PD Editorial: No fast track for raceway plans

Sonoma Raceway wants to host a major four-day music festival and other activities at what has been solely a race-driven venue in southern Sonoma County.

What’s not to like?

Certainly, if Sonoma County is going to be the scene of a multi-day event such as the Outside Lands festival in San Francisco or BottleRock in Napa County, having it at the raceway, which rests at the juncture of Highway 37 and Highway 121, makes more sense than just about any other location.

No other venue knows how to handle crowds of this size. The track is seeking permission to host a four-day music festival in the spring or fall that would present high-profile performers and handle up to 55,000 people a day, including thousands who would stay and camp on the 1,600-acre raceway grounds.

The track currently holds a half-dozen big race events a year, including the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR race in late June, which draws 100,000 visitors.

Meanwhile, Sonoma Raceway also has a good track record when it comes to abiding by its existing use permit, which has strict limits on hours of operation, traffic and loud celebrations involving fireworks and jet flyovers. (The track is hoping to increase the number of these from two to five.)

The raceway also wants to amend its 15-year-old use permit to allow it to hold non-racing events such as corporate gatherings, parties and community fund-raisers. All infrastructure would be temporary except for the installation of lights at the karting facility to allow kart driving at night.

“A lot of what we are trying to do is just create some flexibility,” said Steve Page, the racetrack’s president and general manager.

Adding in the regional economic benefits about this plan, including the minimum $200,000 that the raceway pledges to donate to local non-profits out of the festival profits each year, there’s cause for optimism.

But there’s also reason to be cautious.

Traffic in southern Sonoma County is already a nightmare on days when major events occur at the raceway. And hosting a four-day music festival that encourages patrons to camp overnight represents a major untested change to the raceway’s operations.

Questions remain, many of which will be addressed in the environmental review, which is now underway, and the county review process, which could take as much as two years to complete.

But those who have concerns or questions - or just want to voice support - shouldn’t wait for the completion of the EIR. They should get engaged now.

The first opportunity to do so will be on Wednesday when the plan goes before the Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Commission. The meeting, to be held in the Community Room, 177 First St. W. in Sonoma, begins at 6:30 p.m.

Supporters and opponents alike can rest assured this is just the beginning of what will be a long process. Like it or not, there’s no fast track for something like this.