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Letter from Thomas Malloy
August 4, 2009
Dear auto racing fans, car enthusiasts and environmentalists:
For the past seven years I have been attempting to develop the “Fairmont Butte Motorsports Park” on 140 acres of my 320-acre property. This 3.6 mile Alan Wilson-designed race track will include a 30,000 square foot clubhouse, 45,000 square feet of garage facilities and overnight accommodations and other amenities, helping to make it a world-class racing facility.
The new motorsports park will bring with it several important benefits to the surrounding communities including:
Employment opportunities
Increased area commerce
Facilities for community activities
Your Help Is Needed
In order to make this beautiful new motorsports complex a reality, we must have the approval of the County of Los Angeles. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) has been distributed and the County is receiving opposition comments from a small but vocal group associated with the nearby Poppy Reserve. Despite the facts clearly stated in the report, this group has distributed incorrect information about the project which is addressed later in this letter. A digital copy of DEIR Case No: 02-176 is available HERE
This is where you come in. If you feel, as many in the community do, that this new project would be beneficial and desirable for the area, we would appreciate your support. First you can provide a positive independent voice in a letter campaign to the County of Los Angeles supporting this race track. I have attached a copy of our brochure which contains some track renderings and additional information. Your letters need only be short containing one or two paragraphs highlighting the points made here, as well as your own opinion.
Second, I am requesting your attendance at a Regional Planning Commission Public Hearing to be held on Wednesday September 2, 2009 at 9:00 AM at the Hall of Records, 320 West Temple St. Los Angeles, Room 150, in support of the new facility. I know this is a big request, but I think you’ll find it very worthwhile and interesting.
The track will be built in an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County in Supervisor Mike Antonovich’s Fifth District. Please refer to DEIR Case No: 02-176 in your letters.
Letters of support should be addressed to Jodie Sackett, Department of Regional Planning, Room1382, Los Angeles County, Department of Regional Planning, 320 West Temple St. Los Angeles, CA 90012. Or you can e-mail Jody: jsackett@planning.lacounty.gov
You can also send your support comments directly to Supervisor Antonovich by emailing the Supervisor at: FifthDistrict@lacbos.org. If you do, please make sure to copy Jodie Sackett.
All letters must be received at the County office no later than August 19th.
Important Issues
I would like to address the environmental issues. My property and much of the surrounding property is presently used for the illegal dumping of trash and is overrun by trespassing off-road vehicles. It is nearly impossible for me or my neighbors to control this situation without full time property caretakers. This project will put a stop to this illegal activity on my property and I will assist in protecting my neighbor’s property. Much of the facility will be constructed on land that has been zoned for agriculture. I could farm this land, as many of my neighbors around me do. I have been told by the Los Angeles County head biologists and by interested environmentalists that the Fairmont Butte’s primary attribute is its beauty. My project will protect and preserve that feature. Although the track and the paddock areas will be paved, other areas of the property including those being recklessly used by trespassers will be restored to their original beauty.
Our neighbor to the south, the California Poppy Reserve, is approximately one mile from the proposed track. You cannot see any part of the track from the Reserve as it is protected by the 300 foot high Fairmont Butte, which also helps mitigate any noise. As part of the DEIR, sound tests were run at the site with actual race cars. Sound was monitored at various locations on the Poppy Reserve. At the popular locations on the Reserve, you could barely hear the sound at all. In all tests points monitored at the Reserve, the sound level was well below the County standards and even below the ambient level.
I have listed here some important additional facts about the project:
The proposed zone change to Commercial-Recreational is consistent with the recreational uses of the Poppy Reserve.
No night racing is proposed and the race track itself will not have lights. Security lighting will be used. A lighting plan is required following dark sky provisions to preserve astronomy observation potential in the area.
There are no historical structures on the project site. Some cultural resources may be disturbed, but the project would be required to preserve artifacts in place or excavate and move them to an off-site preservation area using qualified archaeologists.
Wildflower areas are impacted only in areas previously used for agriculture. A habitat management plan will be prepared to foster and encourage wildflowers in non-paved areas of the project site. Both poppies and goldfields will be cultivated on the project site.
The impacts to biological resources were well studied, including wildlife movement. There is no regional movement corridor on the project site and the local corridor through Broad Canyon Wash would not be blocked with structures. Viable movement routes within and around the site for species such as fox, coyote and bobcat would be preserved.
A small amount of development is proposed within the north end of the Sensitive Ecological Area 57 (SEA). The majority (84%) of the SEA will be preserved in perpetuity through a conservation easement. There is no development proposed on the butte.
The track will be convenient to all of Southern California and open to club races and other automotive events, car company testing, promotional and filming activity. The track will operate as a private facility not generally open to the public. Attendance should not exceed 2,000 people.
When the facility is not being used for its primary purpose it could be available for community activities such as town meetings, Soap Box Derbies and other community activities.
I am committed to being a good neighbor to the community and sensitive to the environment. Also, I am willing to work cooperatively with the Poppy Reserve. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 951-739-0508.
Thank you very much for your support.
Thomas E. Malloy
