Most liked posts in thread: F1 Coming to .... TX!!

Three months from breaking ground and their spokesman did not have one clue as to was going on and apparently learned a few things from the people there that also were pretty much clueless. His answer to the possible DB levels was " LOUD " WTF lol.Talk about the blind leading the blind. Gas pipelines running under the track, an approx 12 hr commute in and out of the facility , the race less than 2 years away and they have not one permit approved . I would love to see it happen but what has been shown so far is a " promise to make it happen " .

Randy

 

Oh man, I would not want to be the site engineers for that project. Sounds like they're gonna need a ridiculous number of permits.

 

Yep and each and every city and county official will expect to have his or her azz properly kissed..... Like to own the chap stick concession down at city hall for the next couple of years.....

 

The promoter of the proposed 2012 U.S. Grand Prix in Austin continues to battle with red tape as local and state authorities press for more information on how it will run the venue.

The Austin-American Statesman newspaper reports that a joint land-use committee has sent a four-page document of questions to Full Throttle Promotions LLC, many of them related to traffic issues. Inevitably there are serious concerns about whether existing roads will be improved in time for the event.

Joe Gieselmann, the executive director of Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources Department, told The Statesman, “They are getting there, but they still have a long way to go. They like to think they can traffic manage everything, but we think there needs to be some hard capital improvement.â€

The committee's full document:

Texas Department of Transportation, Travis County and City of Austin Questions and Issues Regarding F1 Transportation

We are concerned about the ability of the existing roadway network to support the transportation and traffic demands of the proposed Formula One site and related activities. A substantial amount of planning will be necessary to address traffic and transportation related to this facility, including traffic forecasts, traffic operations and management planning, traffic impact analyses, and ultimately roadway improvements. Accordingly, we ask the following questions:

--What are the applicant's thoughts on how to handle and fund traffic control on local streets before, during and after events? When is it expected to have an on-site and off-site transportation plan finalized?

--Describe the proposed locations where the site will be accessed from the surrounding roadway network. Has the applicant considered increasing the number of access points to the site?

--Has the applicant set aside funding and a schedule for improving offsite roadways?

--We understand the site plan to be conceptual in nature at this time; however when can we anticipate that a final site plan will be available?

--When does the applicant anticipate completing a long range, regional transportation study that encompasses up to a 6-8 mile radius and that evaluates approaches to the site from all directions (including other cities) and the loads on those highways? This study would also include future arterial roadway placements, possible rail feasibility, etc. (in other words, a multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional approach).

--When is it anticipated scoping and completing a traffic impact analysis? The TIA should analyze more localized traffic loads (up to 4 miles) and operational plans with local improvements and costs associated with those improvements. Please keep in mind that each jurisdiction would like to discuss and concur with the scoping of the study prior to its completion.

--Would you provide contact information for the traffic and transportation consultants that you have retained? May we work directly with them?

--Has it been estimated how many spectators the site can accommodate for a peak day race? How many parking spaces have you estimated?

--Describe the camping that is foreseen on the site. Is it anticipated that tent camping or RV camping will be permitted? Is there a plan to place any type of geo-grid or soil stabilization matting for the unpaved parking areas? If RV parking is anticipated, will utility hook-ups be provided?

--Are shuttle bus operations planned? How many spectators are anticipated to take mass transit? Where will bus patrons park, be picked up and dropped off on-site? What routes is it anticipated the busses will take that will keep them out of the standard vehicular queues? Where will busses pick up patrons off-site? Have you looked into capacities of bus service providers and what their capabilities are?

--Has it been estimated the number of additional flights that will be coming into ABIA, for the weeks prior and on event days? Has ABIA been contacted regarding the proposed site?

--Has the FAA been contacted regarding proposed helicopter traffic to the F1 site?

--Are events planned before and after the race event to help disperse peak traffic demands?

--Will there be a charge for parking? If yes, will the charge be added to the ticket price or collected at the gate? As parking fee collection can have a negative impact on site access delays, we strongly suggest that no parking fees be collected at the on-site parking lots on the days of the race.

--When contraflow is to be used for traffic circulation, a traffic operations and management plan will need to include an approved traffic control setup plan. It is the responsibility of the applicant to fund this activity.

--On race days, there will be an extensive need for traffic control officers; have the numbers of officers needed for traffic control during contraflow measures been estimated? The cost for hiring traffic control officers is anticipated to be borne by the event holder.

--Has the applicant considered a circulatory roadway system internal to your site to better disperse traffic trying to park and/or exit? How will the internal roadway system utilize several access points for maximum efficiency?

--Has the applicant considered a process for informing the public of upcoming races and which roadways to take and to avoid? Will this include information given with the tickets, and will information be distributed through the press, radio, television?

--Which roadways are planned to use to access the site for construction purposes? Has it been determined where construction traffic will enter and exit the site?

--Are any construction vehicles using adjacent roadways expected to exceed legal weight or maximum permitted weight limits?

--Is it expected to have any construction vehicles with loads exceeding the legal width of 8'6†which would require a permit?

Emergency Response

The Travis County Commissioners Court adopted the International Fire Code in 2009. The County expects to review and permit structures and hazardous materials (fuel) storage on the Formula One site related to this code, including the fire apparatus access roads, fire suppression water and location of all structures on the property.

--Does the applicant have an incident action plan? The incident action plan should address how traffic will arrive and leave the site. Other issues to be addressed in the incident action plan are security, communications, law enforcement, fire and emergency medical service (both ground and air). The plan should address how emergency services will be provided to the event and continue to be provided to the surrounding areas before, during and after an event, especially if the roadways are to be blocked by contra-flow.

--Does the applicant have a plan addressing the coordination between the multiple jurisdictions necessary to implement an operational and incident management plan?

Environmental

--How will the significant amount of loose sediment be stabilized and prevented from eroding offsite during the site grading process? What kind of phasing or sequencing of construction can reduce the risk of erosion? Can the site plan provide numerous sedimentation basins throughout the site to retain runoff and prevent erosion?

--Please provide documentation from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers addressing whether a CWA Section 404 permit will be required for proposed construction.

--Several drainage areas are proposed with larger than 50 acres of contributing drainage upstream of detention, which does not appear to be consistent with County Code recommending controlled alteration of natural floodplain and City DCM guidance recommending no greater than 50 acres.

--With the larger drainage areas proposed, as well as the extensive channelization of several natural creek tributaries flowing through the site which appear to be Waters of the U.S., the applicant is encouraged to consider alternatives that combine the detention/water quality facilities proposed with numerous additional low impact development techniques throughout the site. Structures that store water in much smaller catchments could include placement of additional ponds, water amenities and landscaping, underground vaults, pervious pavements, reinforced grass parking areas, and similar techniques. Such multiple, smaller catchments will result in greater upstream infiltration, slower velocities, and lower runoff volumes, which will better mitigate the extensive improvements proposed for this site.

--How does the applicant propose to comply with the County Code recommending controlled alteration of natural floodplain and City DCM guidance recommending no greater than 50 acres?

--Have the proposed development plans considered potential public safety and environmental risk associated with the proximity to multiple hazardous liquids transmission pipelines owned by Shell, Phillips Pipeline Company and Lo-Vaca Gathering Company with respect to construction activities and proposed land use on the site?

--The grading/drainage submittals show filling of some tributary streams and wetland areas. Has the applicant been in contact with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the need for a federal CWA Section 404 permit?

Floodplain

Approximately a third of your site is within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) floodplain. What activities are planned in this area? If the applicant is proposing development activity in the FEMA floodplain (such as building a road, bridge or placing fill material) the applicant will need a FEMA approved Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) and possibly have the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) approved Section 404 permit prior to start of construction.

We have heard that there may be a significant amount of parking and camping in the floodplain during events held at the track. This area is prone to flash flooding. The County requires that owners of recreational vehicles (RV) obtain a permit prior to placement of an RV within the FEMA floodplain. What type of evacuation plans have you prepared to ensure the safety of the campers? What types of provisions have you made to ensure that RV owners visiting your facility are compliant with County permitting requirements?


Read more: Formula One: U.S. Grand Prix promoter pressed for answers about Austin race

 

They haven't disclosed any of the answers to those questions.......!

Wow, not sure what to think. But around here they wouldn't even let an announcement of anything of that scale to be done w/o a master plan having been completed and submitted for land use approval.

 

Hahahahahaha, they're so screwed. Regardless of the traffic issues... A third of their site is within FEMA floodplain? They're filling wetlands? I hope they hired good engineers 'cause those permits take time, money, and concessions. I mean, I've seen sites get built under similar conditions, but you gotta have some good feelings with the local and state planning authorities. The 404 permit from the Corps and the CLOMR from FEMA are not easy permits to get. Also sounds like they need a site plan, erosion control plan, several construction phasing plans... but all of those should be in the works. Those guys need to get on the ball and get the city on board.

 

$1.3 BILLION to repave 71 miles of roadway!?!?!?!???!?!?

I'm in the wrong bidness......

 

Yep, $1M per mile is what I remember too, must be dating ourselves.....:blush2:

But, IIRC that was for concrete highways, not ashphalt......

 

U.S. Grand Prix boss says more announcements coming

Tavo Hellmund, founder of U.S Grand Prix promoter Full Throttle Productions LLP, addressed the Real Estate Council of Austin on Wednesday and said a traffic study will be completed within 30 days.

According to the Community Impact newspaper, Hellmund said the study conducted by Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. and Graham Lake-Grange is almost complete, and that he will make "three or four" additional "big announcements" regarding the yet-to-be constructed facility just outside of Austin. Those announcements are expected to include events other than the Formula One race, which Hellmund wants to launch in 2012.

In the short-term, however, the traffic situation is the No. 1 interest of various observers, after a recent conclusion by city planners that visitors to the race would have to wait in traffic for up to 12 hours, unless substantial road-system upgrades are completed beforehand. Last week, government officials sent a pages-long list of logistical questions to Full Throttle regarding various potential issues that will come with the construction of a racetrack on the roughly 900-acres of land Full Throttle has secured.

Hellmund said on Wednesday that the venue "will host up to four or five big events annually," including music concerts--something many racetracks have taken to hosting in recent years as a way to supplement their income. He also said that the venue will serve an educational role, with the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M and others using the place for engineering research and development.

"Our goal is to not have just a race," Community Impact quoted Hellmund as saying. "Of course we recognize that's going to be the crown jewel for the first two or three years. But if we build this as we envision, someone is going to be driving down [the road] and see the signs for the facility and say, 'That's where the blankity blank is, and oh yeah, that's where they had the grand prix.'"


Read more: Formula One: U.S. Grand Prix boss says more announcements coming

 

They could paint the track like a rainbow and have unicorn races too! :ihih:

 

I think if the community leaders would get out of their turf-protecting roles and get behind this project, it could be a real asset to the community.

If they keep throwing up roadblocks, it'll never happen.

They need to start saying "What can we do to help make this happen?" Then they need to go and do it!

There's due diligence, and then there's foot dragging........all I see are lines in the dust so far....

 

Hehe, welcome to the land development industry: where the hopes and dreams of money, land, and vision converge and perish on the shoals of bureaucracy.

It's like this everywhere. Apologies to Scott 'cause I know he works on the other side of things, but development gets dragged down by somebody protecting their turf, somebody covering their ass, and somebody just being lazy. For every good government worker who's willing to help, there's another who fits all the bad stereotypes you hear about. And heaven help you if one of your partners is an ******* or incompetent. If you're going to piss off a government worker or local official, you might as well double the time it's gonna take to get something done. /Rant :mad2::mad2:

Sometimes you get lucky and you have good relationships with the local officials, or you cross all your T's and dot the i's and the bureaucracy is navigated efficiently, or you have a client willing to throw boatloads of money at making everybody happy. But usually, it just takes time to sort everything out. Unfortunately it appears that time is in short supply.

 

And sometimes it is simply people who are unable to figure out how they're going to make a buck out of this for themselves.

Reminds me of a story from back in the '90's. US were shipping tons of aid to Russia (food, medicine, etc.) which set rotting on the docs because the local mobsters and "officials" could not figure out how they were going to profit on something that they got for free and were supposed to give away for free.

 

I think the questions raised by the joint land-use committee's document were fair and reasonable. These represent the minimum of public issues that should be addressed and carefully planned for prior to approval.

I'm a huge fan of F1; I really want to see this succeed, and I want to be there for the first F1 race, but I still see the need to address these items. Seemed to me like the tone of the document was extremely reasonable, and that the committee are prepared to be accommodating, but need at least this amount of preparation from the developers.

_Dave_

 

The latest spin from the track...

November 2, 2010
FIA Official Visits Austin and Gives
Formula 1 United States™ Team a Thumbs Up

USGP Track Site Development on Schedule for 2012 Opening

Austin, TX – Promoters for the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™ revealed that a top U.S. auto racing official made an official visit to Austin, TX to review the site, plans and development progress of the first purpose–built F1 racetrack in the United States and site of the 2012 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™. Nick Craw, president of the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States and Senate president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the Formula 1™ sanctioning body, toured the 900–acre site, met with Formula 1 United States team members as well as local, city and state officials and gave the project development plan his approval and a strong “thumbs up.”

“It will be great,” Craw said of the proposed Austin track. “This has some of the most interesting, exciting and different features, drawn from other successful venues around the world. It is a very strong team they’ve assembled here,” Craw continued, “I think it’s a very good plan and a very solid business model. They've set the bar pretty high.”

Craw’s visit to Austin also included meetings with Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Travis County Judge Samuel T. Biscoe, Formula 1 United States team members and Peter Wahl, managing partner of Tilke GmbH – leading designer for racetracks and test facilities throughout the world and, most importantly, the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™ track in Austin.

Tavo Hellmund, chairman of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, said, ”We were pleased to have Mr. Craw and Tim Mayer, alternate FIA delegate, visit the facility site and meet the incredible team assembled to build and operate what we believe will be one of the premiere racetracks on the circuit and a world–class venue. Our team is committed to building more than a racetrack, we are thinking far beyond the expected and are developing an environment that will provide an entertainment experience for both participants and spectators alike.”

“The track design has been developed with the drivers and spectators in mind,” Wahl said. “The drivers want to have high-speed corners; that’s what they like. We want to force them to faults and errors; otherwise, the race is not interesting for the spectator. When we design a racing experience, we must consider both points of view to have a truly successful event.“

The surrounding landscape of the 3.4–mile circuit allows for maximum elevation changes and a combination of more than 20 turns. Drivers and fans will have the opportunity to enjoy views of the scenic hill country at this state–of–the–art facility that will hold 120,000 fans. The conceptual master plan features additional visitor attractions including a proposed driving/riding experience and seminar building, motorsports driving club, kart track and welcome center.

According to recent reports, the federation will consider a proposal in November to return to the former requirement that new Grand Prix facilities pass inspection at least 90 days before a race. Craw stated, “That probably protects everybody’s interest a little better than running right up against the event,“ but he then added, “if the U.S. Grand Prix didn’t want that rule, he would lobby against it.“

Wahl, managing partner of Tilke GmbH and designer of the Korean track stated, in an interview last week he wouldn’t be a fan of a 90–day rule. “We always get a time frame that is very short these days,” Wahl said. “If the (U.S.) race was held in May or April, that would give only one year for construction.”

“While we would love to have the luxury of having a completed track 90 days in advance of the event date – the schedule, much like the construction schedule for the last five grand prix track developments and races added to the schedule, will potentially not afford us this opportunity,” said Hellmund. “All of these events have been successful in their own right and it wouldn’t make sense to invoke a 90–day mandate now, that would affect only one track in the world – ours,” he concluded.

 

Track Layout courtesy of the Speed Channel

http://assets.speedtv.com/images/article_assets/105/1054991/1054991_article_img_large2.jpg