Horse Racing Proposal Back – This Time in Leominster
Baystate Racing LLC is proposing a Horse Racing Track at the former landfill on Mechanic Street in Leominster. According to Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella, entry to the facility would be made via the interstate highway and not via Mechanic Street. A public hearing will be held on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 6pm at Frances Drake Elementary School, 95 Viscoloid Avenue “to discuss a proposed project at the former landfill on Mechanic Street. The developer will present their project and provide an opportunity for questions and solicit feedback from the public. Please attend to have your voice heard.” According to Mazzarella, representatives of BayState Racing LLC have spoken to him and separately with at least some members of the Leominster City Council.
Here is an AUDIO clip from a February 14, 2025 podcast of Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella in which he offers some additional details on the project.
Gardner Magazine has reached out to Baystate Racing LLC for comment. As of February 17, 2025 the BayState Racing LLC website was blank, CLICK HERE
Information on the landfill from the City of Leominster
The City of Leominster operated a Landfill at the end of Mechanic Street to the east of the Route 2 Connector until 1982. In 1985 the landfill was covered with impervious materials (capped) to prevent rain and surface water from passing through the buried waste and contaminating groundwater. In 2000 a landfill gas collection and disposal system was installed to prevent landfill gases from migrating through the soil to abutting properties. The gas collection system provides a vacuum to remove gases through wells that are connected to a manifold. The manifold passes beneath the Route 2 Connector and draws the gases to a gas burning flare system which is located to the north of the Leominster Sewage Treatment Plant. All of the wells in the landfill are periodically tested and adjusted to provide optimum performance of the flare. Environmental consultants provide quarterly testing of each well, surface air quality and groundwater sampling for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for their continual review. Copies of these reports are kept in the Health Department archives.