Joe Drennan
Staff WriterColumbus Town Board supervisor John Wallner traveled from Columbus Township to Columbus, OH to get the information he needed to make what he considered the right decision regarding the North Metro Harness Initiativeís application for a harness racing track/card room north of Gander Mountain on West Freeway Drive.
Ed Ryan, director of Scioto Downs in Columbus, OH, visited a planning commission meeting and invited any member of the planning commission or the town board to visit Scioto Downs to get a first hand look at how a harness racing track operates.
ìAll along I thought this was a good thing,î Wallner said, ìbut I was struggling with my vote and I felt that if I was going to vote on this thing, I better see one. I wanted to see the atmosphere, the noise generated by a track, the people it attracted and the mood around the track.î
Wallner used frequent flier miles of his wifeís and booked a hotel room for one night as he visited Scioto Downs for a private tour of the facility to see how things work at the track and get an idea of the atmosphere surrounding a harness racing track.
Wallner left Columbus Township on July 29 for his tour of Scioto Downs. Upon arrival in Columbus, OH, Wallner was meet by Ryan, who gave him a guided tour of every aspect of the facility. Ryan showed Wallner the stables, staging paddocks, the track, grandstand and apron, and the restaurant.
During the tour, Wallner met many different officials who oversee the operations at Scioto and observed the strict security measures that are taken at the track.
ìWhen we (Wallner and Ryan) first went into the back area I noticed how tough the security was,î Wallner said. ìThis is the guy who ran the place and he still had to show his I.D. and fill out a form to get me past the checkpoint, then we had to check out when we left.î
While on the back side of the track, Wallner was able to sit in the starting car for one of the races. The starting car is a special car with a gate on it. The trotters run behind the fence. When the race starts, the car speeds up and the fence opens, giving way to the trotters.
ìThat was probably the funnest thing I did.î Wallner said. ìI was facing backwards looking at the horses and to have them running right up there by the car was something. It was really neat to realize how fast they really move.î
After his ride in the starting car, Wallner took in a few races from the grandstand. While enjoying the excitement of the races, he took particular notice to the noise generated, since that was of particular concern to many Columbus Township citizens.
ìIt wasnít like there were people screaming and yelling,î Wallner said. ìIt reminded me more of being at the State Fair grandstand. The speakers were loud so everybody could hear the announcer.î
During the races, Wallner took a trip out to the parking lot to see how noisy it was outside of the racetrack and get an idea of what kind of noise the neighbors might encounter. He says he couldnít make out what the announcer was saying over the loud speakers yet alone the murmur of the fans.
Another thing Wallner observed during the races and his dinner at the racetrack restaurant was the clientele.
Wallner noticed several families that were sitting on blankets on the apron. He noticed how the kids would run up to the winners circle to get a closer look at the horses. Another thing he noticed was the senior citizens who were in attendance.
ìSure, there were some seniors gambling,î Wallner said, ìbut most of them were there to have dinner in the restaurant.î
As he toured the facility and observed the clientele, Wallner says he kept asking himself why Columbus Township wouldnít want such a venue. The visit to Scioto Downs didnít completely sway him in favor of NMHIís proposal, though.
ìI still had reservations and was concerned about the opposition and the number of people in opposition of the track up to last week,î Wallner said.
ìI hadnít made up my mind, but when I visited the track that moved me a great deal in the direction that I think this [NMHI] is going to be good. The fact that the planning commission vote was unanimous made a big impact on me too.î
After 16 months of dealing with the NMHI application. Wallner says he didnít quite realize how stressed out he was over the whole process until the day after the town board voted 4-1 in favor of it.
ìI think the track will be good for the area and now it is in the hands of the Minnesota Racing Commission,î Wallner said.
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