Council Considers Amendments to Business Regulations

By Cynthia Drummond for BRVCA

April 30th 2025

RICHMOND – At a special Town Council meeting Tuesday, members considered, but did not pass, proposed amendments to the  town’s  Title 5 regulations, which govern businesses in the town.

There was a lengthy discussion of a proposal by councilor Dan Madnick to add motor vehicle racing to the list of regulated businesses, and also, whether the town should request enabling legislation that would give it the authority to regulate those activities.

It was the possible inclusion of motorcycles in the business regulations that raised the ire of Jordan Carlson, owner of Buttonwoods MX, Rhode Island’s only public motocross track. Carlson, who has been operating the track for four years, went on social media to encourage his  supporters to come to the meeting, with their dirt bikes, to protest Madnick’s proposed amendment.

“Load your dirt bikes up, bring them down to the Richmond Town Hall in the back of your truck at 6 p.m.,” he said. “We’re going to protest this asshole Dan Madnick, who’s trying to add 44 pages of stupid ass restrictions.”

Carlson’s supporters did come to the Town Hall, and the town was prepared for a crowd, with two police officers and a third officer from the Rhode Island State Police.

The council chambers was full, with more supporters watching the meeting in a second room upstairs, and still more people outside in the parking lot.

(A video showing supporters at the Town Hall is attached with permission from Carlson.)

The supporters had a long wait. The council went into executive session for about two hours, and then began the public meeting, going through the schedule of fees for businesses, one section at a time.

Finally, the council came to the agenda item that had provoked the angry response.

Madnick presented a proposal to include auto and motorcycle racing in the town’s business regulations and petition the state for enabling legislation that would allow the town to regulate motorsports racing.

Madnick’s statement read, in part:

“…no one has been more critical in supporting Mr. Carlson and his business, while balancing the best interest of the town as a whole since 2022. As an avid auto and race enthusiast including racing my own vehicle, my goal is to legitimize motor vehicle racing in Richmond and Rhode Island, not just for motocross, but for other motor vehicle uses as well. This will allow people to safely and legally enjoy their interest in racing. My hope is that other towns recognize the importance of off-road racing and adopt similar approaches to legalize it.”

Madnick said he had researched regulations in other states.

“Right now, in the state of Rhode Island, no motor vehicle racing is legal,” he said, adding that he hoped Richmond could set an example and legitimize motorsports tracks.

“It is not my intention to prevent motorcross racing in Richmond. It is not my intention to prevent motor vehicle racing in Richmond or anywhere else in Rhode Island,” he said.

Reached Wednesday, Carlson said he had gone to the meeting hoping to find common ground with the town.

“I was there in good faith last night,” he said. “We simmered everybody down. We were there to show our anger and we were also showing that we’re respectful and that we’re willing to voice our opinions respectfully.”

Council President Samantha Wilcox explained that the amendments were far from being a done deal, and Tuesday’s discussion was only the beginning of a much longer process.

“Once council has something that we like for our town, then it goes through the process of a public hearing,” she said. “So, there are so many steps to changing ordinances that come through and this is just the beginning of that overall process.”

Council Vice President Mark Reynolds said the town would first need the state legislature to pass enabling legislation which would give it the authority to regulate motorsports racing.

“We need to get enabling legislation from the General Assembly to legalize and regulate motor vehicle racing,” he said.

Councilor Jim Palmisciano, who spearheads many of the town’s economic development initiatives, said motor racing would stimulate business in the town, but he warned that the council should not act too quickly.

“I think the challenge is going from zero to 60, and maybe go from zero to 20 and find a way for these types of businesses, because I think if you look at what we’re trying to do with the Task Force and the EDC, one of the things we have an opportunity to do is make Richmond the outdoor entertainment capital of Rhode Island, and having these types of facilities here is going to be unique in the whole state,” he said.

Councilor Jeffrey Dinsmore said he did not believe the activities should be regulated at all.

“I’m not really a fan of regulation, so I want to hear from people that actually go there and enjoy it,” he said. “… I just think that they should probably be left alone.”

In the end, the council did not take action, and members agreed that more research was needed before the town pursued enabling legislation.

Madnick said Wednesday,

“After Town Council discussion and public input, the council agreed to develop a framework to license motor vehicle racing and racetracks before moving forward with submitting a resolution to the state legislature.”

Carlson said he believed the discussion had been a waste of time.

“They rescinded the motion, right?” he said. “So, to me, that was one big waste of time. They could have just sent an email to me, you know? They could have just reached out and asked. Also, they weren’t solving anybody’s problems. They couldn’t articulate what they were solving by doing anything. If you don’t have a deficiency, how can you be putting effort into something?”

Video used with permission from Jordan Carlson