CYCLING / KIRBY LEE : City, Operator at Odds Over Length of Permit to Stage Races in Park

To Larry Hoffman, Weddington Park South in North Hollywood is the perfect place to hold a BMX race.

It is accessible by freeway; it is bordered by the Los Angeles River, the Hollywood Freeway and a dead-end street to insulate it from noise complaints; and it is located in a depression out of the neighborhood’s view.

Herb Grade agrees, and the L. A. Recreation and Parks Department supervisor actually encouraged Hoffman to apply for a permit to use the park, located near Universal Studios.

That much is clear, but the picture becomes cloudy when both sides discuss duration. Hoffman says the permit was for a year while Grade claims it was for a weekend.

With the help of volunteers, Hoffman began grading the land three weeks ago and the track was almost completed last Monday when his phone rang.

It was Martin Castillo, a maintenance supervisor for the city, informing Hoffman that his application had been voided after Councilman John Ferraro, whose Fourth District includes the site, expressed concern over the development over the park.

Mary Presby, field deputy for Ferraro, said that her office received “numerous complaints” from residents in the area concerning noise and construction at the venue, which had been designated as a passive park and was not zoned for development.

“There was a misunderstanding and the Recreation and Parks thought it was going to be for a weekend,” Presby said. “There is no way we can give up land without a contract.”

Said Grade: “My understanding was that it was it was going to be a one-shot deal and when his application came in with one year on it, there was no way it could be approved. We grant one-day or weekend permits for carnivals and similar events despite the possibility of complaints. There’s a big difference in holding title for the park and using it for a day.

“It’s just a comedy of errors. He had one thing in mind and did not communicate.”

Hoffman, who lives in North Hollywood and owns a bicycle shop there, agreed that he initially considered holding one weekend race in the park, but insists that Grade knew his application was going to be for a year and proposed the yearlong lease.

“I still want a track somewhere,” said Hoffman, who added that he has received close to 100 inquiries about the status of the track, which was scheduled to open in September. “I don’t care if I run it or if the city runs it. I’m not into it to make a dollar.”

Blowin’ in the wind: Don Carey, 61, of Camarillo placed third in the 40-kilometer time trial at the recent Masters national championships in San Diego.

Carey, who won the race in 1987 and holds the national record in the event (58:24, set in 1988), experienced difficulty with the winds and the hills on the out-and-back San Diego course. He finished in 1:04.47, 90 seconds behind winner William McClosky of Sacramento.

Carey is preparing for the World Senior Games in St. George, Utah, in October. He will compete in the 40-kilometer time trial.

Trivia time: Ron Skarin of Van Nuys and Eric Hollander of Marina del Rey set the one-hour world record for distance in a human-powered vehicle in 1980 at Ontario Speedway.

The duo, beginning from a standing start, covered 46 miles, 537 yards in a fiberglass-enclosed tandem, recumbent bicycle.

What is the record for maximum speed in an HPV?

Face lift: If all goes as planned, Encino Velodrome won’t be just for cycling anymore.

The Southern California Cycling Federation, which owns and operates the nonprofit velodrome, submitted a $725,000-plus renovation proposal two weeks ago to the Amateur Athletic Foundation.

The AAF was created to disburse surplus revenue from the 1984 Olympics. It also sponsors classes at the velodrome.

Included in the wide-ranging proposal were resurfacing of the existing track and construction of a roller-hockey and speed-skating rink. Construction of locker-room facilities and renovation of the snack bar also were proposed.

The AAF has expressed interest in the project and has agreed to provide matching funds. Cycling federation President Sandy Bevan said she is hoping to find corporate sponsorship by October to claim the AAF funds and have the improvements completed for next season.

“It’s all starting to come together,” Bevan said of the proposal, researched and formulated in large part by Dan Clinger, an architect who donated his time to the project.

“(With the improvements), it would become an easy access cross-training facility. We’d be able to get much more use from the facility than is presently conceivable.”

Family affair: The Clinger family made respectable showings at the junior national championships in San Diego recently.

David, 12, buoyed by a third-place finish in the points race, finished seventh in the omnium, which also included the 500- and 2,000-meter time trials and match sprints.

Dan Jr., 15, placed sixth and seventh in the 500- and 2,000-meter time trials and Jennifer, 13, was seventh in the 500-meter time trial.

At the Tour of the Future in Bisbee, Ariz. last week, David placed seventh in the six-day, six stage, 135-mile race for ages 13-16.

Trivia answer: Fred Markham of Aptos, Calif., reached a speed of 65.484 m.p.h. on a level course, unpaced and unaided by wind, at Big Sandflat, Calif., in 1986 on a 31-pound recumbent bicycle. The cycle was enclosed to reduce wind resistance and the frame was constructed out of lightweight titanium and aluminum.

Markham took approximately two miles to build up to top speed.

Add juniors: Katie Beck, 17, of Simi Valley finished third in the 2,000-meter time trial and fourth in the match sprints and points race at the junior nationals.

Beck, a Simi Valley High senior who rides for the Quick Release Bicycle Club, also placed fifth in the individual pursuit and 40-kilometer road race and sixth in the criterium.

Scott Skellenger, 17, of Thousand Oaks, winner of the Moreno Valley criterium last Sunday, placed third in the match sprints.

Add tour: John Mutolo of Thousand Oaks (12th), Steve Province of Santa Clarita (46th) and Scott Neumann of Northridge (50th) paced the Chatsworth-based Rainbow Sports Team to 13th place in the team competition at the Tour of the Future in the age 17-18 division.

The U. S. national team won the team title of the eight-stage, 265-mile race.

Triple vision: With less than five weeks remaining in the Encino Velodrome racing season, three riders with the same first name are atop the senior men season point totals.

Chris Johnson of Santa Barbara leads with 100 points, followed by Chris Bevan of Woodland Hills (70) and Chris Gaido of San Luis Obispo (54).

Points are distributed for a top-five finish on a 7-5-3-2-1 basis.