Some neighbors roar in protest, continue to threaten litigation
By Jon Chown
WATSONVILLE — Hoping to settle at least one potential legal fracas, the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds board of directors, during a special Tuesday night meeting, unanimously approved a contract with Ocean Speedway through 2019.
The fairgrounds and the speedway had been negotiating a continuation of their current agreement, but whereas the fairgrounds felt that it expired at the end of the year, the speedway felt differently, said John Prentice, operator of Ocean Speedway. He didn’t deny he might have taken the fairgrounds to court if the board had rejected the contract proposal and stopped the races.
“We had an existing contract that we felt was valid,” Prentice said, choosing his words carefully.
Unfortunately, the approval does not get the fairgrounds out of legal jeopardy. A group of neighbors have formed under the banner Community Alliance for Fairgrounds Accountability and have been fighting the fairgrounds since 2010 on noise and other environmental issues. Tuesday, attorney Jonathan Wittwer told the board that CAFA would likely file another lawsuit against the fairgrounds if it approved the contract without adding restrictions sought by the group. Instead, he asked, negotiate with neighbors first.
“It would be best for everybody to have a little more time,” he said.
Hundreds of people filled the Harvest Building for the meeting and nearly all of them were in favor the speedway. They spoke of the racetrack’s family environment, its history and the economic boost it gave to Watsonville.
“My father raced and my mother was a trophy girl. I probably owe my existence to Ocean Speedway,” said Michael Dalton. “The race track is a great member of the community.”
Lt. John Hohmann of the Scotts Valley Police Department stressed how much of an asset the racetrack was to the entire region. He said fundraisers at the track have supported 123 Special Olympics athletes over the past four years and another $4,000 was recently raised for organ transplants.
Terry Traub, a sergeant for the Watsonville Police Department, said he frequently sees restaurants on Friday nights with out-of-town racecar drivers parked out front with their cars in trailers.
“This brings business to Watsonville,” he said, adding that he would miss the roar of the cars on Friday nights.
But some neighbors don’t feel that at all. Whereas the contract that was approved allows race noise to reach 95 decibels from 100 feet away, CAFA sought restrictions of up to 85 decibels by requiring the latest muffler technology. The contract allows up to 30 races, more than CAFA would like, and shuts racing down at 11 p.m. Randy Repass, the most visible of the CAFA neighbors, said the issue was about being home on a Friday night and being able to enjoy dinner. He said the louder sprint cars were the real culprits.
“It really bothers a whole lot of people,” he told the board. “This contract has no noise limits, no fewer races and no reduced curfew times — three things we’ve been looking for.”
Both John Prentice and his wife Darlene Prentice, who is also an attorney, assured the board that they would continue to negotiate with neighbors, but needed the contract approved for the stability of their operation.
“It’s not as if when you approve this, we will stick to it and litigate,” Darlene Prentice said.
Fair Manager Dave Kegebein told the directors, the neighbors and the large crowd that there was little doubt concessions by Ocean Speedway would have to be made and that if it wound up in litigation, some concessions would be forced.
“Those of you who think that just because the race track was here first and it can do anything it wants, I don’t think that’s how it works in the court system of America. We are going to find a middle ground where everyone can live together,” Kegebein said.
But he was in favor of approving the contract because it was a better contract for the fairgrounds, kept Ocean Speedway operating and should improve conditions for the neighbors. Specifically, it provides the fairgrounds with $60,000 in rent and $6,000 for utilities in 2014 and increases by $3,600 each year through 2019 until the fairgrounds receives $75,000 in rent and $9,000 for utilities.
Before voting for approval, board director Don Dietrich admonished the racing community to do a better job of taking care of the track.
“You treat our race track like a garbage dump. You leave stuff for us to dispose that costs us money. We shouldn’t have to haul have a dumpster of trash out the next day,” he said. “Let’s all be good community partners and take care of our fairgrounds.”
After the contract was approved, John Prentice said he was happy with the meeting.
“I’m very excited that the board is going to allow me to continue to work with the neighbors and they see the importance of the speedway in the community and what it brings to the community of Watsonville. It’s a special little jewel here,” he said.
Repass, although disappointed the contract was approved, said he wasn’t surprised by the decision and was happy to get his point across.
“I think it would be very difficult for this group, with all these people here, to make any other decision,” Repass said. “We were very happy to get our points across. We are making progress. We have a ways to go, but we’re making progress.”