By SANDY McGEE

BELLINGHAM — Racing enthusiasts will soon have a place to kick up some dirt after the town’s Planning Board approved a proposal for the area’s first motocross arena on Thursday.

The Planning Board granted permission Thursday for the creation of the MX 365 Motocross Arena, a 69,000 square foot motocross arena at 169 Maple St. The board also approved plans for a large-scale athletic center, which will also be located on Maple Street.
According to Russell Cobb, owner of R.J. Cobb Land Clearing and the arena’s developer, this will be the first motocross facility in the Blackstone Valley and maybe even in New England. Motocross is a cross-country motorcycle race that takes place over a closed course of rough terrain with steep hills and sharp curves.
“It’s the first one of its kind,” Cobb said. “There was one in Connecticut, but they are no longer open. We are trying something very different.”
The proposed MX 365 Motocross Arena, located on 4.6-acres, will feature a circular dirt track, a storage area for bikes, a viewing area of the track and “his and her” locker rooms and showers.
“There are almost as many girls as there are guys riding these days,” said Cobb, who was first introduced to the rising sport through his son, David, a motocross racer for 10 years.
Due to high demand and safety precautions, the facility will only be open on a membership basis. A list of regulations and rules has also been discussed between the developers and the town.
The arena will be open 24 hours per day,  seven days per week. However, members will not be permitted to load or unload bikes between the pre-dawn hours of 1 to 6 a.m. 
“We (the town) asked them to provide a list of rules and regulations for unloading of bikes to keep it as quiet as possible,” said Town Planner Stacey Wetstein. “We told them that people arriving between 1 and 6 a.m. have to store their bikes at the facility. We also had an extensive discussion on noise and air quality.”
According to officials, soundproofing will be completed on the building to block out any noise from the bikes. A ventilation system at the facility will also prevent exhaust fumes from polluting the air.
Cobb anticipates that the motocross arena may be open by this time next year.
“We’re hoping to be up and running within a year,” he said. “We could be open in six months if everything falls into place.” 
The Planning Board also approved a proposal for an indoor and outdoor athletic complex, named BCL Premier Sports. The more than 250,000 square feet complex will be located in the former EMC building on the corner of Maple and High Street.
The athletic complex, which is under the direction of LIG Development Co. of Westwood, Mass., will feature two indoor and six outdoor soccer fields, three indoor basketball courts and other recreational features.
As part of a deal between the town and developers for the project, the LIG Development Co. will give $30,000 to the town for an electronic sign; donate 11.7 acres of land near the site, which borders the Charles River; and pay a one-time fee of $80,000 for maintenance of Maple Street.
The town will also receive $10,000 per year for 12 years toward future traffic maintenance.
“We have never had a recreational use of this magnitude before,” Wetstein said. “It provides a nice recreational aspect to the town that we didn’t have before.”
The facility will be semi-private, accessible for sport leagues and teams. The complex will not be open to the general public.
The Planning Board will formally sign the proposals for both projects at its next meeting on Nov. 13.