California Speedway

Environmental Impact Report  |  San Bernardino County, California

Applied Planning, Inc. prepared the Environmental Impact Report for this major motor sports raceway facility and a business park on a 550-acre site located in the southwest portion of San Bernardino County. The Project was recognized by the Inland Empire Chapter of the American Planning Association for “Outstanding Specific Project” of the year.

The site was previously occupied by a steel mill owned and operated by the Kaiser Steel Corporation. The mill, which began operation in 1942, was a major source of steel plate for ship building operations during World War II, and by the late 1970s was the largest fully integrated steel mill west of the Mississippi River, providing over 11,000 jobs to the community. Development of the site required extensive demolition of old structures and facilities and reclamation of hazardous waste by-products from steel mill operations.

The Project was intended to fill demand for a major motor sports racing facility that has grown since the closure of several raceways, including the Riverside Raceway, the Ontario Motor Speedway, and other smaller racing facilities in Southern California. The California Speedway Development Plan Project included the following components:

• A motor racing facility with a two-mile tri-oval track, and associated buildings and facilities for hosting three to six Indy and stock car sanctioned races per year between April and September, beginning in September of 1996. Ultimate spectator attendance is planned at 105,000 people per event.
• Parking for the grandstand area, infield parking, employee parking, and the business park area totals 34,646 parking spaces.
• A Metrolink station proposed for the northeastern portion of the main parking area, along an existing Santa Fe Rail line.

Unique aspects of the Project focus on: the need for extensive remediation of steel mill by-products prior to speedway opening, analysis of short-term operational impacts associated with three to six sanctioned weekend races per year that could draw more than 105,000 people to the area, and, analysis of impacts specific to motor vehicle racing, such as extremely high noise levels and public safety concerns.

Issues analyzed were Traffic & Circulation, Noise, Air Quality, Hazardous Materials, Public Safety, Land Use, Water Resources, Public Services, and Cultural Resources.