RACING TO TRY TO SAVE THE TRACK LAND SET TO BE SITE FOR MINING.Byline: JIM Jim Miss Watson’s runaway slave; Huck’s traveling companion. [Am. Lit.: Huckleberry Finn] See : Escape SKEEN Staff Writer PALMDALE -- Palmdale officials want to see the options for keeping the Los Angeles County Raceway Los Angeles County Raceway (or "LACR") was a motorsport facility in Southern California. LACR's main feature was its 1/4 mile dragstrip, which was first opened in 1964. LACR held its final event on July 29th, 2007. open, but expressed doubts about the long-term viability of the current site due to be taken over for mining. More than 20 raceway supporters turned out Wednesday to urge the City Council to help save the facility. City officials said they will see what can be done, and will try to keep the track open at least for the short term. Councilman Steve Hofbauer said the issue is "on the front burner Noun 1. front burner - top priority; "the work was moved to the front burner in order to meet deadlines" precedence, precedency, priority - status established in order of importance or urgency; "... " with city staff. "It won't happen overnight," Hofbauer said of finding a solution. "We are going to work as fast as we can." Hofbauer said his son is working on a 1968 El Camino that he hopes to be able to race one day at the track. The raceway sits on an east Palmdale parcel leased by Granite Construction Granite Construction is a member of the S&P 400 Index, and is the parent company of Granite Construction Company, one of the nation's largest heavy civil contractors and construction materials producers. , which plans to mine the land for concrete aggregates. Fans of the raceway said the track will be lost in late July if a solution can't be found. The raceway keeps drag-racing enthusiasts off the streets and in a controlled environment, fans said. If the facility is closed, there will be a spike in illegal street racing, they predicted. "We need a track. We need something organized," said Jeff Hillinger, who heads a citizens group trying to save the racetrack. City officials, however, said the site where the racetrack is located stands in an area predicted to have high growth. Long term, a different site will have to be found. "There is an encroachment An illegal intrusion in a highway or navigable river, with or without obstruction. An encroachment upon a street or highway is a fixture, such as a wall or fence, which illegally intrudes into or invades the highway or encloses a portion of it, diminishing its width or area, but issue already there," said Mayor Jim Ledford. "Where it is at is problematic. Growth is moving in that direction." Hillinger said he doesn't believe housing will encroach encroach v. to build a structure which is in whole or in part across the property line of another's real property. This may occur due to incorrect surveys, guesses or miscalculations by builders and/or owners when erecting a building. on the site and believes the racetrack can be saved where it is now. james.skeen@dailynews (661) 267-5743 |
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