The Truesdale Board of Aldermen have scheduled a public hearing on April 24 at 5 p.m. in the MaryLou Center. The board plans to have their regular meeting at the MaryLou Center directly following the public hearing.

The subject of the hearing is a motocross and UTV track that has been proposed in Truesdale. The track is being constructed by Good Game Sports Park owner Dustin Loeffler as part of the expansion of his facility.

“I know it sounds crazy, but we’re proposing a motocross track on the inside and a UTV track on the outside,” Loeffler said at a previous board meeting. 

The track would be located on the section of his property bordering N Spoede Lane north of the train tracks and across the street from the Gastorf Chevrolet dealership. Loeffler previously discussed the track at the April 10 board meeting and assured the aldermen that he was taking measures to mitigate the noise created by the track.

“The biggest issue or concern that I could think of is specifically going to be noise,” Loeffler said. “So what we’re doing is we’re mandating that 96 decibel standard.”

Loeffler was referring to a standard passed in the state of California that prohibits motorbikes and UTVs from exceeding 96 decibels, which has become an industry standard. 96 decibels is comparable to the sound of a lawn mower. He went on to explain that all bikes and UTVs would be checked with a decibel meter before taking the track.

At the meeting he also outlined further noise mitigation efforts which would include Conex boxes between the track and adjacent properties which would help to direct the sound upward instead of outward toward nearby properties.

Since then he has met with nearby homeowners and decided that a dirt berm would be a sufficient replacement. 

He also said he plans to sod the berm and potentially plant trees or shrubs.

Loeffler has reached out to neighbors about any issues they may have with the construction and wants to work through those issues. He felt that the track would give many of the residents in the area who drive UTVs or ride dirt bikes on the roads a safer alternative to enjoy their hobbies.

“If there’s significant opposition, and it it’s not a good idea, we’ll hit pause and try and figure out something else to do with the land, but we think there’s a public benefit here,” Loeffler said.

Residents will have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the proposed development at the public hearing at 5 p.m. on April 24 at the MaryLou Center.