Even though she and her husband Richard do not yet officially own the Wiscasset Racetrack, Vanessa Jordan said the community has been extremely supportive of the new venture.
“The closing date (to purchase the racetrack) hasn’t been set. Our goal is to first get the closing done, and then work on the whole Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) project. We are hoping to meet with DEP representatives and just walk through the area. The town is really supportive and is helping with that,” she said.
Two reports, one from the DEP and one from MAI Environmental, an environmental engineering consulting firm in South Portland, outline partially-buried debris and barrels dumped behind the racetrack over a period of several decades.
According to the MAI Environmental report dated April 12, the historical aerial images of the property show disturbed ground areas towards the “pit” areas north and west of the racetrack. It cited oil drums and possible leakage into a nearby stream and a possible contamination of neighboring wells.
Despite the environmental concerns and outstanding taxes of approximately $45,000, the Jordans bought the property at auction on July 12 for $130,000, far below the assessed value, and almost one quarter of the $500,000 loan on the property.
Jordan said the Town of Wiscasset’s support has made an extraordinary difference. “We had always been under the impression that the town wasn’t interested in having a racetrack anymore. That is indeed not true. The track is part of Wiscasset’s history. One of the best events of the day was to meet the town manager Laurie Smith,” said Vanessa Jordan.
Laurie Smith said the town’s feeling was mutual. “One of the best things for the track is that the Jordans are stepping to the plate and willing to take ownership. They have found a community that will step up and do the right thing. The Jordans are common sense, well-rounded Mainers, pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps kind of people. It’s refreshing.”
The Jordans plan on meeting with the Wiscasset Board of Selectmen at some point soon.
The Jordans plan to keep it a racetrack, but they are also considering a whole range of options. “Rich and I are bouncing around a lot of ideas,” Jordan said.
Even though they have been inundated with ideas from the community, she said they are accepting them all. “We’ll sit back and make up our minds this winter,” she said.
Other than using it as a racetrack, other suggestions include concerts, horse shows, motor sports and truck pulls. Jordan thought they could use a suggestion box, and people could submit their ideas. That would be a place to start, she said.
“People are out there shopping for a venue. Right now we are just accepting everyone’s suggestions,” Jordan said.
As soon as the closing papers are signed, the clean up day will happen, she said. “We appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm, because we are enthusiastic, too. As soon as it is ours, we’ll let everyone know,” she said.
