A local man wants to build a motorsports park complete with a Motocross track, one-fifth-mile dirt track and ATV trails on 36 acres near Interstate 465 and Mann Road on the southwest side.

Entrepreneur Dale Skaggs has applied for a variance to build the park in a flood plain along the White River at 4107 W. Thompson Road. He’s also asking for permission to build rest rooms, concession stands, and a bike wash and storage area, along with access to the White River.

The site previously was approved for eight softball diamonds, batting cages and a concession stand. An initial hearing, scheduled for March 11, has been continued until April, said Senior Planner David Hittle.

The city planning department last year recommended denial of a similar proposal, citing the proximity of residential neighborhoods to what would be a noisy user, along with regulations on development in a flood plain, Hittle said.

The developer’s land-use attorney, Mike Quinn, says the site is perfect for the area’s first American Motorcyclist Association-sanctioned Motocross track.