ROSEVILLE, CA - A Placer County grand jury report said the Placer County Fair Association needs to put the brakes on noise coming from the All American Speedway.
Since the 1950's race car drivers and racing fans have enjoyed races at the track.
Neighbors claim they simply endured noise wafting from the track to their homes.
"I live about a mile-and-a-half north and east of the track," Mike Kassis said. "It's a raceway with loud engine noises and squealing tires. When a race is in progress, we also (hear) a very loud announcer making calls and music."
The latest Placer County grand jury looked into the problem when neighbors lodged several complaints following upgrades and repairs at the track in 2007.
The report states, "County officials testified that no permits or environmental impact students/reports were obtained by the Fair Association for the Speedway expansion project."
The work included upgrades to sound walls and safety fences and the track was lengthened by 70 feet on one end and widened by 30 feet at another location.
Jurors found "changes at the Speedway have increased noise, air and storm run-off pollution as well as parking and traffic congestion."
Kassis and his neighbors maintain the construction work has decreased the value of their homes.
"The grand jury report notes two things," Kassis said. "They haven't really addressed the noise at the race track for public health and safety. On top of that, they made what they considered to be safety and health improvements when they were really improving the track to make it larger and capable of handling NASCAR (sanctioned races)."
Parents worry about the effect of the noise on children attending Bradford Woodbridge Fundamental Elementary School next door to the track.
"Sometimes there are events at the school and the kids are coming to school when they're racing," Ruth Garcia said.
The grand jury report states the repair project has enabled race cars to go faster and increased the noise factor.
It recommends that the speedway be "examined by county building inspectors ... so that all portions of the Speedway are brought up to current county and state codes, regulations and noise ordinances."
The report added the Fair Assocation should obtain the proper permits and an environmental impact report.
Fair Association officials declined comment on the grand jury report pointing out that the fair board will meet next week to begin formulating a response, which is due by April 1.
That's good news for Kassis.
"We need to find a solution to this problem," Kassis said. "One that not only works fro the community but for the raceway as well."
By Karen Massie kmassie@news10.net
http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=122747&catid=2
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