Welcome to MotokazieLand. Our 131 acre motorsports park is located in Rice County on I-35, just north of Faribault, MN. This facility is being developed by Motokazie, Minnesota’s premier motorsports promoter. We will offer you ten tracks plus trails for Motorcycles, ATV’s, UTV’s, Kart’s and Snowmobiles. Your involvement is much appreciated as we are nearing the end of the permitting process.
-Lee Theis
News
May 8, 2012
May 2012 MotokazieLand update: We continue to be 100% committed to this project as we push through the processes. Motokazie continues to be represented by Briggs and Morgan in regards to our Motokazie v. Rice County suit. The suit is in the Court of Appeals at this time and it will take a few more months to know any result. Our EAW have been submitted since January to the county and we continue to work on moving the process forward. This continues to be a difficult road and YOU can help by calling and writing the
Rice County Board of Commissioners.
February 3, 2012
New MotokazieLand web site is activated!
Feb. 2nd 2012
Today was court for Motokazie v. Rice County and things went well. The Judge was engaged and we expect a written ruling within 90 days.
January 2012
Motokazie submits CUP and a voluntary EAW for the new site. Over 250 pages of documents address all environment concerns as required by law.
November 30 2011
Motokazie’s counsel, Briggs and Morgan, obtains a Writ of Mandamus against Rice County, in which the Rice County Court preliminarily determined that Motokazie's requested text amendment was (1) "automatically approved" under MN State Statute 15.99 due to County's failure to timely approve or deny and (2) actually approved by County's "majority vote" (3-2) in favor of the requested text amendment.
November 22 2011
BOC votes 3-2 in support of zoning text change, but refuses to enact the text amendment on the ground that a four-fifths supermajority vote was required.
October 18, 2011 update
Motokazieland is moving forward and we need your help before the next meeting. The first public hearing took place, Thursday Sept 29th; and Motokazie received a favorable recommendation 4-0 to move forward. At the Board of Commissioners meeting, last week, we received a 3-2 vote in favor. However, Motokazie needs to gain one more vote from the commissioners.
There is an organized group that continues to fight us; and the have heavily influenced two of the Commissioners. It has been difficult to grasp the lack of understanding that the general public has about our sport. I need your help to educate these two Commissioners that do not understand the benefits of MotokazieLand.
How you can help: email
lee@motokazie.com and I will supply you the addresses of the commissioners that may benefit from understanding our rights to ride! I would ask that you write a respectful letter or call them.
To remind our supporters - the current issue is the definition of "organized motorsports" in the Rice County Ordinance. This hearing is specific to amending the ordinance definition to include ATV, Kart and Snowmobile Tracks. It is very important to Motokazie to win approval because MotokazieLand needs to be a year round business that can reach all off-road motorsports. Currently only Motorcycles and ATV (trails) are allowed at our proposed park. In order to build a park of this size, it is critical to have ATV, snowmobile, and kart business.
The next meeting is Thursday, Nov 3rd, 7pm, at the Rice County Government Services Building, 320 N.W. 3rd Street, Faribault. Please be there to support your rights!
Lee Theis
motokazie.com
lee.theis@motokazie.com
October 3, 2011 update
Good News: On Thursday Sept 29th the Rice County Planning voted 4-0 to move MotokazieLand forward to the next step.
September 22, 2011 update
I am pleased to update the MotokazieLand supporters that the project continues to move ahead. Our goal is to open in spring 2012 after moving through a series of permits and environmental studies. The first public hearing is next week, Thursday Sept 29th 7pm at the Rice County Government Services, 320 N.W. 3rd Street, Faribault.
This hearing is specific to amending the ordinance definition to include Karts and Snowmobiles. The process includes 2 pubic hearings approximately 30 days apart and 2 Board of Commissioners meetings. The final vote will be Nov 22nd. It is very important to Motokazie to win approval because MotokazieLand needs to be a year round business that can reach all off-road motorsports. Currently only Motorcycles and ATV’s are allowed at our proposed park. It is critical in order to build a park of this size, to have snowmobile and kart business.
This is a shortened version of what has been submitted: Text amendment changes are noted in
RED INK.
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507.05
Organized motor sports. This use category includes ATV
tracks and trails, motorcycle tracks or trails,
snowmobile tracks and trails, kart (go kart) tracks and trails, truck trails and tractor pulling but not auto or other vehicle racing, tracks or events.
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Since April 2010 snowmobiles and karts have been included in my operating plan and presentations. It is unfortunate that 17 months latter, I have been asked to address this. To my knowledge, the Rice County Attorneys office was challenged on this issue, and the result was the requirement to amend. Motokazie will continue to be persistent and professional in all of the permit requirements.
Here is what you can do to help:
1.Show up and
speak at the Sept. 29th public hearing
2.Forward this to a friend involved in motorsports and ask them to attend
3.Prepare a letter to be send to a County Commissioner in regards to definitions of Motorsports
Here are some speaking points to consider:
1.Snowmobiles and karts are very similar and compatible machines to operate at a organized motorsports facility.
2.The use of these machines would still be governed by CUP (conditional use permit) specific to a property. This allows hours, days and other items to be controlled by Rice County.
3.When was the definition created in the zoning code? And is it possible that the machines we simply not thought of?
4.Snowmobiling is major activity in Rice County and it would seem reasonable that snowmobiles should be allowed to ride on ‘tracks’ if they currently can ride anywhere in the county.
5.Both karts and snowmobiles are a great family activity and having an organized track is a benefit to Rice County.
Thank you for your support,
Lee Theis
motokazie.com
Contact lee.theis@motokazie.com
