408MX Needs Your Help
We recently received this letter from Rob Dresser regarding the future of 408mx in Northern California. If interested in the cause, have a read and you can email representatives listed below.
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors,
I am writing you today with great urgency over the proposed elimination of a small business located on Santa Clara County Fairgrounds property. The business I am referring to is 408MX. 408MX is a motocross track, one of the few remaining in Northern California, dedicated to the promotion of safe, family, off-road motorcycling.
On November 1, 2013 408mx was given notice, by Delana Romero, Interim Executive Director of the Fairgrounds Management Corporation (FMC), of her intent to increase licensing fees of facility use by over 100% in the next two years, effective January 1, 2014. Her letter states this is under the guidance and direction of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. In a meeting with her, the same day, she indicated that if the contract were not renewed she would be moving forward with a lease to a facility contractor for equipment storage while it works on a large corporate project.
Although at face value this appears to be a landlord tenant dispute, it is much more. Any business burdened with a rent increase of a 100% in the next 14 months is being provided a clear message to vacate the premises. 408MX is a small business that provides a safe family gathering place at the Fairgrounds. Many of its employees are students that attend local colleges.
This is a strong arm tactic to close a small business! As a constituent I feel it is time to promote small businesses to flourish within our community. In 2009 the County voted not to sell the Fairgrounds to a developer in an attempt to promote a central location for family gathering. If the intent is to close the track and make way for a developer to store their equipment while they work on another project, what community goal is being met? The proposed use is a short term fix to the detriment of the community as a whole and a small business owner.
Slowly Santa Clara Fairgrounds Management Corporation has been moving away from providing a family gathering facility by licensing space to commercial businesses that provide no value to the community. An example is the car dealership fronting the property at Monterey Highway.
408mx, one of the current tenants, has made extensive improvements to the fairgrounds and NO ADDITIONAL EXPENSE to the county or its management group. These improves include, but are not limited to, 1.) improvements to the parking lot to control annual flooding 2.) installation of additional drainage to help control flood issues, and 3.) repairs to parking lot pump system. The FMC is capitalizing on improvements, provided by small business owner (408MX), by removing a small business to make way for a large short term corporate project.
It could be argued that 408mx is not paying competitive licensing rates, however 408MX has not added to budget woes suffered by the Fairgrounds, quite the contrary, it has provided the fairgrounds with steady income over the years in good times and bad. In addition, it has met the goal of the County to provide a family gathering place.
408MX also contributes significantly to the prosperity and tax base of Santa Clara County. Because it is motorsports related every participant buys vehicles, parts, fuel, snacks, etc. to attend an open day at the track. The purchase of supplies and equipment is concentrated within Santa Clara County businesses due to the fact that no other facility within the area caters to the motocross community. Dealerships, repair facilities, fuel stations, apparel dealers, etc. will all feel the direct impact of this closure.
The management corporation has declared they are acting under your direction We are asking you to revisit this issue and cap the current licensing rates moving forward.
Regards,
Rob Dresser
Supervisor Mike Wasserman - District 1Supervisor Cindy Chavez - District 2
Supervisor Dave Cortese - District 3
Supervisor Ken Yeager - District 4
supervisor.yeager@bos.sccgov.org
Supervisor Joe Simitian - District 5
supervisor.simitian@bos.sccgov.org
Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder’s Office
