Noisy spat over Harley dealer's move

Would-be neighbors flock to council to level loudness protests others call unfair
By: Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer - Thursday, December 15, 2005 - auburnjournal.com

It's hardly hog heaven for neighbors of 2.8 acres of land in Bowman that Auburn Harley-Davidson is targeted to relocate on.

Many are concerned about the noise customers would generate as they enter and leave the business - despite assurances from the dealership's owner that both Harley-Davidson and his shop will discourage the use of unmuffled tailpipes.

Auburn Harley-Davidson owner Bob Holmes presented plans for the Bowman-Luther road corner lot Tuesday at a meeting of the North Auburn Municipal Advisory Council. His application for a two-story, 30,000-square-foot store and shop is now being processed by the county.

"The perception is that Harley-Davidson dealerships and most of their constituents don't care about noise but that's not true," Holmes said.

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Holmes told the meeting that a stock Harley-Davidson motorcycle makes the same level of noise as other brands of bikes. The problems with noise arise when owners modify their motorcycles.

"I can't - and apparently neither can law enforcement - stop people from modifying their bikes," Holmes said.

Residents of the Channel Hill Road-Luther Road area turned out at the meeting to express opinions that ranged from ensuring the dealership's use permit includes provisions to limit noise and traffic to outright demands that the business look elsewhere.

Sarah Coe of Channel Hill Road said her husband has been a near lifelong motorcycle owner and currently owns a Harley-Davidson. She said the dealership would better serve the community by finding a location in an industrially zoned area.

"I'm aware the owner should have the ability to build what he wants but due to the noise factor and other issues this won't benefit neighbors," Coe said.

The new Bowman location would more than double the amount of shop and commercial space the Harley-Davidson dealership now occupies on Locksley Lane in North Auburn. Even with the expansion, Holmes said the size of the building barely would meet the minimum requirement of 28,000 square feet required by the Harley-Davidson corporation. The expansion is expected to add 15 to 20 high-paying jobs and clean up a blighted, undeveloped lot, he added.

Christel Kleinke, a 35-year Channel Hill Road resident, said she envisions motorcycle riders circling the neighborhood as they test out the bikes.

"I love my house and I love my neighbors," Kleinke said. "It's a nightmare nobody wants to go through. I hope this project never takes off."

Holmes - who is no relation to Auburn-area Placer County Supervisor Jim Holmes - said test drivers would not be using Luther Road in the direction of Highway 49 and would instead probably travel toward Interstate 80 on Bowman Road.

Holmes also addressed the question of rallies, which draw bikers from around Northern California. The February Sweetheart Run has attracted an average of 1,350 riders each of the last two years and starts at the Locksley Lane dealership. Holmes said that the business plays host to two rallies a year.

"They come to the dealership, register and it ends somewhere else," Holmes said. The Sweetheart Run finishes in Coloma.

The runs have earned $25,000 through the Harley Owners Group for charities like the Auburn Multipurpose Senior Center and Horses for Healing over the past five years, he said.

"That's why we have rallies," Holmes said.

Luther Road resident Bob Jetter, who lives two blocks away from the project, said he would favor some tough restrictions to help the Harley-Davidson dealership fit in with the neighborhood.

And he'd like to see any rallies be located at a venue other than the dealership. Jetter suggested the Gold Country Fairgrounds.

"I don't advocate bringing hundreds of people into the area for a rally," Jetter said. "Where will the overflow be? They've got to park someplace."

The issue was on the council's agenda as an information item. The land is zoned for commercial purposes but will need a special use permit to be used as a repair facility.