Travis County grants crucial variance for F1 permit

[enzo1]

By Eric Dexheimer | Tuesday, December 14, 2010, 03:53 PM

Travis County Commissioners voted Tuesday afternoon to grant a permitting variance that will likely allow promoters of the proposed Formula One racetrack to begin grading work on the site southeast of Austin, perhaps as soon as the end of the year.
Organizers have said they need to break ground on the project by then to have the facility ready for the inaugural 2012 race.
Portions of the track site lie within a floodplain. Normally, grading work inside a Travis County floodplain requires written comments from the Federal Emergency Management Agency — FEMA — before dirt can be moved. The agency typically takes as long as six months to weigh in.
Today’s vote, which passed 4 to 1 at the recommendation of county planners, allows track developers to proceed before the county receives FEMA’s so-called Conditional Letter of Map Revision.
The sign-off represented the biggest hurdle remaining in F1 promoter’s site grading permit application, which according to county planners could receive final approval within weeks.
According to the variance, Formula One United States Grand Prix will post a $921,000 bond. If it doesn’t receive the FEMA sign-off, the money would be used by the county to reverse any ground work performed up until then, restoring the landscape and vegetation to its previous condition.

[David]

I was 16 when I went to the Dallas GP. I convinced a non-F1 fan buddy to go with me. I figured this was it... finally F1 in Texas. Of course that was the one and only F1 race in Dallas.

So I'm obviously skeptical, but everything seems to be going well!

[enzo1]

I will be going if this gets done,don't care what it costs, etc, look forward to meeting Pelicans there, come on get it done!

[lowyder993s]

Originally Posted by enzo1

i will be going if this gets done,don't care what it costs, etc, look forward to meeting pelicans there, come on get it done!

/\/\/\this!!!

[porsche4life]

We will be there!

[Schumi]

I will be there as well.

I did Indy in '03 and '04. Nothing compares to the sound of those V10's. A sound that I will always be able to recall. Unfortunately it looks like we won't be hearing anything close to taht in the future.

The other good part is that, along with F1, there are always a ton of other events the same race weekend, like the Porsche Cups, which is some great action.

[onewhippedpuppy]

IF it happens (I'm still a skeptic) my son and I will be there. I hope it does.

[Joe Ricard]

In

[GH85Carrera]

We will be there. I will bet the Porsche club will have a Porsche Coral and be very involved in the spectator part of it.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Definitely going - I'm all over this like Oprah on a baked ham.

[Rikao4]

just up the road for me..

Rika

[bivenator]

Sign me up! I think they are being really optimistic with the projected 2012 race date.

[wdfifteen]

I haven't been to a Formula 1 race since I was standing at the Toe at Watkin's Glenn and watched Helmut Koenig drive between the armco strips. It was eerie, unreal, and ultimately sickening. Noise and excitement, he stuffed the car through the barrier, a little commotion and muttering from the crowd, and suddenly everything was silent. Everyone knew they had just watched a man being killed. It was strange.

[glewis80SC]

If it happens I'm in.