By Lora Scripps/The Leeds News

The Moody City Council remained undecided this week when it comes to a new business, known as U-Drift, which has made its way to the city. The facility is located on Moody Parkway in the old Alabama Auto Auction Facility and is a place where drivers can engage their automobiles in drifting and 4x4 truck rock crawling. It also offers a free arcade, go-carts and other activities.

Last Monday, Mayor Joe Lee explained that a number of residents that live around the facility had filed complaints with the city due to the noise levels coming from the business on Saturday, October 17. Owner Chris Nunneley addressed the council at that time and said he planned to erect new sound barriers and would do anything it takes to make the business a good fit for Moody as well as a tourist draw. Since that time, Nunneley has begun the process of erecting the barriers and has also proposed changing his hours of operation which includes Sundays from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday from noon until 5 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. with an option to ask the city council, planning commission and zoning board for hours to accommodate special events. He also includes a workshop meeting for March 2010 and would like longer summer hours.

Nunneley acquired a business license for the facility, but City Attorney Bill Weathington said that he would have to consider whether or not U-Drift fits into the city’s zoning aesthetics with or without the new sound barriers. He also explained that the business may not be operating in the proper zone and that there could be and erroneous business license issue.

Jacqueline Smith, a resident of Windsor Village, said that she has lived in the Moody area for a number of years and that she very rarely hears noise coming from day to day traffic, adding that she does not want to hear any extra noise from U-Drift. “It is a quiet community,” she said. “Essentially you don’t hear your neighbors and that is the way we would like to keep it. I moved here because I enjoy Moody. I want to see you open a business, but I don’t want it to be offensive to me and the rest of the neighborhood.”

Jonathan Crumly, also a resident of Windsor Village, said he is concerned with sound, but most importantly safety. U-Drift drivers can reach speeds of 55 mph and are not always professionals. U-Drift uses hay bale barriers that weigh upwards of 1,200 lbs. in front of a chain-link fence for protection. “You noted that the drivers will not be professionals,” he said. “What if someone loses control? They could skid, lose the break and hit the gas and could shoot right through the bales of hay and come through the fence by the gym. If it comes through there and 10 or 12 kids are at the location, they are not going to win against that car.”

Councilman Paul Johnson and others agreed with Crumly’s concerns stating that $3 million dollars in liability insurance will not cover the damage that could be done if for example, a school bus was involved in an accident if a car from U-Drift lost control.

Nunneley said that an area fire department and EMTs have offered to stay on site during U-Drift’s hours of operations to ensure safety and that he agrees it would not be in his advantage if someone were to have a wreck to so he is doing everything in his power to make sure that does not happen.

Nunneley said U-Drifters will have to register, be of legal age, sign a waiver, pass a tech check for the car including sound check, pass a breathalyzer, wear a helmet and seatbelt and finish a specific course outlined with crash barriers.

He included that there will only one car on the track at any time.

Nunneley said his business license is good through December and that he would like to see U-Drift operate on his proposed daylight hours for the next two months, which will allow the city to address zoning and other issues in 2010.

“During those two months, if the noise is unacceptable, then that is going to impact what the ZBA wants to do for 2010,” he said. “That gives the citizens feedback, me a chance to operate and the ZBA and council to give everything a fair hearing for 2010. I want to make the citizens happy, U-Drift happy and the council happy. I’m just trying to come up with something that works for all of the above.”

As of Monday, the city council did not come to a final agreement on the site. They agreed to continue Monday’s work session with plans to regroup at the business site on Monday, November 9 at 4 p.m. for further observation. The city council will observe both the business and the sound it produces in neighboring subdivisions. The public may attend.