Mike Murray
Mike Murray
-----Original Message-----
From: tan-@hobbes.ucsd.edu [mailto:tan-@hobbes.ucsd.edu]On Behalf Of
Larry-@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2000 11:00 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [T@H] Help save 7-Eleven Olympic Velodrome
-----------------------------------------------------
The 7-Eleven Olympic Velodrome, on the campus of
California State Univ.-Dominguez Hills in Carson, Calif, was built
expressly for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The university
is the sole owner of the velodrome.
Now the university wants to build a soccer stadium on
campus for the Galaxy pro soccer team. Nearby residents objected
to the stadium, so the university, to move the stadium as far
from the residences as possible to reduce noise, wants to demolish
the velodrome and build the soccer stadium on the site! (There is
plenty of room elsewhere on campus). The university has presented
no evidence showing that noise from the soccer stadium could be a
real problem, or that placing the soccer stadium on the
velodrome's site would alleviate such problem. The university has
even tried to evict the current tenant of the velodrome -- the
Southern California Velodrome Association -- to clear the way for
demolition of the velodrome.
There are only 18 active velodromes in the U.S., and
only 6 on the west coast. The Olympic Velodrome is the only
world-class velodrome on the west coast. Though it is 18 years
old, it is the newest of the 6 on the west coast. So obviously
we can hardly afford to lose any velodromes in the U.S. --
particularly first-class velodromes like this one.
The best long-term protection for the velodrome is to
have it added to the State Register of Historical Resources -- then
the university would have to show truly compelling reasons for
demolishing the velodrome. At first, I thought that the
velodrome did not have much historical significance, but I changed
my mind. For example, the velodrome was one of only two all-new
stadiums built expressly for the 1984 Olympic Games, and today is
much better preserved than the other one, and the velodrome would
therefore serve as a nice memento of the 1984 Games. So I applied
for state historical registration, but the state Office of
Historic Preservation is giving me a hard time about the velodrome
being much younger than 50 years old ( there is no absolute bar
against registering properties under 50 years old ). They do not
even want to submit my nomination to the State Historical Resources
Commission for consideration (Incidentally, I have also filed a
lawsuit for a temporary restraining order to bar demolition of the
velodrome pending review of my nomination for historical
registration ).
I have found that getting historical registration is
ninety percent political and ten percent historical. For example,
the Marine Stadium in Long Beach, Calif. ( site of the 1932 Olympic
rowing events ) has no more historical significance than the
velodrome ( maybe even less historical significance because changes
have greatly impaired the Marine Stadium's historical integrity ),
but the Marine Stadium got state registration because the city of
Long Beach was behind the nomination. Santa Anita racetrack got
registration for merely being a stopover point for Japanese-Americans
on their way to internment camps. I could go on. So
to get registration for the velodrome, I need your support. I
cannot do this alone. If we cyclists unite, we have the power to
save the velodrome -- but only if we use that power. Please help
now -- or you may wish you had.
Please tell the Calif. Office of Historic Preservation
that you want the 7-Eleven Olympic Velodrome added to the
California Register of Historical Resources. The email address
and fax number of the California Office of Historic Preservation are -
cals-@ohp.parks.ca.gov
Fax: (916) 653-9824
Names of individuals in the OHP are --
Daniel Abeyta, Acting State Historic Preservation Officer
(916) 653-6624
Marie Nelson, California Register program
(916) 653-9514
Dwight Dutschke, State-owned properties
(916) 653-9134
The snail-mail address is --
California Office of Historic Preservation
P.O. Box 942896
Sacramento, CA 94296-0001
Also, please spread the word. T@H is the only bike-related
email discussion group I subscribe to. I would greatly appreciate
it if you would post this message with other groups, or please
send me the names of the groups so that I may post the message.
Larry Fafarman