Backers, however, argued the track is a positive for the community, offering a constructive activity for youngsters, a gathering place for families and economic benefits for businesses in the city.
When the council OK'd the permit, it included several stipulations, such as limiting when races can be held. But that wasn’t enough to ease the minds of W.J. Wicker Road residents. So they organized Zachary’s Citizens for Justice, hired an attorney and filed a lawsuit against the city and the track.
“These residents believe the permit was granted improperly because the proposed use is not allowed within the residential area,” resident Diane Fletcher told the council at its Nov. 25 meeting. “Their suit also argues that there are several zoning and procedural standards that are not followed and they were not adequately addressed during the approval process. These concerns include whether the project complies with the existing zoning rules, how it may affect noise, traffic and whether it’s compatible with the residential neighborhood.”
The situation, Fletcher said, should be of concern to everyone in Zachary.
“The City Council is actively voting against our master plan and our future land use guidelines — protection in place to ensure responsible growth and to preserve the character of the neighborhood,” she said. “So, if these standards can be set aside here, they can be set aside anywhere in Zachary. That means it’s your streets, your property value and your quality of life will be impacted.”
One of her neighbors, Larry Perkins, urged the council to rethink its decision.
“When you make a mistake, be big enough to admit you’ve made the mistake and correct it before you go to court,” he said.
The movement has attracted support not only on W.J. Wicker Road but also in surrounding neighborhoods — including Millwood Creek Court, located just south of W.J. Wicker Road. Two residents of that street told the council they believe its recent vote fits a pattern of indifference toward certain parts of the city.
“It seems like that area on the east side of the city is just neglected and dumped on on a continuous basis,” said one of the residents, Lee Coleman.
He said he is dismayed to see leaders ignoring the rules at the expense of residents’ quality of life.
“When we have things in place, we have to follow what’s in place,” Coleman said. “As elected officials, we all know we take oaths of office to these things, and if we don’t follow them, we have nothing. We have chaos. And what you have is an uproar in the community. So if you guys wanted to stir up the community, you just did.”
Another Zachary’s Citizens for Justice supporter is Donald J. “Pete” Charlet, a former council member. He noted the rarity of residents suing the city — “not developers or outside investors, but local citizens,” he said.
He went on to deliver a scathing assessment of the council’s behavior of late — which has been characterized by confusion over meeting procedures and frequent arguments.
“The principles of collective leadership seem to be nonexistent,” he said. “For the past three years, I’ve been patient and I’ve been forgiving, but really, intellectually, how can I expect this council to understand the principles of the law or our master plan when you continue to struggle with the simple 'Robert’s Rules of Order'? At first I laughed, but I’ve stopped laughing because it’s embarrassing to me, and it’s another reflection of your incompetence.”
With elections approaching in 2026, Charlet said he is “prayerful that some of you simply will not run for reelection.”
Voters, he predicted, will remember the council’s stance on the racetrack permit.
“I see nothing but political suicide. Of course, you just raised salaries so that, in your words, more competent people would run for office,” he said, referring to council members’ recent vote to increase pay for the mayor, police chief and themselves effective January 2027. “How self-deprecating can you be?”
