Update on Stadium 805 (Santa Maria Speedway)

Update on Stadium 805 (Santa Maria Speedway)

Author: Jeanette Trompeter
Date: 8/12/2021 9:03:03 AM

Update on Stadium 805 (Santa Maria Speedway)


Update on Stadium805 (Santa Maria Speedway)

The County of San Luis Obispo has received questions and comments regarding the recent Facebook post from Stadium805 (Santa Maria Speedway) announcing its closure.

The County is not shutting down racing events at Stadium 805. Code enforcement actions have been exclusively focused on un-permitted music concerts and rodeo activities. The County recognizes racing is allowed based on the speedway's original permit.Some music can be played during races but it must be scaled back and ancillary to the main event of racing.

The County has worked closely with the speedway's owner and his team to identify potential paths for these activities. After meeting with the County, the owner applied for and received a Temporary Commercial Outdoor Entertainment License (aka 6.56 license) in November of 2020. This license allowed special events such as concerts. Litigation from a separate party was filed against the owner challenging this license.

A few months later, the County received a letter  from the Speedway’s planning consultant asking the Board to rescind this license. At a Board of Supervisors meeting on January 26, 2021,the license was rescinded.

When the Speedway went ahead with music concerts and rodeo activities anyway, the county received numerous complaints from neighbors. Code Enforcement communicated with the owner that he no longer had permits for such events, and fined him for having un-permitted concerts and activities. No fines have been issued related to any permitted racing.