
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 2, 1994                    TAG: 9406020509 
SECTION: LOCAL                     PAGE: D5    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: RICHMOND 
DATELINE: 940602                                 LENGTH: Short

REPORT FINDS NO PROBLEMS AT PROPOSED TRACK SITES

{LEAD} The five proposed sites for Virginia's first pari-mutuel horse racing track - including one in Virginia Beach and one in Portsmouth - have no environmental problems that would block construction, a consultant's report said Wednesday.

But the report done for the Virginia Racing Commission said the need for road and utility improvements could slow the construction schedule. The key concern for the Virginia Beach track is the water supply, the report said. The site is likely to get approval for wells in the interim but the long-term supply depends on the Lake Gaston pipeline, which has yet to be built. The key concerns for the Portsmouth track are road improvements and the time needed to abolish existing buildings on the site, the report said. The track is proposed for a low-income residential neighborhood.

by CNB