RACETRACK RUMORS RESURFACE

  

Conflicting reports involving the possible future of a racetrack near Chappell Hill have some residents there up in arms.

Charles Von Schmidt Club Track Holdings
Charles Von Schmidt
Club Track Holdings

Back in September, the Washington County Commissioners denied a tax phase-in agreement for Club Track Holdings and Charles Von Schmidt for a track on Wonder Hill Road.

Von Schmidt faced three hours of questions from approximately 300 area residents and land-owners who were vehemently against the project.

Reports are now surfacing that Club Track Holdings is attempting to acquire nearly 1000 acres of land near Chappell Hill, near St. Stanislaus Catholic Church and the Browning Plantation for the proposed Bluebonnet Race Circuit.

Von Schmidt says that his company is looking at a number of locations in Washington County…

         

Those reports have not been confirmed, but in a recent edition of “The Drivers’ Edge”, a newsletter for driving enthusiasts, Club Track Holdings posts that they have two sites for possible track constructing near Brenham, with the Wonder Hill site now their second choice.

The letter describes their first choice as “…just 7 miles from Brenham.  A much larger site allowing room for future expansion of facilities, with great topography & already has on site commercial, residential and retail space for race teams, support shops, restaurants and perhaps even a hotel on site.”

The letter goes on to say the second site, “…is located in a less dense area, & avoids the issues that have arisen at Wonderhill (sic) site.”  It adds that the 1000 acres offers an opportunity to “…sell of portions to anyone interested in a 10-200 acre ranch.

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17 Comments

  1. With Brenham being half way between Houston and Austin, and Washington County having such beautifull country sides, is it any wonder that the good people of the two large towns want to escape and move to, or around Brenham. Can we blame them? Should we discourage them? I don’t think so. My opinion is that we will be long gone before Brenham is another Houston or Austin. I also think there will be a lot of good to come out of our community growing.

        1. The crime rate has sky rocketed. Neighbors barely speak anymore. No one ever waves at you when you drive down the country roads. And the one way service roads and intersections-just like Houston!

          1. My parents bought a small cabin and small amount of land in northern Washington County in the late 60’s. I loved spending all the weekends and vacations there and couldn’t wait to move there when I could. In the early 80’s I did. Been here ever since. When I first moved here the Brenhamites and Burtonites were very clanish and had nothing to do with those of us at that time that we’re new to the area. They were clickish hand standoffish. The friendliest most welcoming people here was the other new people to the area. Now there is more of us than them. Lol !

  2. It is a shame that the County has such backward thinking citizens. You are against everything an have absolutely no vision for bringing out of the box thinking to this county. Just because it is different you are against it. It does not matter what Charles Von Schmidt would have said you would be against it. The comment above that the county voted against it by voting it down. They had to they had tabled the issue the meeting before and the permit had been pulled. The county didn’t do anything like always they were following Roberts Rules of Order. People your head is in the sand so bad you don’t have a clue as to what is really going on………and that’s sad.

  3. How do you think us home grown Brenhamites feel? I have watched Houston people come in and completely change the small town that I have grown up in. It is more and more like Houston every day. Look at Chappell Hill and 290, it looks just like Houston. I don’t think that we need a race track here either, but we all know that money talks!!

  4. Brenham is growing whether we want to face it or not! It is sad that our teenagers and young adults have nothing to do in this town, nor do they have a lot of job opportunities. I think a racetrack would be great for both. I grew up in Austin and spent many weekends during high school in Lockhart at the Lockhart Speedway…lots of fun memories. Much more fun than sitting at Wal-mart or Sutherland’s parking lots.

    1. Responding to “parent”. You make a good point but our teenagers will not be able to gain admittance to or use the race track unless they have a Porche or BMW or Ferrari that meets their inspection requirements to use the track AND they are a member of one of the racing clubs AND are able to pay the per use fee. Etc. Eighty percent of the members of the Porche club supporting this track live in Houston.

      1. All you need is a Mazda that doesn’t leak fluids with a muffler. God forbid you pay to use someone’s facilities.

      2. Mrs Barnett
        Bluebonnet will be open to anyone with a safe car that agrees to participate in our educational programs. This will be especially true for our children. We envision a scholarship type program to allow local teens on track at lower fees and hope that this will not only educate and entertain them it will also provide a safe outlet for them to enjoy the sensation of speed in a safe environment. I think this would be far preferable to the dangerous and illegal practice of street drags and driving like a madman on the narrow and populated streets of the County.

        Likewise we will open the track to the first responders from Washington and surrounding counties free of charge allowing them to learn the valuable and life saving skills of driving ambulances, fire trucks, and other emergency vehicles on a challenging road course in relative safety. Think what a difference the practice time could make by reducing precious minutes in response time.

        The track will be part of the community and I assure you we will give back and become excellent corporate citizens.

        1. Mr. Von Schmidt, I hear what you are saying but yours is a classic case of corporate spin. Call me cynical but I just don’t buy it. I was at TWS not long ago and I didn’t see any normal “safe” cars there – only expensive sports cars. You can envision anything you want but that doesn’t mean it will happen and it doesn’t change the intrusive nature of your race track. We aren’t resistant to change, we understand it is important for a community to expand its economic base but that growth should be thoughtful and well considered and in keeping with the established character of the community. The cancerous growth we see along Hwy 290 should not be allowed to spread into our community or one day there will be nothing left but retail outlets and fast food chains; congestion and memories of a better time. Take your race track to an area already despoiled by thoughtless expansion or dedicated to industrial use and allow us to expand in ways we feel are appropriate.

          1. Ms Barnett

            Anyone with a safe car that agrees to follow our rules and participate in the safety instruction program is welcome. This past weekend mixed with the cars you speak of were several Miatas, two Minis, a Sentra, and several other non European cars. Our rules as a facility allow the program to be inclusive when I say intend it’s simply we can allow but not force others to attend.

            As time passes we will establish a teen smart driving program helping to teach this new generation life saving driving skills. Not how to drive fast but how to address spins, wet conditions, oversteer and understate, braking excesses all designed to imprint on their minds accident avoidance, and recovery from dangerous incidents. It is this Teen Driving Acedemy, our first responders program, and the insurance safety and testing program that we will be most proud of as a community contributions.

            I do understand your concerns as to preserving life in Washington County and while we are all aware that this growth I coming its possible to cluster the developments so that a facility such as ours are in an area that will likely already have this commercial influence, as you know businesses are not built that are not also needed. Many but not Al need and want awalmart, power plants, and hospitals, and while many want gas and convenience store and fast food there do not. This is why we are looking for locations closer to 290 and 36, despite receiving clearance to relocate the pipeline at wonder hill last week allowing us to proceed with our track there If desired.

  5. This news story is blatantly biased. It does not mention that the county comissioners voted down the tax phase in after the request was withdrawn. Also, I was one of the 300 residents at the meeting and I am not vehemently against the track.

  6. “Less dense”? What about the homes next door, across the street, the church down the road. Wake up Mr. Von Schmidt and realize we don’t want your business in Washington County. Many of us moved here to get away from things just like what you want to bring in. Find another county!

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