A coalition dubbed Restore Our Fairgrounds is calling for a voter referendum to block NASCAR-style racing in favor of affordable housing and green space at the Fairgrounds in South Nashville, the latest measure in a two-decade effort to strip auto racing from the property.
The group said it filed paperwork recently with the metro clerk to start a charter amendment ending auto racing at the Metro Nashville Fairgrounds amid rumors about Mayor Freddie O’Connell and Speedway Motorsports negotiating a deal for NASCAR-type expansion.
The group says resumption of car races would hurt local taxpayers and cause more traffic and noise.
If successful, the amendment would undo a 2011 referendum that amended the charter to protect existing uses of the fairgrounds, including auto racing. The measure passed with 72% of voters approving it.
Metro Nashville voters would have to vote in favor of a referendum to end racing at the fairgrounds, which was home to different types of racing for more than 100 years.
The group supports the preservation of green space, development of affordable housing and improvements to nearby Brown’s Creek, a tributary to Cumberland River on the federal list of polluted waterways.
Multiple Nashville groups, such as the Belmont-Hillsboro Neighbors, Nashville Organized for Action and Hope Economic Equity, Jobs & Transportation Task Force and South Nashville Action People are part of the coalition.
Mike Kopp, cofounder of Fairgrounds Preservation Partners, is among those signing the petition, along with Metro Council member Terry Vo; Heidi Basgall Favorite, founder of Neighbors Opposing Track Expansion; and Jose Gonzales, cofounder of Conexion Americas.
Read more at TennesseeLookout.com.