MONROE – Nicole Keeley and Michelle Bannon knew a racetrack would be in their neighborhood when they each moved to a small hill north of town.
But they see their experiences with the Evergreen Speedway at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds differently.
Racecars bring a hum to Keeley’s home, and fireworks at the end of a race day are loud, she said. But the noise doesn’t bother her, partly because nearby trees serve as a buffer.
“You have to like it. When you move in here, you know there is a track,” said Keeley, 34, an avid fan of auto racing.
But Bannon, 39, said she didn’t know how bad the noise would be at her home a half-mile from the speedway.
Even with her double-paned windows closed, she can hear the muffled roar during the race season that begins in late spring and continues until early fall.
Traffic also gets bad, she said.
“You learn to stay off Highway 2 through Monroe during race days,” said Bannon, who’s never been to the speedway.
It doesn’t surprise Bannon that many people living near the proposed site for a NASCAR track in Marysville have concerns about how it could affect their lives.
The International Speedway Corp. hopes to start races in 2008 at the proposed track.
“I think they’re most concerned about the unknowns,” Bannon said of residents near the Marysville site.
Keeley actually moved from Bothell into the area in 2001 because it is close to the racetrack, and she wanted to live in a more rural area.
“We thought it would be a plus because we don’t need to drive all the way,” said Keeley, who goes to about four races each season.
Keeley said she is excited a NASCAR track might end up in Marysville, and believes there isn’t much for residents to be concerned about.
“It’s going to take a little adjustment, but I think they will enjoy it when it settles down,” she said.
Over the years, Bannon said she has gotten used to the noise from the Monroe track, and added she likes her neighborhood and doesn’t want to move anywhere else.
Since the more than 50-year-old track existed long before she moved there, Bannon said she doesn’t think it affects property values, although that is a concern in Marysville. Houses in her neighborhood cost about the same as other parts of town, she added.
Despite the proximity to the track, the area north of the fairgrounds keeps growing, Bannon said. It has about 1,500 homes, and several new ones are under construction.
Two other speedway neighbors are split on the Marysville proposal.
Anna Nelson, who has lived in the area for 16 years, said that the NASCAR track in Marysville would be bigger and louder than the one in Monroe.
“You can’t compare those tracks. They are completely different,” said the Monroe native who enjoys stock car races at the speedway.
The Evergreen Speedway has had some minor-league NASCAR races in the past. While she has nothing against NASCAR, those cars are louder than other types of auto races, said Nelson, who lives on Robinhood Lane.
“You have to yell when you are outside” in your yard during NASCAR races, she said.
Meanwhile, Delana Reeves, who has lived close to the track for about two and a half years, said the speedway has many activities, making the noise more frequent and louder.
She said she hopes the NASCAR track in Marysville will thrive and result in the speedway in Monroe cutting some of its events.
“I didn’t want it to come” to the county, she said, but she admitted NASCAR will be economic boost for the area.
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
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