The USGP has cleared another hurdle today according to the Austin Statesman. It appears the organizers have been given clearance by the city’s Zoning and Platting Commission. The commission approved environmental variances for cutting and filling on the site which is the first phase of digging and moving dirt to construct the circuit and structures.
Good news for Tavo Helmund and his Full Throttle Productions. It seems that securing a long-term USGP contract from Formula One Management has been met with a reprieve from the dreaded 100-year flood litmus test for southeastern portions of Austin. As a resident of a city by a huge river, I can tell you that the 100-year flood issue is a big issue. Water mitigation is always a factor when developing a new area and I am sure this was foremost in the minds of all involved.
Next stop for Tavo and company? The City Council. Let the fur fly, the politics scream and the posturing begin. Even this small, local government will show FOM’s Bernie Ecclestone a thing or two about just how litigious this nation can be when it comes to elected officials. We may even have several earmarks thrown into this debacle before it’s all over and who can blame them for wanting the organizers to also fund a Susan B. Komen research center, a new prison on near the site as well as several million in community improvement projects just to keep the frosty?
Come to think about it, we may lobby to have the USGP organizers also foot the F1B server hosting bill because of our egregious promotion of the circuit and city of Austin. Just a thought.
