Child's Backyard Go-Kart Racetrack Stirs Up Controversy In Howard County

COLUMBIA, MD — A Howard County family with a 10-year-old son who loves to go-kart race has found itself at the center of a controversy.

Achilles dreams of becoming a professional driver one day, so the Siperkos family travels every weekend from their Howard County home to Florida for him to practice. They also travel abroad to compete. But dad Chris, who owns a construction company, decided to build a $100,000 practice track behind their home in Highland. He didn't realize he needed permission from the county or state to build it, he told The Baltimore Sun, but once neighbors started complaining about the noise generated from the 1.5-mile track, he quickly learned he violated zoning and subdivision regulations even though he checked state websites and couldn't find anything requiring permits for tracks. Furthermore, in the 1.5 months it took to build the track, nontidal wetlands were disturbed, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Siperko said he would've applied for permits had he known they were needed. The asphalt company used for the project also told him they didn't need permits for the racetrack. In the meantime, his wife, Sarah Troxel, has crafted a Change.org petition to keep the track that has garnered more than 1,000 signatures.

Read more here