Staff Writer

LACONIA — The City Council will hold a special meeting on June 2 to learn if organizers of the proposed vintage motorcycle races in the downtown have met all of the council’s conditions and to act on a Bike Week site plan appeal.

Earlier this month, the council granted provisional approval to a group of local businessmen, the Laconia Motorcycle Rally and Race Week Association, and the U.S. Classic Racing Association to hold the races in the downtown from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, June 13.

The council gave the race organizers until June 1 to prove to the council’s satisfaction that lingering questions about insurance coverage, cost and logistics have been resolved.

The council wants the USCRA to pick up all liability for the races, including negligence, and for the event to not cost the city anything.

Kinney O’Rourke, co-owner of the Black Cat Cafe and a member of the vintage races groups, said Tuesday he and his colleagues will come to the June 2 council meeting with a report detailing their efforts. "I’m still optimistic but we still have a lot of work to do over the next few days," he said.

Also on June 2, the council will consider its first-ever appeal of a ruling by the municipal Motorcycle Technical Review Committee, which reviews and approves the site plan applications of all Laconia property owners who are considering any temporary use of their property during Bike Week.

This year, Bike Week takes place from June 12-20.

Specifically, the council is being asked by Ward 1 Councilor Judy Krahulec to reconsider the MTRC’s decision not to allow a "burnout pit" at the Broken Spoke Saloon on Watson Road.

At the May 13 meeting, Krahulec represented the applicant, Vincent Boulanger of Broken Spoke LLC, who recently bought the eatery and the land it sits on.

The site plan for the Spoke includes a tent with stage platform, 50 vendor sites, and retail food and beer tents.

But according to a May 20 memo from former City Planner Dawn Emerson, the "burnout pit" was something that the MTRC had not approved for Bike Week 2003.

"The applicant proceeded to pour a concrete structure for a ‘burnout pit’ which was not shown on the plan or approved," said Emerson, adding that the pit was used during last year’s Bike Week resulting in "numerous complaints regarding smoke and odors" being received by the city.

The pit was "illegal" said Emerson because it was not approved by the MTRC "but the pad itself is a permanent structure and requires some level of site plan review in accordance with the city’s zoning and site plan regulations."

She added that the applicant "continues to be in violation of the city’s site plan regulations" and regardless of any action by the City Council, "must still obtain approval under the zoning and site plan regulations or remove the pad immediately."

At Monday’s City Council meeting, Mayor Mark Fraser postponed action on the appeal until June 2 to give the council time to study the issue, which was added to the council’s agenda just prior to last Friday’s deadline.

Fraser on Tuesday said he was concerned that Krahulec was involved with the presentation of the Broken Spoke site plan to the MTRC.

While Krahulec said she will recuse herself when the item comes up before the council on June 2, this did not satisfy Mayor Fraser. "I have an issue with that, because if you know the appeal is to the council, then it’s going to put the council in a judicial position," said Fraser. "You have to be objective in that instance and clearly she displayed that she doesn’t have objectivity here."

Krahulec herself rents vendor space and is entitled to seek site plan approval from the MTRC as can any property owner in Laconia. "But when a member of the board that is going to rule on appeals represents another property owner, that’s when it becomes troublesome," said Fraser.

On Tuesday, Krahulec said she represented Boulanger because he asked her to do so. He was able to attend the MTRC’s April 29 meeting, she noted, but when it was rescheduled, he could not be there and, rather than hire an attorney, asked Krahulec to present the application on his behalf.

She noted that there is nothing in the MTRC ordinance reading "burnout pits" which is why the MTRC decision is being appealed.

City Manager Eileen Cabanel on Monday cautioned the council that it could face many more MTRC appeals in the future.

"I can see this running away from us," she said, adding that the council shouldn’t feel compelled to hold special meetings for MTRC appeals since the MTRC has an approval process that begins in January and that applications and subsequent appeals could be handled in a more timely manner.

Krahulec maintains that the reason for the lateness of the appeal reaching the City Council is due to the cancellation of the April 29 MTRC meeting.

"None of the accountability falls on Mr. Boulanger, other than that he waited until the last meeting to submit that application and he has the right to do that, but he also faces the chance of having to go to an appeal," she said.

In other Bike Week business Monday, the council approved Police Chief Tom Oetinger’s request to revise its previously approved traffic plan for the event.

Oetinger asked that all but exempted vehicles be prohibited from being able to access Roller Coaster Road from both Parade Road and Route 3 on June 18-20 during designated times and also for discretion to restrict vehicles traveling on Watson Road, which is across Route 3 from Roller Coaster Road.

Rally and Race Executive Director Charlie St. Clair said he is working with the Greater Laconia Transit Agency to operate trolleys to The Weirs during Bike Week to help alleviate the problem of some businesses there being able to get their employees to and from work.