Del Mar

For the third year running, a grand prix auto race will roar at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, as the California Coastal Commission granted final approval for the October event.

The commission voted 9 to 2 on Tuesday to give the race a green light after a half-hour hearing that was noticeably free of complaints from nearby residents, who had lashed out against the event in the past.

Commissioners Lily Cervantes and Charles Warren voted against the event, with Cervantes concerned about the impacts of noise and crowds on wildlife in the nearby San Dieguito Lagoon and Warren worried that residents were still suffering from the race.

The only other note of controversy was voiced by Del Mar Mayor John Gillies and Councilwoman Brooke Eisenberg, who said neighbors were troubled by noise at last year’s event caused by a low-flying helicopter that was needed to relay transmissions from on-board cameras in the race cars.

Race promoters said the helicopter will not be allowed to fly below 1,500 feet this year, a height that commission staffers suggested would adequately curtail noise in surrounding neighborhoods.