CRANDALL, Texas -- A mass gathering permit application was denied Friday morning after the applicant failed to appear for a public hearing.
CRANDALL, Texas -- A mass gathering permit application was denied Friday morning after the applicant failed to appear for a public hearing.
The permit, for a horse training event, drew scrutiny from area residents who had concerns the permit would instead be used for unlicensed horse racing and not training, bring with it, among other things, unwanted crime, illegal betting, noise, litter, and public safety issues.
Several dozen residents appeared before Kaufman County Judge Bruce Wood during the scheduled public hearing this morning, but, before testimony could be heard, the permit was denied because the promoter was not present for the hearing.
The promoter had intended to hold the event on October 7, 2017, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. at 5650 Stitzle Road in between Crandall and Talty.
Horse racing tracks were put on notice earlier this year when the county announced stricter mass gathering permitting procedures in accordance with the Texas Mass Gathering Act.
Since the new regulations, three applicants have sought mass gathering permits. The first was approved and ended with law enforcement issuing some 30 citations and approximately three arrests. The second was denied because the process was not completed properly. This event was the third and denied because the promoter was not present for the public hearing.
