A Howard County hearing examiner dismissed a Highland father’s conditional use petition for the go-kart he built in his backyard for his son.
Hearing Examiner Katherine Taylor dismissed Chris Siperko’s conditional use petition, citing a lack of jurisdiction to hear the petition. Taylor also cancelled the Tuesday, March 4 hearing that had been set.
Sang Oh, the lawyer representing Siperko in this matter, told Baltimore Fishbowl in a phone conversation that they will appeal the decision to the Howard County Board of Appeals.
Siperko had filed the conditional use application retroactively in an attempt to assuage angry neighbors and convince Howard County leaders he had the right to have built it without seeking the county’s approval. He asked the county to consider the track an “athletic facility,” though go-kart tracks don’t fall into that category legally. He offered to renovate the track so that it was farther from his property line, add more trees as a sound barrier, not offer the track for commercial or recreational use, limit the hours and days of use, and take other steps.
Siperko built the track for his son to practice racing go-karts, since his son — 10 years old at the time — hopes to race professionally as an adult. Many of his neighbors in the quiet suburb near Clarksville were angry when they found out about the track because Siperko had not consulted with or informed his neighbors what he was building.
Neighbors and community members demanded explanations, and many wanted the racetrack removed, citing noise and environmental concerns. Two community meetings were held, the first attended by Oh. On the date of the meeting, however, the Siperkos could not attend because they were out of the country.
Chris Siperko appeared with Oh at the second meeting, held in October 2024, defending his decision to build the track without consulting neighbors, as it was on his private property and he’d been assured by builders he would not be violating zoning laws. He likened his son’s passion for racing to any other youth’s passion for soccer or baseball, and wanted to help him pursue it.
Community sentiment at that meeting ranged from outrage that Siperko would not think to inform his neighbors about the project, determination to fight until the racetrack was removed, to relatively unbothered and sanguine about the project, and even encouraged that racing was getting the attention it deserved as a sport. Most who attended the meeting, however, felt negatively about the track.
Decisions on next steps could only be made at the Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) level, and the hearing set for March 4 was where Siperko planned to argue his case and then wait for a decision. That decision, however, came one day early in the form of Taylor’s dismissal.
In her decision, Taylor wrote that she lacked jurisdiction to hear the petition because the DPZ did not list go-kart racing as a permitted activity.
The DPZ did not, in the Technical Staff Report, include findings and analysis as required by the Code. DPZ stated:
Go-kart racing is not listed as a permitted activity. Therefore, the Department of Planning and Zoning is unable to evaluate the petition for compliance with General Standards in Section 131.0.B and minimum criteria in Section 131.0.N.6.
See, February 12, 2025, Technical Staff Report of DPZ, p. 3.
For that reason, Taylor dismissed the petition and cancelled the hearing set for March 4.
Oh told Fishbowl, “We respectfully disagree with the decision.” He anticipates the hearing on the appeal to take place in the next couple of months. In the meantime, the track remains as it is and unused because of the status of pending litigation.
The ultimate fate of the track remains unclear as of now. Baltimore Fishbowl has reached out to Chris Siperko and neighbors who attended the October community meeting for comment. This article has been updated to include comments and information provided by Sang Oh.
It’s the persons property, how can u tell him what he can have or not have on his property? WOW! So his land is not his land?
It is called zoning, he built something that is heavily restricted even in M-2 (heavy manufacturing zone) in a residential area. He is welcome to buy land zoned for it and build it there, but even if it was allowed in a residential zone (which it very much is not) it still wouldn’t meet the standard of being a minimum of 500 feet from any existing residence. There is a tiny triangle of his land that is more than 500 feet from a neighbors house, but not a single inch is more than 510 feet from someone else’s house. He sounds like the worst neighbor to have, and he is about to learn a VERY expensive lesson. See sections 105 and 123 of Howard County’s zoning law.
Until you have had the onslaught of noise that comes from these machines invade the peace of your environment your opinion is null & void. There are places that are appropriate to practice riding, the middle of a quiet neighborhood is not it.
It should be noted that the house shown in the image is NOT Siperko’s house. Not one news article wants to address that. It is a neighbor’s house who was also not consulted about the track despite the clear impact to their property value.
All that Mr. Siperko needs to do is plant an evergreen hedge along his property line and buy his son an electric go cart. The view and the noise will disappear as will his neighbors’ complaints.
Nope, not allowed in any way shape or form. If he wants to build a go cart track all he needs to do is buy land zoned M-2 that is at least 500 feet from any residence.
Id have to be arrested strictly because id never comply with anyone’s demands nor give them any money aside from a note with a bunch of inappropriate doodles doodled on it, and probably the finger.
The house shown in the photo is a neighbor’s house, not Siperko’s. He lives on a flag lot and his house sits above the house in the photo, out of sight.
Tear it out make it all dirt and race away problem solved. You can’t tell him he’s not allowed to drive his go kart then. I’d buy 20 more invite all my friends over and run them everyday. Sun up to sun down. Epic dust cloud. Might as well put in a gun range also
Hell yes. So stupid they can’t go kart bc it’s a track. Get some dirt bikes and bobcat. Make a track and ride from noise to noise hours!
People suck so bad. Like hearing a go kart a couple hours a few days a week is so bad. They should be so lucky to live beside someone who would dedicate their wealth to help their child pursue their passion.
Those neighbors can all go jump off building. It would be awesome to have that nice of a track in your neighborhood for kids to use.
Totally agreed. They wish their parents had been that cool.
I would just remove the concrete plant a lawn and let his kid drive all over the yard .I doubt ther are rules about you riding around on your grass
It’s not a go kart track, it’s driveway or footpath if it was mine lol
Anonymoose has skin in the fight clearly. First off moose, his lawyers will tear apart “go kart racing”. Racing is a defined term in law enforcement and sport. A PRIVATE road on PRIVATE land utilized by one family will not host “races”.
Second off, declining jurisdiction isn’t the win you think it is. You just made the eventual outcome more expensive. It’s likely he will overcome objection and the project will remain, with private use by a single individual.
Arguing in bad faith, citing code for an actual race track makes you look in the wrong. Arguing from a dishonest position doesn’t build allies.
I second the comment that says throw up a hedge around it, get electric karts. Poor guy has serious Karen vibes surrounding him.
He should hit up Cleet McFarland, he’s facing zoning issues too, re: two actual race facilities.
good clean fun for kids. his neighbors are nuts. owner is willing to do whatever it takes to keep it for his son! Some people are so unhappy they want everyone else to be miserable too . SAD
I’ve survived one of Christopher Siperko’s hissyfit lawsuits. He does a Trump every time. Blame someone else, deny responsibility, and cry about it in public. The man owns a private helicopter. I’m crying as much for him as I am about Elon losing stock value.