very cool, I cannot wait to see the place!!
     
  5. ppatel9

    ppatel9 Formula Junior

    Mar 31, 2008
    642
    Awesome. Some of the guys on the mountain runs will prob. head through there.....and maybe even put down some track time. :D
     
  6. cheddah

    cheddah Karting

    Jan 8, 2004
    124
    Sorry to post this twice.
    Hi Seth, this is Greg, I'm trying to get a sales job at the AMP. Wish me luck :)
    They said check back in about 7-8 months, in the meantime they wanted me to post this:


    DAWSONVILLE COUNCIL APPROVES FULL ZONING ATLANTA MOTORSPORTS PARK



    Atlanta Motorsports Park is a Country Club for fast/exotic cars, bikes and karts



    We are pleased to announce zoning for Atlanta Motorsports Park has been fully approved and the construction phase of the facility is about to begin. We are thankful to the city, county and citizens of Dawsonville for welcoming us.



    Memberships have continued to sell at a brisk pace which has been very satisfying given the tough economic conditions.



    Starting on April 24th the preconstruction pricing levels will no longer be available and some of the extra amenities/options that come with the packages currently will also no longer be included in the packages (e.g. Karting memberships will be sold separate).



    There were only 25 memberships at each of the three levels (Diamond, Platinum, Tungsten) initially offered as Founding Memberships and the few remaining will sell out quickly. (We sold nearly $300,000 in memberships in a little over 30 days.)



    This week is your last chance to become one of the charter “Founding Members” of an elite club unlike any other. Founding members will have input in the design phase of AMP and receive recognition on the walls of the member club house and a plaque to bring home.



    Course Highlights



    The Dawsonville property will be developed into a Green or Sustainable (The only sustainable motorsports park in the world) private motorsports country club where members can drive their high-performance automobiles, racecars, motorcycles and karts on specially designed driving courses. The current site plan also calls for a members-only lounge, a 10,000-square-foot clubhouse with lockers and shower facilities, workout facility, a pool and hiking trails.



    Highlights of the facility will include:

    · Nearly three miles of high-performance road course

    · Two straight-aways nearly 2,000 feet each

    · More than 120 feet of elevation change

    · 15 possible road course configurations

    · Flexibility to operate three separate driving courses simultaneously

    · Members will be able to participate in performance driving their cars or superbikes, supercar rentals, safe driver education programs and karting



    Celebrity Founding Members Already on Board; Members Sales Gear Up



    Several high-profile celebrities became founding members, even before the plans were approved, including actor Patrick Dempsey, Atlanta Braves Chipper Jones, Atlanta Falcons Michael Jenkins, road racing champions Jack Baldwin and David Murry, plus the SPEED Channel’s Bob Varsha. Mr. Varsha will also serve as the “voice” of AMP as well as AMP spokesperson.



    “These and our other founding members have had faith in the team and business from the beginning,” Porter said.



    Sponsors, Vendors Selected



    Contractors and strategic partners have already been selected in anticipation of the approval. They include the famed Tilke Architects Formula 1 track designers for the architecture and driving course design; RK Redding Construction for build-out; CW Matthews for the track paving; TS Racing as the karting retail sales; Global Marketing Giants Ignition Inc. & i3 Worldwide LLC as the sales and marketing team; Driving Impressions will be AMP’s sole racing apparel retailer; and SunTrust Bank as the official banking partner.



    For more information, visit www.AtlantaMotorsportsPark.com or call 678-513-FAST (3278).
     
  7. Dr Tommy Cosgrove

    Dr Tommy Cosgrove Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 4, 2001
    35,283
    Birmingham, AL
    Full Name:
    Tommy
    Unfortunately, for me, they priced me out of being a member.
     
  8. henryr

    henryr Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 10, 2003
    21,653
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Juan Sánchez Villa-L
    i have looked at these clubs and even worked briefly on setting one up several years ago (legends motorsports park). imho, the numbers only add up for the serious track junkie. for a couple hundred bucks a weekend you'll be able to run with a club renting the track which seems much more cost effective than paying for the memberships and dues. maybe for an empty nester. i seriously doubt if i could make it up there more than once a month. i'd love to hear a different rationale......
     
  9. henryr

    henryr Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 10, 2003
    21,653
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Juan Sánchez Villa-L
    when is the anticipated completion date ?
     
  10. CavalloRosso

    CavalloRosso Formula 3

    Jul 12, 2007
    1,423
    Atlanta, GA/Vail, CO
    Full Name:
    SVO
    I wonder how this compares to Victory Lane being proposed to be built in South Georgia?
     
  11. ddemuro

    ddemuro Formula 3

    Nov 16, 2006
    2,129
    San Diego
    Full Name:
    Doug
    Has Victory Lane really gotten off the ground? The idea is so good, but I'd be surprised if it goes anywhere at all.
     
  12. Crawford

    Crawford Formula 3

    Mar 5, 2003
    1,294
    Nashville, TN
    Full Name:
    Crawford White
    #12 Crawford, Apr 17, 2009
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2009
    Bob Varsha mentioned the park last night on Speeds coverage of the Chinese F1 Practice. That's got to be worth a few 10's of thousand$$$ in free publicity.
     
  13. henryr

    henryr Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 10, 2003
    21,653
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Juan Sánchez Villa-L
    more like a free membership for him.
     
  14. jenk

    jenk Rookie

    Dec 22, 2008
    19
    glad to see this got passed. my name has already been mentioned in this thread(i wonder if anyone besides seth, knows what it is). i think this could really work if they get enough members where we could set up members days to get everyone together to run on the track instead of waiting for an organization to run an event
     
  15. GGamble

    GGamble Karting

    Jul 1, 2007
    65
    Pensacola FL
    Full Name:
    George Gamble
    I just joined AMP. It does make sense if you join at the lifetime membership level for you and family. We will get tons of track days in at the facility once completed. Completion of the track is about 8 months out, I have done plenty of development work and that means a year plus to me. But still, 180 days free a year to track should be a hoot. We will only use 30 to 40 days, but that is lots of track time at our convenience! Not on the times scheduled by a club that does 12 events per year. So, if you are only going to track 10 days a year, you may not think it's a great deal. But as your days go up, and not many, it becomes a good deal. Track time is not cheap, but motor sports parks are probably the best choice in the future... Just my thoughts....

    George
     
  16. andy308

    andy308 Formula 3

    Jan 16, 2005
    2,020
    Sarasota, FL
    Full Name:
    Andy
    Further update (from Smoke Signals, the Big Canoe website):

    By Lynda Zblewski
    Will legal action put the brakes on Dawsonville’s proposed motorsports park?

    A November 30 hearing will determine whether a judge will approve an injunction to halt further development at the controversial Atlanta Motorsports Park (AMP) until all legal issues are resolved.

    According to a statement issued by Richard Wingate, attorney for the Hamryka family (plaintiffs in this case), Senior Judge John Girardeau will hear the plaintiff’s motion for an interlocutory injunction against the proposed AMP at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, November 30, at the Dawson County Courthouse.

    The purpose of the injunction is “to preserve the status quo, so that no further degradation of the environment can occur until the Court has ruled on the merits of Plaintiffs’ claims.”

    Following rezoning of 152 acres in April 2009, West Hamryka, who owns a 70-acre horse farm across from the proposed motorsports park, filed suit charging the rezoning action was illegal. The suit claimed the defendants—City of Dawsonville, its mayor and council, Atlanta Motorsports Park, LLC, Jeremy Porter (Forsyth resident and AMP developer), and EHK Investments, LLC—were responsible “for the unlawful interference of [the Hamrykas’] right to enjoy the possession of their property and for the disruption of their business.”

    On November 12, 2009, Judge Kathlene Gosselin issued an order completely denying all of the defendants' motions to dismiss the suit.

    Resolute and determined
    In a recent phone interview with Smoke Signals, West Hamryka’s resoluteness was apparent. He stated emphatically that his “resolve is unrelenting despite the active construction.” When asked if any legal change had occurred since the defendants’ motion to dismiss was denied last November, he said EHK Investments, LLC had been dropped from the suit.

    The Hamrykas have also filed several motions according to Wingate “which if granted, will dispose of the lawsuit and prevent the AMP project from being completed because of the illegal rezoning action by the City of Dawsonville.”

    Hamryka also stated: “We look forward to our first true day in court. We hope this project will be seen for the nuisance it is and that the court will reverse the illegal rezoning.” This proceeding will be open to the public and he encourages concerned citizens to attend.

    Although Hamryka’s suit continues to move forward, work on the motorsports complex has also been allowed to proceed. According to Dawsonville City Clerk, Bonnie Warne, the appropriate land disturbance and signage permits have been applied for and issued to AMP.

    The AMP website describes current construction status, along with photos of the progress. Although no building construction has begun, much grading and track work is continuing. As of this writing the AMP website reports they expect to be “operational” by the end of 2010.

    Oversight of zoning stipulations
    When the rezoning was approved last April, it carried 22 stipulations, a number of which were to be overseen by the Dawsonville Planning Director but, at this time, that position no longer exists.

    In an interview with Smoke Signals, Dawsonville Mayor Joe Lane Cox explained the oversight of these stipulations was now the responsibility of his office. Cox says he personally visits the site approximately two times a week.

    In addition, portions of the construction supervision have been contracted out to Dawson County, as no personnel are employed by the City of Dawsonville to carry out these responsibilities. According to Mayor Cox this oversight is primarily in the area of environmental concerns.

    When asked whether there had been any environmental issues, he related that there had been one early incident with regard to silt fencing that resulted in a fine. Since that time AMP has been in compliance. Two Dawson County employees are at the site once a week.

    Mayor Cox was asked about one stipulation in particular that pertained to noise monitoring of the decibel level when the track is operational. This stipulation states there are to be a minimum of four sound meters placed around the perimeter of the property that will enable the decibel level to be monitored. The Mayor indicated that he planned to have a person assigned responsibility for monitoring the sound levels by the time the facility opened.

    There was brief discussion of the AMP Web site claim that they planned to be operational by year’s end; however, Mayor Cox felt that was quite optimistic. He feels the timetable for opening is more likely next summer.

    In a proactive move, a spokesperson for the Big Canoe Company, LLC confirmed that they have completed a sound study within Big Canoe to measure current sound levels. The purpose of this study is to provide a baseline for comparison if noise from AMP becomes an issue within our community.
     
  17. kayakjack

    kayakjack Karting

    Mar 29, 2004
    142
    Anyone know how this turned out?

    Jack
     
  18. ROULEUR

    ROULEUR Formula Junior

    Dec 15, 2008
    308
    Atlanta, Ga
    Full Name:
    Chris C
    You know what I find funny, is all the pointing to (not by you in particular) Awesome Bill putting his hat in the ring or his name on it somewhere. I think it is crazy to think that, since he is from there and likely has known all those folks up there personally since he was a kid, he would sign up to promote something that pretty much the whole area hates.

    I hope it goes through, it would be a great addition to the area in my opinion. I can see why the residents up there will not be happy about it, as part of the reason they live there is for the seclusion. It is also another reason why the park is up there in the first place, no one would ever pass that closer to town (and the land is likely way too expensive.) I just don't see how people keep crying that Bill Elliott would put his name anywhere near that place...

     
  19. spirot

    spirot F1 World Champ

    Dec 12, 2005
    14,501
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Tom Spiro
    When I was doing real estate development - I looked at these models over and over again... and that was when the Real estate markets were great!


    I cant really see how in todays economic environment this can really work? I hope so! but I'm very sceptical that this will actually work.

    I've stated before that you really need to buy an existing track and then invest in the amenity improvments to make the economics work. Hope I'm wrong on this one, I would love to do track events up there...

    My gut says if you cant get past zoning, then the money is really not all there. You can always plant over moved dirt!
     
  20. andy308

    andy308 Formula 3

    Jan 16, 2005
    2,020
    Sarasota, FL
    Full Name:
    Andy
    Update:

    By Lynda Zblewski
    On Monday, November 30, 2010, Senior Judge John Girardeau denied a motion for Interlocutory Injunction filed by the Hamryka family (Plaintiff’s in this matter) to halt construction at the AMP site.

    Although the judge recognized that the project “may well be a nuisance” there did not appear to be enough evidence of a current nuisance to necessitate an injunction at this time.

    In a statement from Richard Wingate, attorney for the Hamryka family he states that “the Court did agree to set all of Plaintiffs’ outstanding Motions for Summary Judgment for oral hearing at the earliest possible date. If the Court grants any of Plaintiffs’ outstanding Motions, then the rezoning action is void and all construction activities at the AMP property must cease.”

    Attorney Wingate further expressed that “Plaintiff’s are confident in the merits of their Motions and believe that the law will prevail in this case.”

    There will be a complete review of the AMP case and the current status in the January Smoke Signals, which will be available December 27, 2010.
     
  21. kayakjack

    kayakjack Karting

    Mar 29, 2004
    142
    Does this mean the judge waits until the track is finished with cars making noise to say there is evidence of a "current nuisance" and shut it down?

    Jack
     
  22. andy308

    andy308 Formula 3

    Jan 16, 2005
    2,020
    Sarasota, FL
    Full Name:
    Andy
    It almost sounds that way, very strange. We can all get a Tesla and there will be no noise issue then.
     
  23. Mighty Joe

    Mighty Joe Formula 3

    Sep 3, 2010
    1,125
    Atlanta, GA
    Full Name:
    Joe
    What about these guys that dropped 50K for lifetime membership on that place? Are they protected somehow?
     
  24. kayakjack

    kayakjack Karting

    Mar 29, 2004
    142
    I am not a member, but I have friends who are. Don't want to see them lose $.

    That said, if AMP spends big $ to build the facility, collects some upfront $ from members but not enough to cover their costs and are then told by a judge that they can not operate --- it is hard to see the track writing refund checks.

    I do not know their business plan, so I don't know what I am talking about.

    Hope they build it out and can operate. Great idea with significant risk. Hope they make lots of $ and have lots of fun.

    Jack
     
  25. andy308

    andy308 Formula 3

    Jan 16, 2005
    2,020
    Sarasota, FL
    Full Name:
    Andy
    Another update:

    The next step in the process is the hearing on the
    outstanding Motions for Summary Judgment

    Aerial view of AMP site off of Duck Thurmond Road and Highway 53 (photo by Mike Monroe)

    By Lynda Zblewski
    [email protected]
    On November 30, 2010, Senior Judge John Girardeau denied a motion for Interlocutory Injunction that would have halted construction at the site of the new Atlanta Motorsports Park (AMP).

    Although the Court conceded the “potential” existed for the park to be a nuisance, the Plaintiffs (West and Helen Hamryka) had not shown enough of a current nuisance to merit an immediate injunction, according to the judge.

    Porter “tickled” by decision
    Following the November 30 hearing, Jeremy Porter, developer of AMP, was quoted in the Dawson Community News as being “tickled” at the judge’s decision (“Judge allows work to continue at park site”, by Michele Hester, posted December 8, 2010). He was further quoted as saying, “We are continuing to move forward, and I just pray the facts of this case continue to come out”.

    The next step in the process is the hearing on the outstanding Motions for Summary Judgment. The attorney for the Hamryka’s, Richard Wingate, stated that the “plaintiffs are confident in the merits of their Motions and believe that the law will prevail in this case”.

    The date for oral hearing of these motions was scheduled for December 21, 2010. At issue is the rezoning action by the City of Dawsonville, which ultimately permitted construction of the AMP facility. According to Wingate, “If the Court grants any of the Plaintiffs’ outstanding Motions, then the rezoning action is void and all construction activities at the AMP property must cease”.

    During the November 30th proceeding, Wingate stated that the Hamryka’s had already suffered a significant loss in their property’s value. He also referred to their potential loss of business revenue in the training of hunter/jumper horses if clients moved elsewhere over concerns about their animal’s well-being.

    Dr. Sue McConnell, a University of Pennsylvania professor and animal behaviorist was called to testify by Timothy Tanner, attorney for Atlanta Motorsports Park. During her testimony she stated, in her professional opinion, the noise from the operation of the AMP facility would not be detrimental to the horses and most horses would likely acclimate to the sounds over time.

    During the hearing AMP developer Porter also testified. He was questioned with regard to current construction progress, the investment made to date and the future operation of the AMP facility.

    As of November 30th Porter indicated that the AMP facility was 75 percent complete. The current target opening date is March of 2011. This date allows for 35 days of rain. If the rainfall is less, they anticipate opening sooner.
    Porter also testified that approximately $4.8 million had been invested as of that date. This included, but was not limited to, expenses involved with tree harvesting, grading, infrastructure, concrete work for the entrance and signage. He also indicated that if work were to cease, five local companies would be adversely impacted. The five companies were not named.

    When asked what type of vehicles would be using the facilities and course at Atlanta Motorsports Park, Porter testified that he anticipated about 75% of them would be standard production vehicles most likely of a sports car variety. The remaining 25% would be racing-type vehicles.

    This response led to a question as to whether or not racing fuel would be stored at the facility. Porter believed that there would be some racing fuel kept on-site but was unsure as to how much. It was also unclear as to how the fuel would be contained and where on the grounds it would be stored.

    A question was posed to Porter about the anticipated hours of operation of Atlanta Motorsports Park. He answered that hours of operation would be similar to that of a regular business day. According to the AMP website they indicate office hours are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and that “course hours” would be “determined upon scheduling”.

    Following that line of questioning, Porter was queried at length about the decibel level monitoring that would need to be maintained. He indicated that the decibel level they must maintain is an average of 60 Dba. According to the stipulations of the rezoning agreement, however, that average is based on “hours of operation”, which will include ‘dead’ hours when the course is not in use.

    Tanner, attorney for Atlanta Motorsports Park was contacted with a request for a Smoke Signals interview of Mr. Porter. In his response Tanner declined the interview citing the ongoing litigation. He did however acknowledge our request for a statement. At press time that statement and an additional request for clarification of some of Porter’s testimony had not been received.

    Ed. note: Because results of the December 21, 2010 hearing will not be available before this issue goes to press we are not able to give you the Court’s decision. Please check Smoke Signals Online – www.bigcanoenews.com --for any updates.
     

Share This Page