PIR Alert

[Tess McMillan <tessmc@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Forgive me if you see this twice, but I repeatedly have trouble submitting
posts to this list.

Tess
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Forwarded from the Portland Region PCA:
URGENT PIR ALERT

	We are facing a serious political threat to the
continued availability of Portland International Raceway 
for Porsche Club and other local motorsports uses.  Please 
read on and then contact the Portland City Council with your comments.

	As you may have read in the newspapers, Portland Trailblazers 
owner Paul Allen's development company has proposed to construct a 
20,000 seat amphitheater on the PIR infield.  Originally conceived 
as an 8,000 seat facility that was supported by the motorsports 
community, Allen's company has enlarged the concept into a behemoth 
that would threaten the availability of PIR for local motorsports use.  
Aside from the physical scale of the project, which would eliminate 
the motocross track among other portions of PIR, the sheer size of the 
amphitheater would require at least five summer weekends devoted to 
concert activity.  That could easily mean that we would no longer have 
any summer track days, we would very likely lose our PCA Club Race date, 
and the SCCA and Conference race schedules would likely be shortened.

	The Portland Planning Commission wisely recognized these 
negative effects, and turned down the proposal.  However, Allen's 
company has appealed that decision to the Portland City Council.

	Please contact any or all of the members of the City 
Council and express your objections to this proposal.  The 
Commissioner in charge of the Parks Bureau (and PIR) is 
Jim Francesconi, but each of the members has an equal vote.  
The best thing to do is to write a real letter.  E mail is the 
second best alternative, and a phone call is a lot better than nothing.  
The more reasoned your comment the better.  However, even a short statement 
that you object to the proposal will be worthwhile.  Disparaging comments 
are disfavored, but a little emotion is OK.

	Mail to all of the Council members can be sent to:
			City Hall
			1211 SW 5th Avenue
			Portland, OR 97204

	Council members' names, e mail addresses and phone numbers are:

	Mayor Vera Katz		823-4120 / mayorkatz@domain.elided

	Jim Francesconi		823-3008 / jfrancesconi@domain.elided

	Charles Hales		823-4682 / chales@domain.elided

	Erik Sten		823-3589 / esten@domain.elided

	Gretchen Kafoury	823-4151 / gkafoury@domain.elided

	Please don't delay.  Immediate responses will be the most 
effective tactic.

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