Greetings Friends and Neighbors,
With your support, we have been able to curtail the ongoing overreach of Pacific Raceways in their quest for expansion and infractions of the Conditional Use Permit (CUP.) As many of you are aware, the CUP was written in 1984 and serves as the only safeguard the community has against the continuing demands of race track ownership.
Some of you may be aware of the recent passage of Ordinance 2015-0437, permitting Pacific Raceways to build 400,000 square feet of garage space and other encroachments in violation of the CUP. SCAR views this as yet another instance of the perennial ‘camel’s nose under the tent’ and endangers the critical, environmentally-sensitive Greater Soos Creek area. The new legislation eliminates the requirements of the 2012 Ordinance requiring an Environmental Impact Statement; Pacific Raceways has never submitted a Master Planned Development Plan, also required by the 2012 legislation.
There will be a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review under the recently-passed Ordinance; a pre-application meeting with the racetrack and Department of Permitting and Environmental Review (DPER) is scheduled to take place early next year. SCAR wishes to address a number of topics prior to the meeting, among them being the incompatibility of the new buildings with the CUP, under which the track still officially operates. The Board feels the interests of the community will be better served if we can continue to utilize the services of our Attorney, Aaron Smith, and Environmental Consultant Greg Wingard. While they have donated much of their time, the Board feels they are entitled to token compensation for their efforts on behalf of the community.
It is important to note SCAR’s efforts have not been entirely ineffective. The Pacific Raceways owner recently extended an offer to meet with SCAR and track neighbors after the first of the year to discuss issues related to the pre-application process and “write a new chapter” in an often-contentious relationship with the surrounding community.
SCAR is an all-volunteer organization; the Board feels it is vital that we remain as a safeguard against the expansion plans of Pacific Raceways and, often, DPER, in its failure to maintain the spirit and letter of the CUP. Funds are needed in order to pursue this effort going forward. Should you wish to contribute, you may send your donation to:
SCAR
P.O. Box 8932
Covington, WA 98042
One of our primary concerns relates to how Pacific Raceways’ expansion plans will impact our property values, as any new business activities will result in more hours and volume of noise.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Thank you very much for your interest and support for the Greater Soos Creek Area.
Very truly yours,
Don Huling
Soos Creek Area Response
Board of Trustees
253-887-8721
dwh777@gmail.com