BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — Bradford County commissioners are allowing an annual private racing event to continue based on the willingness to abide by standards drafted by the organizer.
Sitting as the Board of Adjustment, commissioners voted Sept. 5 to grant a special exception for the recreational racetrack on more than 8 acres of land on Northwest 74th Avenue.
In July, Christine Williams told the commission they hold an event for pit bike enthusiasts like her son, and they would like to be in compliance with the requirements of the land development regulations.
“We have become friends with so many people, and it’s really just a gathering of all these people, family and friends. They just really get together and swap information and knowledge, and then have little competition,” she said.
The commission postponed a decision pending more information about requirements for special events, including whether they needed to apply for a permit annually or hire security.
At the Sept. 5 hearing, Zoning Director Randy Andrews presented a letter from Bradford County Sheriff’s Office Maj. George Konkel, who stated BCSO’s position that the event may continue as planned as long as Williams complied with the measures she submitted.
The only concern came from Chief Ben Carter of Bradford County Fire Rescue about the lack of medical staff on site for the race days. Konkel could find nothing that would legally require Williams to pay for medical staff.
According to Carter, Williams had previously reached out for a quote, but declined because of the cost.
“As long as she would be holding all of the liability, and the county would not be liable for approving the event with no medical staffing, I am OK with it,” Carter stated in an email to Konkel and code enforcement officer Glenn Ward.
Since the meeting in July, Ward had toured the property with Williams and went over her plans.
The private event welcomes approximately 75 riders in the first two months of the year. The event begins on a Friday morning with practice and a swap meet, and everyone leaves on Sunday. Competition on Saturday will begin in the morning, but on each day of the event, silence will be observed after 10 p.m. Campers (usually six to 10) will arrive no earlier than Thursday afternoon, and offroad vehicles will not be allowed on county roads.
The private event will not welcome local spectators — only riders and their families. Volunteers from this group will monitor the competition for safety, and all riders will wear protective gear. A large water tank with a gas-powered pump and fire hose will be on site in case of fire. Alcohol will not be served.
The event will be promoted to pit bike media sites only. According to Williams, 90% of the participants are known to them from other events, so security is not needed.
Sheriff Gordon Smith has talked about using code enforcement fines and requiring permits in order to deter impromptu gatherings, such as the pop-up party that disrupted Lake Butler in June. Commissioners were convinced a planned and private racing event would not result in the same problems.
