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Police Jury Denies Zoning Request for Motocross Racetrack
 

The police jury denied a zoning request for Don Gillett who wanted to open a professional grade motocross park in Fenton. Several farmers and local landowners voiced opposition. Here's some of the quotes from the JDN article: 

Garrett Carraway says: crop dusters spraying surrounding farmland could put patrons of the park at risk. Overspray and wind drift could cause harm to people out in the open area. 
Richard Watkins said: "It would be a definite detriment. We have a hard enough time as farmers as it is." The site would force farmers on the surrounding edges of the proposed park to put up buffer land around the park to prevent pesticides from drifting into the park. That buffer could mean a loss of acreage.

Tony Godeaux, who manages a farm operation to the south of the proposed site said crop dusting can, in some cases, be too erratic for a policy proposed by Gillet that the site could close due to spraying activities. The site would only be open on the weekends. Godeaux went on to say they would need 120' of buffer land . (ostensibly for safety).

Jim Watkins who farms land to the west of the proposed site said the park could be a large legal liability, not only for Gillett but for other farmers as well. When people see the planes they'll freak out. They can say they got sick because the planes flew overhead. 

Parking in the area and the use of gravel roads was also discussed but the core of the argument was based on the danger of crop dusting.

We finally have an admittance. Crop dusting is dangerous! When you substitute the words professional grade motocross park in Fenton with a residential home with small children, does that mean the dangers go away?. I live in a agriculture area, planes fly over and spray the fields under 120' from my house. I have just learned that it is dangerous, after decades of believing that it is safe. We live with and accept the noises, the smell, the flooded roads, the muddy roads, damaged roads from equipment and all of the inconveniences that come from living in the rural agriculture areas. I think there needs to be some compromise. I believe the farmers in that area made a major mistake and made a poor argument using the dangers of pesticides and crop dusting as their trump card. In their argument they could have opened "Pandora's box". If there is a danger with crop dusting of crops then it needs to be discontinued and should be applied from the ground. Now that they have told us that crop dusting in this area could be a large legal liability then that means it is a legal liability everywhere else too. Thanks for the tip. The next time I get sick...I'll get a lawyer and play the crop dusting angle. They have convinced us over the years that it is safe, and now when the current discussion suits them they play the "health & safety card".  Which is it? Is it dangerous or is it safe?

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