GRANITE FALLS — A long-debated motocross track here may be able to move forward after a 4-1 vote of the Snohomish County Council Monday.
The council chambers, packed with about 120 people, erupted into cheers when county leaders announced their decision.
The council voted to uphold a Dec. 23 decision by the county hearing examiner that approved plans for a motocross complex and camping area on a 437-acre property between Green Mountain Mine and the Sand Hill gravel pit.
MXGP of Kirkland purchased the acreage in 2007, after an attempt to build near Maltby met opposition. They’ve been seeking permission to build the off-road tracks northeast of Granite Falls since.
Three parties appealed the hearing examiner’s December approval of the track: Martin Robinette, Ginger Amundson and the nonprofit Mountain Loop Conservancy. The council was tasked with reviewing county code and determining whether the examiner’s decision, and the process used to reach it, meets all legal requirements.
The council postponed the decision twice, once on Feb. 11 and again on Feb. 18. They started Monday’s meeting with a 12-minute executive session before taking a vote. Chairman Dave Somers was the lone vote against the project.
The final written decision is scheduled to come before the council on Wednesday. It includes an amendment that requires MXGP to build a berm around the property before they can begin operating. The condition is tacked onto a 14-page list included in the hearing examiner’s ruling.
“A lot of people worked really, really hard on this and put a lot into it,” MXGP co-owner Gary Strode said after the vote. “Our lives have been on hold for nine years.”
It could take years to build the berm to contain noise and manage runoff, as required in the council’s decision, he said. The track likely won’t be finished for at least 15 years. It’s not ideal, he said, but he still is excited and relieved by the vote.
“We just want to have a place to ride,” he said.
Amundson, one of the appellants who opposes the motocross track, plans to pursue an appeal in court.
Amundson believes the county already had decided to support the project, and nothing would sway leaders away from that decision. She hopes a judge may see things differently.
“It’s about the laws and the county code,” she said.
Opponents’ concerns have included noise, pollution and safety along with more technical worries about the permitting process and timeframe.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439, kbray@heraldnet.com
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