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HOWARD COUNTY, Maryland (WJZ) -- The fate of a homemade go-kart racetrack in Howard County is now in the hands of the Board of Appeals, which is set to make a final decision Thursday, July 31.
Chris Siperko built the half-mile-long, 24-foot-wide track between December 2023 and January 2024 on his Highland property for his son, Achilles, who hopes to become a professional driver. Siperko said he consulted with a paving company and believed no permits were necessary for the project.
But neighbors opposed the track, citing concerns about noise, environmental effects, safety, and property values.
Following complaints, a county inspection determined the track violated zoning and subdivision codes.
The Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning denied Siperko's conditional use application, stating go-karting was not a permitted activity under the county code.
That changed in June, when the Board of Appeals overruled the department's interpretation and decided the track qualified as an athletic field under county regulations. This decision allowed the permit application process to restart and led to a series of hearings stretching for hours over multiple sessions.
During a July 10 hearing, nearly a dozen neighbors testified against the track, many citing noise as the primary issue.
"I went to an indoor go-kart track to see what a go-kart sounded like," said neighbor Michael Mulcare. "Even at fairly low speeds, 35 miles an hour... they have a distinct whine. They also have screeching tires."
Kelly Rudden, who works remotely, said the sound from the track disrupted her workday. "That's not my responsibility, but I will say that you guys didn't even use your own track for your testing, so how would we?" she said during the hearing.
Sang Oh, Siperko's attorney, brought in two experts to testify that the proposed racetrack meets county code requirements. G. Macy Nelson, the attorney representing Siperko's neighbors, focused his case on environmental impacts and the potential for encroachment on neighboring properties.
Both attorneys had until 4:30 p.m. on July 24 to submit written summaries of their cases. The Board of Appeals will reconvene at 9 a.m. on Thursday to issue its final ruling.
