Decision upheld: Pacific Raceways must be quiet on Mondays and Tuesdays

For the Reporter

A Snohomish County Superior Court judge has substantially upheld a decision by the King County Hearing Examiner on the hours of permissible operation for Pacific Raceways.

Judge Janice Ellis ruled on May 30 that the racetrack shall not have racing events and must be quiet on Mondays and Tuesdays year round, under the terms of its permit, and not “impacting” to those beyond the property lines of the racetrack.

She also upheld that part of the permit that calls for the track to be quiet on five selected weekend days during the racing season. The permit grants an exception for police and fire safety training that has been allowed on Mondays and Tuesday for many years.

Several people who live near Pacific Raceways alleged the track was not abiding by the conditions of its permit. The track operators maintained they operated on Mondays, Tuesdays and summer weekend days as they had for years, and appealed the Examiner’s decision to the Snohomish County Superior Court. That appeal was heard earlier this year.

In her opinion, Judge Ellis ordered Race Track LLC and other business operators at Pacific Raceways to cease, on the quiet days of Monday and Tuesday, “all racing and performance driving functions that teach, promote, encourage, facilitate, emulate, or permit race testing activities or behaviors and all other race-related functions and behaviors, including any and all racing, lapping, or similar use of vehicles.”

The judge did allow arterial driving education for teens and the elderly as permissible on Mondays and Tuesdays, provided there is no racing, the activities are quiet, and the speeds are low.

Judge Ellis’ opinion can be appealed to the Washington State Court of Appeals.