|
Schram working to take over Speedway
Posted: Tuesday, Aug 28th, 2012
By Jon Stinnett The Cottage Grove Sentinel
The Cottage Grove Speedway may soon
have a new owner/operator.
On Monday evening, Jerry Schram, owner of Sunset Speedway in Banks, Ore.,
Willamette Speedway in Lebanon and Grays Harbor Raceway, said that talks with
the attorney who represents current Cottage Grove Speedway owner Bob Farwell
earlier that day had been productive and could soon lead to Schram taking over
operations here. “We’re trying to put together a deal to where we will take
over,” Schram said. “We’re headed in the right direction, I think. I don’t know
the particulars just yet, but I think they’re willing to do that.”
Schram, who said he was on his way to the Cottage Grove Speedway when contacted
by the Sentinel, owns the land on which the Speedway sits and recently
expressed interest in running the facility should Farwell be unable to do so in
the future, a prospect that looks increasingly likely following the City of
Cottage Grove’s refusal last week to allow Farwell to finish the 2012 racing
season.
In an Aug. 13 letter, Cottage Grove Community Development Director Howard
Schesser ordered that “operation of the Speedway shall cease immediately,”
citing noncompliance with a Mixed-use Master Plan developed when the Speedway
was annexed into the City of Cottage Grove in 2010.
As part of the Speedway’s annexation, its master plan included requirements
that building permits be obtained for several buildings that have already been
constructed. In addition, engineer drawings were to be submitted for extensions
of the Speedway’s water and sewer systems, and plans for a secondary access
road were to be completed and a culvert built at its entrance.
Schesser’s letter indicated that Farwell had not supplied the necessary
information for the required building permits, adding that plans for the water
and sewer upgrades had not been submitted and Farwell had not supplied proof
that he sought permits from the Division of State Lands or Army Corps of
Engineers to build the culvert.
On Thursday, Schesser said the City was not prepared to allow Farwell to finish
the racing season if he provided the necessary information by the end of
November, as per a request made by Farwell’s attorney.
“Given their track record and the numerous times we’ve asked for information
that hasn’t been provided, we’re not prepared to enter into that kind of
arrangement,” Schesser said.
Schram said Monday evening that Farwell was “almost willing to let me take over
the Speedway right now for the rest of the season.” Schram said he believes
that, given a track record he has established at the other facilities he
operates, the City might be more amenable to allowing him to operate the
Speedway through the end of the 2012 season, which is scheduled to end with a
demolition derby and other events on Sept. 29.
“If we say we’re going to do something, they know we’re going to do it,” he
said. “The City doesn’t want the track to shut down, and it’s a good asset to
have the City behind you.”
|
