Summary

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On Monday, March 19, 2012, the Metropolitan King County Council voted to approve Proposed Ordinance 2011-0227, the master planning demonstration project legislation affecting Pacific Raceways, introduced by Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer of South King County.

“This legislation permits for a more open and transparent process for large scale developments in King County, such as Pacific Raceways” said von Reichbauer, sponsor of the legislation. “Our hope for Pacific Raceways is to attract new and retain existing large job-producing businesses in our community.”

The master planning demonstration project is intended to be a mechanism to test and evaluate alternative development standards and processes before amending King County policies and regulations. Prior to passage of this legislation, the county had no specific zoning or land use provisions provided in the code that easily and efficiently allowed for the processing of a complex, multi-year, multi-phased development proposals.

“Pacific Raceways will be a magnet for tourist dollars for South King County, drawing visitors from the Pacific Northwest and beyond” said von Reichbauer. “This is a project that will bring jobs and economic growth to the region without a cost to taxpayers. The improvements to Pacific Raceways will be an economic boost to the region and provide safe clean fun for those who enjoy motor sports”

In the past, there were numerous steps required for the review of expansions and upgrades to large, complex, and long-term development proposals, such as Pacific Raceways, that made it difficult for the county, the applicant and the public to understand and address the countless issues that arise during review of large scale projects.

With this newly approved legislation the county will ensure public opportunity to provide input on the future development and operating standards; allow the environmental impacts of a proposed development to be considered and addressed; moreover it will provide for better guide of the future development; implement transparent, on-going review and monitoring process to ensure compliance with the law and the executed development and operating agreements; and allow the expansion to proceed with the prospect of long-term predictability.

The legislation has a long history before the Council, starting in March of 2010 when it was initially introduced by Councilmember von Reichbauer. For two years, the King County Council reviewed and enhanced the legislation ensuring that it would make positive impact on the South King County economy by creating much-needed construction and operating jobs while protecting the environment and the community.

“We’re losing jobs to south Snohomish County and Pierce County. We need to find a process by which we can encourage predictability in our land use process ... and that’s what this is all about,” von Reichbauer said.

Pacific Raceways, formerly operated as Seattle International Raceways, is situated on a three-hundred-twenty-seven acre site east of Kent and a quarter mile off of State Highway 18, and has historically consisted of a two and a quarter-mile road course, a drag strip, a dirt motocross track and a kart track.

The owners are now seeking to move forward with a privately funded one hundred and thirty-five-million-dollar rehabilitation and expansion effort. According to Pacific Raceways, this expansion has the potential to create 864 living-wage jobs; additionally the improved track would draw five national races which would generate $15 million per race, totaling $75 million per year of economic impact in King County.