EDITORIAL FAIR GAME.

THE return of the itinerant San Fernando Valley Fair to its home turf should be a cause for celebration. Instead, in some areas, the NIMBYism has already begun.

After more than 50 years in the Valley, the fair headed north this year due to organizational problems that have plagued it since it lost its permanent home at California State University, Northridge, a decade ago. It was less of a success than past fairs, and the newly reconstituted fair board is vowing, justifiably, to bring the fair home next year.

But even before the fair's board members have had a chance to assess all of the five possible sites, some Hansen Dam neighborhood residents are kicking up a fuss.

They object to the fair staking a permanent home at the equestrian center because of the traffic, the noise and other intrusions that accompany a weeklong fair.

If the board decides that the equestrian center at Hansen Dam Recreation Area is the right site for the homeless Valley Fair - and it's probably at the top of the list - then certainly the residents' needs must be considered and mitigated. But ultimately, the decision must be made in the interest of the greater Valley good.

The Valley hurts itself all the time with its reluctance to make room for anything that might cause disruption in the routine. This is the reason the fair left. It's in the best interest of everyone, including the fair's potential neighbors, not to let that happen again.