There’s more than meets the eye to the Los Alamitos Race Course’s plan to lure 700 thoroughbred horses and an initial 20 days of races from Hollywood Park after it closes this December.
There’s more than meets the eye to the Los Alamitos Race Course’s plan to lure 700 thoroughbred horses and an initial 20 days of races from Hollywood Park after it closes this December.
If the Cypress City Council votes to approve the Conditional Use Permit in 2 ½ weeks on Dec. 9, as scheduled, they’ll need to consider at least one additional C.U.P. request the track owners are already obligated to make in the months ahead.
The track’s owners have already signed off on an agreement with thoroughbred owners to stable at least 700 thoroughbreds at Los Alamitos year round, and to build at least 200 additional stables to help accommodate them.
Their owners, trainers, and groomers would either be living on the track property or commuting to the track year round. Either way, that’s year round traffic, not just 20 days a year.
But there’s nothing in the Track’s current application about those 200 stables, because they don’t have to be completed until July.
Not exactly full disclosure.
Does that remind anyone of the track owners’ Measure L, where a Seniors’ Community morphed into an application for ProLogis’ massive truck terminal?
The truth is, according to the Daily Racing Form, the closing of Hollywood Park this December created a “looming stabling crisis” for Southern California thoroughbreds. One thousand two hundred horses currently stabled year-round at Hollywood Park will be forced to find new homes by February.
The thoroughbred industry’s plan is to move at least 500 of them to Los Alamitos by February, and another 200 by July, giving Los Al time to build new stables.
That leaves 500 homeless horses, who theoretically will relocate year-round to either Fairplex/Barretts in Pomona, or San Luis Rey Downs in northern San Diego County. The problem is, most thoroughbred racing is now held at Santa Anita, about a two-hour drive from San Luis Rey, depending on traffic. Pomona is closer, but doesn’t have a mile track for the horses to train on.
That’s why the track’s consultant Brad McKenzie, told a reporter he doesn’t know how many horses are coming. It could eventually be closer to 1,200 than to 700. Or more.
And, with 700 to 1,200 thoroughbred horses stabled on the grounds of a sparkling new track in the heart of Southern California, wouldn’t it be reasonable to expect pressure for more than just 20 race days a year at their new home track, the track in the most central location?
So the Cypress City Council isn’t really being presented with the full picture. But, once they allow the thoroughbred’s nose into their tent, there’s little doubt more will follow.
Which is why this is the time to ask questions and make sure conditions are included in that Conditional Use Permit to protect the quality of life of West Orange County residents, from Rossmoor to Cypress and West Garden Grove.
Sadly, the approach by Cypress so far appears to be the opposite – pass the C.U.P. A.S.A.P., ask questions later.
In fact, cypress planning director basically signed off on the C.U.P. with his “Mitigated Negative Declaration” just one day after the track’s environmental people filed hundreds of pages of complex environmental documents.
I’ve spent the last week just trying to understand the Traffic Addendum to that complex environmental document and am more confused today than when I started. I’ve found lots of serious omissions. But Doug Hawkins signed off on the whole package in one day.
Last Wednesday, Hawkins was unable to answer most of the questions raised by Los Alamitos Traffic Commissioners about the proposal he’d already signed off on.
One thing I have learned is that thoroughbred races are held during afternoon daylight hours as late in the day as possible, 4 days a week (Thursdays through Sundays). That means fans would exit the track in mass as just Katella gridlocks with evening rush hour traffic on Thursdays and Fridays.
With Katella already gridlocked then, even more drivers will seek creative routes through the residential neighborhoods of Cypress and Los Alamitos.
That’s drivers who’ve had a beer or two or three cutting through neighborhoods with children playing as the sun begins to set. As a local resident and traffic commissioner, that causes me real concern.
Then there’s “the elephant on the property,” the question of what will become of that 33 acre parcel the voters upzoned when they passed Measure L, expecting a continuing care senior’s center.
Those 33 acres are still out of Measure D’s restrictions, with zoning that allows for just about anything. Maybe a casino? As a minimum, perhaps the Cypress City Council should impose a C.U.P. condition restricting those 33 acres to use as a continuing care seniors’ community or open space as a condition of the track expansion.
We’re dealing with the same track owners that promoted Measure L. Is this another potential bait and switch?
The only protections West Orange County residents will have will come from the Cypress City Council over the next three weeks.
The next Cypress City Council meeting is currently scheduled for 7 p.m. this coming Monday.
Dave Emerson edits LetsFixLosAl.com and serves as a Traffic Commissioner for Los Alamitos.
Below are links to various documents regarding the track expansion
Notice of Intent to File a Mitigated Negative Declaration, Los Alamitos Race Course Race Track Extension/CUP 2013-08, DRC 2013-03 http://www.ci.cypress.ca.us/community_develpmnt/larc_track_extension_mnd/cup_2013-08_drc_2013-03_notice_mnd.pdf
Mitigated Negative Declaration for Los Alamitos Race Course Race Track Extension/CUP 2013-08, DRC 2013-03 http://www.ci.cypress.ca.us/community_develpmnt/larc_track_extension_mnd/cup_2013-08_drc_2013-03.pdf
Los Alamitos Race Course Race Track Extension MND and Initial Study http://www.ci.cypress.ca.us/community_develpmnt/larc_track_extension_mnd/larc_race_extension_mnd_initial_strudy.pdf
Appendix A – Air Quality – Assumptions and Modeling http://www.ci.cypress.ca.us/community_develpmnt/larc_track_extension_mnd/appendix_a_air_quality_assumptions_modeling.pdf
Appendix B – Biological Resources Reconnaissance http://www.ci.cypress.ca.us/community_develpmnt/larc_track_extension_mnd/appendix_b_biological_resources_reconnaissance.pdf
Appendix C – Hazardous Materials Database Maps http://www.ci.cypress.ca.us/community_develpmnt/larc_track_extension_mnd/appendix_c_hazardous_materials_database_maps.pdf
Appendix D – Non-Priority Project Water Quality Plan http://www.ci.cypress.ca.us/community_develpmnt/larc_track_extension_mnd/appendix_d_non-priority_project_water_quality_plan.pdf
Appendix E – Noise Monitoring Projections and Aircraft Noise http://www.ci.cypress.ca.us/community_develpmnt/larc_track_extension_mnd/appendix_e_noise_monitoring_projections_aircraft_noise.pdf
Appendix F – Traffic Impact Study http://www.ci.cypress.ca.us/community_develpmnt/larc_track_extension_mnd/appendix_f_traffic_impact_study.pdf
