ATTENTION RACEFANS: Raceway Park needs YOUR help and support
 

ATTENTION RACEFANS:

Raceway Park needs your help and support!!!

On Thursday August 5th, a Public Meeting is being held to discuss the noise levels that affect the residents of Manalapan and Englishtown. Monmouth County Assemblymen Michael J. Panter and Robert L. Morgan will discuss their recent legislation proposal to remove the Motor Vehicle Racetrack Exemption from the Noise Control Act of 1971. This exemption is what makes it possible for racetracks of all types to operate unmuffled vehicles. This move would be devastating to Raceway Park, and could set off a number of changes the way racetracks operate both here in our area and all over the state. Founded in 1965, long before the wave of housing developments that now dominate our area, Raceway Park has remained a place for motorsport enthusiasts of all kinds to come and enjoy the sports they love. Raceway Park has been able to stay open these many years based largely in part on the vocal support of the many local race fans who have helped us to fend off these attacks in the past.
We now ask for that support again, so that we may silence those who oppose Raceway Park once and for all. The meeting is open to the public and will take place on Thursday August 5th at 7:00 PM in Manalapan Township at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters located at 125 Symmes Rd. The library is a mere 1/4 mile from the corner of Route 9 and Symmes Rd. and very easy to access. If you are unable to attend, please contact Assemblymen Panter and Assemblymen Morgan at 732-741-5599 and voice your opinion. You may also fax your thoughts to 732-741-0012 or contact them via email at AsmPanter@njleg.org or AsmMorgan@njleg.org. If you e-mail, please copy Raceway Park at etownrcwy@aol.com. You can send a letter to them at New Jersey General Assembly, Legislative Office, The Galleria, 2 Bridge Avenue, Bldg. 2, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701. Please come out and support Raceway Park, the home of fast family fun for over 40 years and for many years to come.

i'll be sending out an e-mail before the end of the weekend.

Post what you send here, maybe somebody else can use yours as a template.

I'll be sending one out as well. :-k Maybe a bunch of them.

will do.

Dear Assemblymen Panter and Morgan:



I am writing with regard to the upcoming August 5, 2004 meeting to discuss the matter of the noise levels at Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey. As my representatives in this matter I want to make clear my opinion that no noise level restrictions should be imposed upon Raceway Park. I am a racecar enthusiast, both as an active participant in the sport and as a spectator. Raceway Park is the only racetrack in New Jersey that is home to national level racecar events and to impose noise restrictions on the park would have serious ramifications on the authenticity and excitement of the sport. Racecar driving is growing in popularity as a spectator sport and is a valued source of income to Englishtown and surrounding areas. The domino effect of imposing noise restrictions would certainly filter down to effect the economy of these areas as well. Again, I reiterate my position that I am against imposing noise restrictions of Raceway Park.



Sincerely,



Tony Mazza

THIS IS A SAMPLE. I LIVE IN NJ

Assemblymen will discuss
issue of noise at drag strip

MANALAPAN — State assemblymen Michael J. Panter and Dr. Robert L. Morgan (both D-Monmouth/Mercer) announced that they have been researching the issue of noise pollution and its effects on neighborhoods in Manalapan, Marlboro and Englishtown located near Raceway Park in Old Bridge.

They will hold a public meeting to discuss the subject with residents at 7 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters, Symmes Drive.

"A number of constituents have come forward and asked for our help," said Panter. "It is clear that the majority of residents living in these communities feel that the level of noise coming out of Raceway Park, and its hours of operation, are significantly impacting their quality of life."

According to a press release, the as*semblymen’s district office will send let*ters to approximately 3,000 residents in the affected areas during the week of July 19, inviting them to take part in the meeting. The assemblymen will also be speaking with residents in the weeks leading up to the public forum through a door-to-door canvass of these neighbor*hoods.

"Raceway Park has been part of our state and an important factor in the fi*nancial stability of Old Bridge for many years," said Morgan. "We certainly don’t want to unduly impact their business. What we would like to do is find a mutu*ally beneficial solution that will make the lives of thousands of homeowners more peaceful."

According to the press release, the New Jersey Noise Control Act of 1971 en*titles the people of New Jersey to an en*vironment free from noise which degrades their quality of life. The act provides spe*cific noise thresholds which can not be exceeded by any party in the state of New Jersey, but exempts certain entities — among them, motor vehicle raceways like the drag strip at Raceway Park.

In 1981, an appellate court ruled that the exemption should not render race*tracks immune from the obligation to conduct their operations without unduly interfering with the rights of local resi*dents. The court concluded that Raceway Park should be forbidden to emit noise exceeding 70 decibels during the day, and 60 decibels at night. This ruling has not been enforced, according to the press re*lease. A similar court ruling in 2002 re*sulted in the same findings, but has also not been enforced.

Panter and Morgan said they have drafted a piece of legislation that would remove the exemption from the act for motor vehicle racetracks located in close proximity to residential neighborhoods. That legislation will be part of the discus*sion at the meeting on Aug. 5.

"We’re hoping it won’t be necessary to propose this bill during our fall session," said Morgan. "Ideally, all of the parties involved will be willing to compromise."

"We would like to see the racetrack in*corporate more substantial abatement measures that would protect the quality of life in the surrounding neighborhoods," said Panter. "No one wants to see Raceway Park shut down, but this prob*lem has been going on for too long, de*spite the best efforts of residents, Manalapan officials and others. It’s time for a reasonable compromise to be found."

One last reminder to attend the Raceway Park meeting in Manalapan this coming Thursday, August 5 at 7:00 pm. Directions are posted below. Whether you're a racer that uses the track or a business that benefits from it, please come out and show your support for Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. Let New Jersey's elected officials know that racers matter and racers vote.

FROM NORTHERN NEW JERSEY:
Take Parkway South to exit 123 (Route 9 South -Sayreville/Old Bridge)

Follow Route 9 South for approximately 12 miles (into Manalapan)

Make right turn at Ryans Road/Symmes Drive

At stop sign make right - library is on right


FROM SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY
Take Turnpike North to exit 8

Follow signs for Route 33 East (Local) to Route 9 North (into Manalapan)

At Ryans Road/Symmes Drive (jughandle) make left turn onto Symmes Drive

Library is on right

or

Take Route 537 North to Route 9 North (into Manalapan)

At Ryans Road/Symmes Drive (jughandle) make left turn onto Symmes Drive

Library is on right


FROM CENTRAL NEW JERSEY
Take Route 9 North (into Manalapan)

At Ryans Road/Symmes Drive (jughandle) make left turn onto Symmes Drive

Library is on right


FROM TRENTON AREA
Take Route 33 East to Route 9 North (into Manalapan)

At Ryans Road/Symmes Drive (jughandle) make left turn onto Symmes Drive

Library is on right

Officials seek to clarify details on Raceway Park
Noise from drag strip
will be discussed at
Aug. 5 public hearing


MANALAPAN — Assemblyman Michael J. Panter announced new information that he said will be highly relevant at a meeting that will focus on the issue of noise emanating from Raceway Park.

Panter and Dr. Robert L. Morgan (both D-Monmouth/Mercer) will be holding a public forum at 7 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters, 125 Symmes Drive, to discuss what they called an ongoing noise pollution problem that has been affecting neighborhoods in Manalapan, Marlboro and Englishtown that are near the Raceway Park drag strip.

Raceway Park is on Pension Road in south Old Bridge, near the Manalapan border.

"A productive public meeting will require us to dispel certain misperceptions that have arisen through the years and to clarify the facts regarding the Raceway Park situation," said Panter.

According to a press release from the assemblymen, in the decades-long debate on this issue, some have said that since Raceway Park was built before the homes which surround it, residents are complaining about something they were well aware of when they purchased their homes.

"That point is very misleading since the business at Raceway Park is vastly different than it was originally," said Panter. "Many of its changes and expansions took place after these residential communities were already well established."

Raceway Park began its operations in 1965, during a time when the surrounding area was already zoned for residential use, with construction of homes starting about three years later.

According to Panter and Morgan, when Raceway Park began its operations, racing took place only one day per week from April through October. There were no loudspeakers, no lights for night racing and no extremely loud "rocket" and "jet" vehicles being used at the track. As technology advanced, these and other vehicles using nitrous oxide and alcohol-based fuels were added to Raceway Park’s events. Its racing schedule and hours of operation were expanded despite the established presence of nearby neigh*borhoods, they said. In recent years, the business was expanded further as the track began to host large outdoor concerts, a liquor li*cense was obtained and a second "multi-purpose" raceway was con*structed.

"All of these changes have re*sulted in a vastly different business from that which existed when many of the thousands of surround*ing homes were built," Panter said.

While the track was initially ex*empted from the provisions of the New Jersey Noise Control Act of 1971, for 25 years it has been sub*ject to noise limitations and restric*tions on its hours of operation im*posed by the state’s courts. These rulings have not been enforced by state or local authorities during this time period, despite a long history of complaints by residents as well as local, state and federal elected officials, the assemblymen said.

"We recognize the importance of Raceway Park to its community, to the financial stability of Old Bridge and to the many spectators who support the drag racing indus*try," said Panter. "Our goal is not to harm their business, but to explore changes that would allow them to abide by the law while respecting the rights of their neighbors."

In a meeting with Raceway Park representatives on July 22, Panter accepted an invitation to tour the facility.

"A constructive dialogue among all parties will help us to find ways for Raceway Park’s business to thrive, while respecting the tens of thousands of residents who live nearby," said Panter.

Did anyone attend the meeting last night?

Here's a post from somebody on DRU:

"As expected most of the RP staff was there and about 10 people against the track. There was a good 500 plus SUPPORTING the track. The best though was "open microphone" where over 150 people signed up to speak although time allowed only about 30 or so.

The people do not want to shut down the track..jus lower the DB level. But they make outrageous claims that at 13 miles away they hear the 90 db or how they hear cars at 11:30 p.m some nights!!"

http://www.dragracingunderground.com...ges/10189.html

when dealinng with big brother and their desire for deep pockets we are all little sisters. they prob want it shut down to build condo's or some shit. face it , it is a very nice community. if e-town was gone there would be alot of room for alot of people to make alot of cash. ](*,)

:shock: i was beeped ? whats up with that? #-o

It must've been Big Brother. ;-)

The "word censor" is turned on, it filters out bad language.

:oops:

Published in the Asbury Park Press 8/06/04

By JAMES QUIRK
FREEHOLD BUREAU
MANALAPAN -- In a raucous meeting that deteriorated several times into a shouting match, hundreds of people packed into the Monmouth County Library Headquarters last night to debate what impact noise from Raceway Park has on surrounding communities.

Supporters of the park in neighboring Old Bridge were there in force, waving photocopied signs on pastel paper that read, "I (love) to race and I vote."

Critics of the speedway were also among the 150 people who signed up to speak, though some in the audience said many opponents of the speedway were intimidated by the crowd and chose not to express their views.

The meeting was organized by Assemblymen Michael J. Panter Jr. and Robert L. Morgan, both D-Monmouth, in response to what they say have been a deluge of complaints from among the 25,000 people who live within a three-mile radius of the park, which is in their district.

"I am not here as a supporter of the community or as a supporter of Raceway Park," said Panter, who was loudly booed after he introduced himself. "I am here as a supporter of both, because the two are not mutually exclusive."
Manalapan Mayor Beth Ward -- who sternly managed to quiet the animated crowd early into the meeting -- stressed that the goal of the meeting was not to brainstorm ways to shut the speedway down.

"If we shut down Raceway Park, what's going to happen?" Ward said. "A couple of thousand of homes, which we need like a hole in the head."

Panter and Morgan contend that the New Jersey Noise Control Act of 1971 is aimed at allowing residents to live in an environment free of excess noise, which can degrade their quality of life. The act provides specific noise thresholds that cannot be exceeded but exempts certain entities, such as automobile raceways like the drag strip at Raceway Park.

In 1981, an appellate court ruled that racetracks should not be exempt from the 1971 act. The court concluded that Raceway Park should be forbidden to emit noise exceeding 70 decibels during the day and 60 decibels at night. This ruling and a similar one in 2002 have not been enforced, Panter and Morgan say.

Many of the people who spoke last night said those neighbors who complain of the noise at Raceway Park should have known what they were getting into when they bought their homes near the 39-year-old speedway.

Neighbor and Raceway supporter Stuart Lerner remarked that, in the words of his 12-year-old son, those neighbors who complain of the noise are "like going into a swimming pool and saying, 'I knew it was going to be wet, but I didn't know it was going to be this wet!' "

Old Bridge Township Councilwoman Lucille Panos questioned how much money Manalapan spends in lawsuits fighting Raceway Park and suggested "you're better off using that money and building a wall around the five people who are complaining."

Yet David Richardson, health officer for Manalapan, said measured noise levels have exceeded state standards over the years at the speedway.

Further, Eric Zwirling, director of the Rutgers University Noise Assistance Center, said his company, Noise Consulting LLC, studied 560 events held at the speedway in 2001.

"Time after time, we found the facilities were not in compliance with those court orders," Zwirling said.

As he struggled to be heard over a swelling chorus of derision, Zwirling added that 97 percent of the cars racing on so-called "street legal" days -- when only cars with standard mufflers can compete -- exceeded state noise limits, and many cars raced long after the mandated 10 p.m. closing time.

Limits of 87 decibels were measured, which "is the equivalent to having a picnic table on the side of the New Jersey Turnpike," Zwirling said.

His comments were met with immediate outrage from Mike Leckstein, a Little Silver-based attorney representing the owners of Raceway Park. Leckstein dismissed Zwirling's comments as false and exaggerated.

In a letter sent Tuesday to Panter and Morgan, Leckstein said that a state Supreme Court decision handed down on Christ-mas Eve 1985 "agreed that it was impossible for Raceway Park to always meet the 70-decibel standard." This was the last time the issue was dealt with in the courts, Leckstein said.

"Accordingly, Raceway Park is and always has been operating legally pursuant to all existing court orders and the laws of the state of New Jersey," he said.

Leckstein contends that the 2002 court order made no mention of noise levels.

"If Raceway Park is in violation of a court order, my client would immediately attempt to remedy the situation," he said in his letter. "The history of the racetrack has always been one of compliance with all laws, regulations and court orders that have been imposed upon it."

But several neighbors of the speedway offered a different perspective.

Karen Lichter said her 10-acre property is adjacent to Race-way Park. Her family has lived in her home since the 1950s, and the noise levels are so great that "I have to check Raceway Park's schedule to see if I can invite people over on weekends," she said. "While Raceway Park has the right to exist, I would like to see them operate within the law. Do I have to give up my house that I grew up in and my children grew up in? I was there first."

The capacity of Raceway Park has changed dramatically since it first opened, Panter said. The facility now runs 154 races a year, recently obtained a liquor license and has four motocross tracks.

"You can buy a house near a soccer field called the Meadowlands, but then when they build Giant Stadium on it, you can't say the use is the same," Panter said. "We're not out to get Raceway Park -- we're for them continuing their business in a respectful manner."

It was unclear last night what will come out of the public meeting. Panter and Morgan did not discuss their proposed legislation that would remove the exemption from the Noise Control Act for motor vehicle racetracks located in close proximity to residential neighborhoods, requiring the racetracks to abide by the decibel thresholds.

Supporters of the speedway say this legislation would force Raceway Park to close.

Chris George, Manalapan, said that he has listened to his windowpanes rattle from the races for the past 23 years and has loved it. Most of the criticism of how Raceway Park operates, he said, is coming from people who have recently moved to the area from places like Long Island.

"You moved here to get away from something," George said. "If you have a problem here, move away from it."

His comments were met with thunderous applause.

James Quirk: (732) 308-7758 or jquirk@app.com

Raceway Park gets roar of support
Noise complaints examined at hearing

Friday, August 06, 2004
BY PATRICK JENKINS
Star-Ledger Staff
Supporters of Old Bridge Township Raceway Park last night packed a public hearing on the fate of the racetrack, emotionally telling a pair of state legislators the landmark venue should stay and residents who don't like its noise should move.

Incensed by what they said were relentless efforts by some residents near the track to close it, racing fans filled 200 seats in the auditorium of the Monmouth County Library Headquarters building in Manalapan, lined the side and back walls, and filled a side walkway and the staircase leading up and out of the structure.

Assemblymen Michael Panter and Robert Morgan (both D-Monmouth) called the hearing as a way to help find a compromise solution to the noise problems some residents have with the racetrack, just over the border in Old Bridge, Middlesex County.

The lawmakers said they want to provide noise relief while allowing the track to operate fully.

They had sign-in sheets at the entrances and asked those who intended to speak to check whether they supported the racetrack or the neighbors. More than 120 people signed up, and the majority checked the racetrack, aides said.

It has become a life-or-death issue for track supporters because the legislators have said they are considering drafting a bill that would remove Raceway Park's exemption from the state's noise law, a move track operators say would effectively put them out of business.

Aides to Panter and Morgan said the room was chosen because it has a capacity of 500 people. The overwhelming majority of those in attendance last night were supporters of Raceway Park. They held up signs saying, "I love racing. I vote," which were stacked on tables by the entrances.

Most speaking in support of the racetrack claimed the 40-year-old venue was there long before the complaining residents.

Typical was Stewart Lerner, who said he was in the car with his 12-year-old son, listening to a radio talk show on the issue, and a caller said he knew the track was there when he bought his house but didn't know it would be so loud.

"My 12-year-old son started laughing and said that was like going into a pool and saying you know it would be wet but not that wet," Lerner said.

Karen Lechter spoke in favor of some sort of compromise, noting her 10-acre property abuts Raceway Park and has been in her family for three generations.

"I have to check their schedule to see if I can invite guests for the weekend," she said. Then she added, "I was here first," in rebuttal to those claiming the track was there before the residents.

Several other neighbors said they didn't want to shut Raceway Park but believed some compromise could be reached.

At one point, Manalapan Mayor Beth Ford grabbed the microphone and shouted, "I love racing and I vote. The only reason I moved here is because my husband took me on a date to Raceway Park. If we shut down Raceway Park, what would we get? Thousands more homes we don't need? We're not here to close the racetrack, we're here to see what people have to say."

Much of the talk concerned a 1981 appellate court ruling prohibitng Raceway Park from exceeding 70 decibels during the day and 60 at night.

Many of the homeowners contended Raceway Park frequently exceeded those limits and demanded that authorities enforce the court order.

But according to Raceway Park attorney Michael Leckstein of Little Silver, the track is not limited to those levels because of a 1985 court order.

He said that order was the result of a trial before Superior Court Judge Marshall Selikoff, who determined it was impossible for Raceway Park to always meet the decibel limits of the 1981 court order and therefore concluded the track "should not be enjoined from emitting noise which exceeds 70 decibels during the daytime and 60 decibels at night."

Leckstein said he informed Panter and Morgan about the court decision before last night's hearing.

Morgan and Panter said the legislation they are drafting is really "a last resort" they would prefer not to use.

The bill they propose would remove Raceway Park's exemption from the New Jersey Noise Act of 1971, which track officials say would effectively put them out of business.

Patrick Jenkins works in the Middlesex County bureau.. He can be reached at (732) 404-8090 or pjen kins@starledger.com.

It's noise against the neighbors

Raceway Park and some who live in the area are proving to be a combustible mixture

Sunday, August 08, 2004
BY PATRICK JENKINS
Star-Ledger Staff

On a hot, humid Sunday in July 1965, two cars raced down the quarter-mile drag strip at Raceway Park.

The rubber-burning squeal of their tires and the rocket-firing roar of their engines didn't bother the neighbors.

There weren't any.

"It was in the middle of nowhere," said Darwin Doll, a director of the National Hot Rod Association, which sanctioned the track in 1965 to hold major races. "Housing development in the area was nonexistent. I don't think there were five houses in a three-mile radius of the track."

There are now.

Old Bridge, where Raceway Park is located, and neighboring Manalapan have had their populations skyrocket since the 1970s, and housing developments have been built less than a half-mile from the track.

Now, many of the new neighbors are fed up with the noise from the track and want it silenced, setting off yet another (and in this case nitro-fueled) classic Jersey sprawl debate: Whose rights should be protected, those of the newcomers, or those of the people who got there first?

It is a debate that plays out over and over in the formerly rural areas of the state, where people in new subdivisions complain about the farm smells, quarry blasting, airplane droning, race car noise or any other nuisance that was once far removed from the masses and went unnoticed.

"The four days a week of regular racing can be heard clear as a bell, including the public address system," said Marc Levy of Manalapan, who bought his home in the 1990s, knowing it was less than a mile from Raceway Park. "Friday and Saturday racing is supposed to be 'street muffled,' but it clearly is not. A street-muffled car cannot be heard a mile away."

But Michael "Junior" Canonico, who moved to Manalapan from Brooklyn 20 years ago so he could race at the track, says shutting it down would be unfair to people like him.

"The thing that makes me sick is that people from Manalapan say it affects their quality of life, but what about mine?" Canonico said. "I go there three times a week, and the people that use that venue enjoy it, too. What about (our) quality of life?"

Two state lawmakers are holding public hearings and doing other research aimed at finding a consensus solution to noise problems at Raceway Park.

If that doesn't work, they intend to sponsor legislation that would subject Raceway Park to the state's stringent noise laws. Racetracks were exempted when the law was passed in 1971.

If Raceway Park had to abide by the current noise laws, it would have to close, its owner says.

"This is a motorsports facility. There is no technology that I know of that would solve the noise problem," said Michael Napp, 41, a third-generation co-owner of the family-operated park along with a cousin, Alex Napp.


MAJOR TOUR STOP

Raceway Park is not only a New Jersey blue-collar institution, but a major stop on the NHRA tour. The track has hosted countless NHRA "Nationals" and "Supernationals," and the bellowing "Sunday ... Sunday" radio ads of the '60s and '70s touted the likes of Don "The Snake" Prudhomme and "Big Daddy" Don Garlits coming to "Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey."

The track draws about 650,000 people a year. The Matco Tools Supernationals in May is the top event, drawing some 50,000 fans and offering prize money of more than $1 million.

Other major draws are the annual weekend events featuring cars such as Corvettes, turbo- charged Buick Grand Nationals and Ford Mustangs, Michael Napp said.

But the enduring lure of the track has been local racing. The track was on the outskirts of the Central Jersey industrial belt and in the middle of the rural area where Middlesex and Monmouth counties meet.

It was a perfect meeting place for the blue-collar engine-tinkerers from the Amboys, the street cruisers from the Shore, and farm boys from the outlying Brunswicks to test their metal, running their souped-up Camaros, Roadrunners and Barracudas down the quarter-mile strip at license- suspending speeds. It was floor- it-and-hold-tight drag racing at its purest.

"The feeling is unbelievable," Canonico said. "The initial launch, the jolt of leaving the starting line, that's the thrill of drag racing. When you cross the finish line at 130, it feels like you're doing 55 on the highway."

Over the years, the track, which sits on 450 acres in Middlesex County next to the Old Bridge airport, has added a one- eighth of a mile drag strip for junior racers, a main motorcycle motocross racetrack, several motocross practice tracks, and a go- kart track and is awaiting final approval on an already completed road course.

But with it all comes noise.

"While many people claim the noise doesn't bother them, many people, including me, find it horrible," said Arnie Feldman, who like Levy bought his Manalapan home in the 1990s and lives less than a mile from the track. "The enjoyment of my backyard pool, having friends and family for barbecue is downgraded by the roar of high-powered cars and motorcycles from Raceway Park."

Now, Feldman says, he uses earplugs or headphones while in his yard, based on the track's schedule.

Canonico wonders why people bothered by the noise moved next to the track in the first place.

"When I moved here from Brooklyn, I moved next to a horse farm. Hey, I'm from Brooklyn, I didn't know what horse manure smelled like, but now I do," Canonico said. "On a hot day, when the wind blows, I'm in trouble, but I'm not going to take it out on the farmer."

Levy counters by saying the noise from the track varies according to what's being raced and wind direction, so it's hard to predict the full impact on any given day.

"It's not until you live through a full season do you understand the situation," he said.

Assemblymen Michael Panter and Robert Morgan, whose Legislative district includes portions of Monmouth and Mercer counties, hope to broker a peace.

They said their goal is to stimulate discussion that would lead to a mutually beneficial solution, one that would give relief to the neighbors while letting the race track operate.

"We are not out to unduly impact Raceway Park," Panter said.

But track supporters doubt that assertion. At a hearing last week held by Panter and Morgan, hundreds of track supporters, including nearby residents of both Old Bridge and Manalapan, shouted down a consultant who said the noise produced was physically unhealthy for neighbors.

They accused the man of using outdated, inaccurate and misleading statements about the track.

They settled down after Manalapan Mayor Beth Ward asked them to let everyone speak, emphasizing she was a backer of Raceway Park.

The crowd was so large it spilled out of the 500-capacity hall at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters building.


CHRONIC PROBLEM

Noise from Raceway Park has been a chronic problem for some neighbors after they began moving into the area during the 1970s. Between 1960 and 2000, the population of Manalapan grew nearly tenfold, from 3,990 to 33,423. During that same period, the population of Old Bridge nearly tripled, from 22,772 to 60,456.

In 1981, a state appellate court ruling in connection with one lawsuit prohibited Raceway Park from exceeding 70 decibels during the day and 60 decibels at night, and limited its "special events" days to 18 a year. A top-fuel dragster throws off 115 decibels, compared to 140 for an average jet on takeoff, and 75 for the drone of Parkway traffic.

"I used to be able to run the top fuel cars 365 days a year," said Napp, referring to the powerful nitro-burning dragsters and funny cars that run the quarter-mile in five seconds or less at 300 miles per hour.

"Those are the cars people come to see, and I was limited to 18 days a year."

Napp says he's made several accommodations for his new neighbors, including building a $500,000 sound wall to reduce noise.

"Manalapan designed it and I built it at my cost. We redirected the sound system to aim it away from the neighbors. We live by the curfews. We do everything we can to be good neighbors," Napp said.

Old Bridge Mayor James Phillips said he understands the track-was-here-first argument but says Raceway Park must continue to adapt.

"As more and more houses get closer to the raceway, it's going to become more of a problem," he said. "The reality is the people and Raceway Park have to find a way to co-exist. We're not at the point right now that someone is going to tell Raceway Park that it has to close down, but we've already got approvals for new housing right up to its borders."

Some Manalapan developments are already within 2,000 feet from the drag strip starting line, and homes range from $200,000 to $700,000, according to local real estate agents.

While most homeowners near the park say it hasn't hurt their property values, real estate agent Barbara Berg says it is a factor.

"It definitely has an effect. When we're showing a house while they're racing, the houses shake and the buyers don't like it," said Berg, manager of the Weichert Realty Office in Manalapan/Marlboro.

"A similar house away from the track would definitely sell for more," she said.


Patrick Jenkins works in the Middlesex County Bureau of The Star- Ledger. He can be reached at 732-404-8090 or pjenkins@starled ger.com.