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Kissimmee residents against proposed motorsports park

There's pushback from some homeowners against a proposed motorsports park in Osceola County.
While some believe it will offer a tourism boost, others believe it will bring too much noise in their back yards.
The park would be built at the southwest corner of US-192 and State Road 429 in Kissimmee.
Opposition to the park has spread online.
Resident Jeanne Smith said there's nothing like the peace of her Kissimmee back yard. 
But beyond the trees, lies US-192.
"The storms knocked out a lot of trees in 2004, the big hurricanes, and the noise, because there's more traffic, I can hear the brakes of semis, and you can hear the traffic noise," Smith said.
Smith said she’s not happy about the possibility of a sports park being built on nearby vacant land, zoned for commercial tourist development in the same area.
"There's a lot of residential homes and apartments around the proposed motorsports.  I think it's a negative," she said.
The proposed Orlando Motorsports Park would be built on 217 acres.
The application to the county describes it as a "tourist destination," with go-kart and road courses.
But what is getting residents’ attention is a noise variance request to allow sound levels at 90 decibels, which is 35 decibels above the set county limit.
"I think it's going to be a lot louder," said resident Christine White.
Developers argue that because of traffic on US-192, sound levels are already above the limit.
But the proposal also shows a sound wall that would go up to block noise.
Nearly 500 people who have already signed an online petition against the park aren't sold.
"It shouldn't just favor the tourists. It should favor the quality of life in Central Florida," Smith said.
Based on the variance request, the Osceola County Development Review Committee recommended a denial of the application.
But the county Board of Adjustment could make a different decision.
The board is scheduled to meet again on Oct. 17.

Cox Media Group

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