Maryland kid's dream racetrack stirs up neighborhood tensions, permit issues

HIGHLAND, Md. - If you've ever met a 10-year-old, you know this is a dream come true — a private racetrack right in the backyard.

For Achilles Siperko - this is the path to his future.

"What I want to be when I'm older is an open-wheel F1 driver," Achilles said. 

He travels every weekend for races and practices – to Indiana, Florida, and even to Italy recently.

So his dad, Chris, decided to design a half-mile track of asphalt on their 11 acres of land in Highland, Maryland for Achilles to practice kart racing, spending upwards of $200,000.

But since it was built in December 2023 and completed in January about a month and a half later - this track has turned into a nightmare.

"He's been on the track once for 15 minutes in an electric kart. Our attorney just says don't drive on the track until it's all settled, and we're fine with that, so it's just in limbo with what the County's going to do," said Chris Siperko.

Here's the issue: Chris did not obtain permits before construction and said the asphalt company he hired to build it told him he did not need any since it was on his property and wasn't touching any main roads. It's also on zoned farmland. 

Roughly 25 neighbors have complained to Howard County Planning & Zoning and have held public meetings as recently as last week.

The area's Facebook page has a litany of comments, also complaining about the track on the Siperko's property, which is tucked off of Mink Hollow Drive.

One comment says, "Sounds like he has no respect for his neighbors, the environment, or rules. If I lived here, I'd want it gone."

Another starts by saying, "These people ought to be strung up, IMHO…"

Lynda Eisenberg with the Howard County Planning & Zoning Department said it's important for property owners to check before starting any construction.

"The community is well aware that we are investigating this situation and looking to remedy concerns," Eisenberg said.

There will be a conditional use approval hearing scheduled in which officials will determine if the track can be used for practice kart racing.

The Siperkos, who have lived on the land for about eight years, have also been fined for building on protected wetlands.

"Usually, if it is planned in advance, you can contribute to a wetland mitigation bank, do a different sort of restoration project," explained Gussie Maguire, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Maryland staff scientist. "But since they did it without getting permission, fines are where it ends up."

The Siperko family said they will do whatever the county and neighbors want them to do in order to use this track for Achille's practice, including restricted days and hours between 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., plant vegetation so you can't see it from the main road, and a quieter electric kart instead of one that uses gas.

"They do not want this here, they do not want us to have this. This is for my 10-year-old son to practice his sport, it's not for a bunch of people to come. It's just for him," Chris said.