Those living near ChocolateFest grounds have questions for Gateway
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
While Gateway Technical College and the City of Burlington may be looking at a new training facility being located in Burlington as a positive, neighbors to that proposed construction are less than enthusiastic.
The phrase “not in my backyard” would be literal for residents in the subdivision that borders the ChocolateFest grounds – where Gateway has proposed building an Emergency Vehicles Operator Course training ground.
Jeff Dunn, a resident of Maryland Avenue, says he has no problem with the concept.
“This kind of training is absolutely fantastic,” he said. “Just not next to my house. That’s our only concern.”
Dunn said he and some of his neighbors went to last week’s Gateway Board of Trustees meeting – and came away with a list of questions.
At the top of the list of concerns is the noise given the location of the track.
“If you go online and look at the training, there’s videos online and such,” Dunn said. “They keep saying it’s not going to be loud.
“But they are going to have the screeching noise and the engine noise,” he added.
He also said he and his neighbors are concerned that, with many different groups projected to use the course, the sirens are going to be more frequent than planned.
“The City of Burlington is not the place for it,” he said.
Dunn added that in shifting the access road, residents will find more traffic coming closer to the homes.
The sketch Dunn had from the meeting shows the potential layout for the track setting up a new access road closer to the residences, and the track running in a triangle abutting the subdivision and Beaumont Field.
Sue Bollwahn, a neighbor of Dunn’s, definitely has concerns.
“Oh, big concerns,” she said. “First of all, nobody knew anything about this. Why was this being done without anybody knowing?
“Of course, you’re worried about the noise,” she added. “What’s going on is what we want to know.”
Bollwahn called ChocolateFest “hell” to the residents of the subdivision as it is.
“It’s better than what it was,” she conceded, saying festival President Bil Scherrer has worked to make the situation better for residents. However, there’s only so much that can be done, and the idea of having noise like that year round scared her.
So does the possible impact on traffic and property values. Bollwahn also called the news “out of the blue” in terms of it being communicated to residents of the subdivision.
“Our concern is, what else will we be expected to deal with?”
Some of the questions raised from the meeting, as compiled by Dunn, are:
• “What gives ChocolateFest the right to negotiate a sublease with permanent modifications of city property?” he wrote.
• “Due to the generosity of the City of Burlington to give ChocolateFest a $1-a-year lease for 30 years to keep ChocolateFest in Burlington, what happens with the lease if ChocolateFest does not return? What happens to all the local programs that benefit from ChocolateFest that ChocolateFest Inc. pleaded before the City Council to get of the previous lease and get the $1 year/30 years lease?”
• “Is it not a conflict of interest for city board members and city officials to have voting rights and zoning approval rights when they sit on the board of ChocolateFest?”
• “What is the cost to the City of Burlington for removal of existing lights, grandstands and buildings on site?”
• “As per the proposal, Gateway would allow ChocolateFest to use the grounds and permanent restrooms for ChocolateFest. Why would you, Gateway, allow heavy amusement rides and large tent stakes to be driven into your new road course and allow festivalgoers to use your restrooms? Who would pay for repairs and cleanup after ChocolateFest?”
• “What is the taxpayer and city budget effect for the City of Burlington?”
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