CITIES' RIVALRY REVISITED : LANCASTER, PALMDALE VIE FOR FAIRGROUNDS SITE.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Daily News Staff Writer

After a truce through much of the 1990s, Palmdale and Lancaster seem to have found a new subject for rivalry.

This time, the issue is over where a new Antelope Valley Fairgrounds should be built.

Lancaster spent $750,000 last week to buy 221 acres that could hold a new fairgrounds as well as a business park.

But Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford met with fair board officials last week to say they should look at an area closer to Palmdale - like maybe west of Sierra Highway on both sides of Avenue M, straddling the cities' boundary.

``What I see is, if we have an atmosphere of cooperation and do what's best for the Antelope Valley, let's make a decision based on that and not on what's best for any one city,'' Ledford said.

Lancaster and Palmdale had competed through the 1980s for such things as the regional shopping mall, auto malls and the right to annex unincorporated territory around Quartz Hill, but the competition slowed during the 1990s as the cities embarked on cooperative ventures like a regional economic development coordinating committee.

Ledford said he does not see the fair relocation issue as bickering between the two cities, but Lancaster Mayor Frank Roberts called Ledford's initiative ``stirring an anthill.''

Ledford said fair board members agreed to involve both cities in deliberations for selecting a new fairgrounds site.

``The community has to buy in,'' Ledford said. ``We need input and participation.''

Fair board member Jack Seefus, chairman of a committee formed to explore where to relocate the fairgrounds and the financing needed to do that, said fair officials are open to considering other sites.

``We're looking at all situations,'' Seefus said. ``(Ledford's) got some thought as to what might be available, and Lancaster (officials) have (theirs). We will look at what's available out there.''

Lancaster decided Jan. 9 to buy 221 acres intended for a new $71 million Antelope Valley Fairgrounds and for industrial development. The land is generally bounded by Avenue G-8 to the north, the Antelope Valley Freeway to the east, Avenue H to the south and 30th Street West to the west. Escrow closed Friday on the property.

Most of the property - up to 185 acres - would be used for the development of a replacement for the 58-year-old, 76-acre fairgrounds at Avenue I and Division Street.

In 1994, a consultant's report said in the next 20 years the fairgrounds needs to expand to 160 acres and requires new buildings totaling $71 million to adequately house its biggest annual event.

Roberts noted that the 50th Agricultural District covers an area that stretches between Santa Clarita and Ridgecrest, so Lancaster is more of a central location.

``For that reason, I still believe that Lancaster is the ideal site,'' he said.

Roberts added that as many as 25 to 30 years ago, fair officials had looked at that very property as a possible site, Roberts said.

``It's not a quick and dirty kind of thing,'' Roberts said.

Lancaster city officials and the fair board have been discussing the expansion of the old fairgrounds for several years.

The decision on where to place the new fairgrounds rests ultimately with the fair board, Roberts said. If it is not relocated to the 221-acre site, Roberts said the land can be used for other purposes, such as a hockey arena.

``We are not bent out of shape or annoyed. It's a natural consequence of Jim Ledford stirring an anthill,'' Roberts said.

Ledford said the Lancaster site may be central to the agricultural district, but not to the area's concentration of population.

``I think it's too far away from the population,'' Ledford said. ``The fairgrounds really are a focus for community involvement. If you have a business, would you go out in the middle of nowhere or go in the middle of the population center? The viability of the fair is determined by convenience and location, just like a business.''

With a site west of Sierra Highway on both sides of Avenue M, the nearby hotels ``could benefit from something located between the cities,'' Ledford said. He added both cities have redevelopment projects in that vicinity, thus possibly generating a potential source of funds.

``I don't think we should be competitive on who has the best proposal,'' Ledford said. It should be through ``partnership to give us the best location, the best financing opportunity and the best community involvement.''

But Roberts said fairgrounds and population centers are not a good mix. Roberts said the fairgrounds has to be in an area where expansion is possible, where drag racing, tractor pulls and fireworks can be put on without bothering anyone.

``You need an area where you can control and manage the growth of the surrounding region,'' Roberts said.

The Avenue M and Sierra Highway site could place the fairgrounds under Air Force Plant 42 flight paths and get noise interference from overhead aircraft, Roberts said.

SCORING THE RIVALRY

Palmdale and Lancaster ahve a long history of rivalry. Here's a list of some of their battles, and which city eventually landed the prize.

Palmdale Lancaster

Antelope Valley Mall  X -

Auto Mall X X

Outlet Mall  - X

Baseball Stadium - X

CAPTION(S):

Box

Box: (Ran in SAC and AV--color in AV only) SCORING THE RIVALRY (see text)