Published January 2005

Lessons learned
from NASCAR

Now that plans have been shelved for the proposed $250 million International Speedway Corp./NASCAR speedway on a 750-acre site north of Marysville, it’s a good time to look at a few of the many lessons learned during that often emotional, months-long experience.

n Well-researched information from informed and concerned opposition groups such as the 2,500-member Snohomish County Citizens Against the Racetrack (SCAR), which pointed out weaknesses and pitfalls inherent in the proposal to the ISC, should have been listened to as a valid source of information. Unfortunately, many supporters of the project saw the opponents in a negative light and refused to consider what turned out to be serious flaws in the plan to put a 75,000-seat racetrack in the middle of a rural, wetlands area.

n Although many opponents to the racetrack plan felt that Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon and Marysville Mayor Dennis Kendall would never live up to their pledge to back away from the proposal they had sent to the ISC if it didn’t pencil out in the long-run, they did keep their word. When ISC officials refused to offer more than $50 million as their part of the $250 million price tag for the project, Reardon and Kendall elected to pull out, saying the financial burden would be too much for local taxpayers and residents. They both deserve to be commended for their decision.

n The attention focused on the development of that 750-acre section of land greatly emphasized its important role in the future economic development of north Snohomish County. Now, much of the research necessary for determining the best use of that site has already been accomplished.

Among other options, the possibility of developing a four-year university campus should be a top priority to investigate for a large parcel of that site. Various Snohomish County groups and individuals have long recognized the need for one. Lately, more and more talk of establishing a four-year school in the county has been surfacing.

The benefits a university campus would bring to the county would be tremendous. The new school would offer more educational opportunities for a growing population that is expected to reach 1 million in the county a few years from now. It would become a valuable partner with area high schools, community colleges and technical schools, and it would attract seasoned educators, more business development and more recognition for the county.

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