Formula One auto race at Hard Rock Stadium could be blocked by Miami-Dade County

The Miami Dolphins face a new hazard in the team’s bid to bring Formula One racing to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Neighbors of the proposed track are pushing Miami-Dade County to step in and possibly block the planned yearly event, which would debut in 2021.

“Formula One racing would never be allowed in a rich neighborhood,” Lynette Hickenbottom told commissioners Thursday.

We “must vehemently object to this effort ... to preempt the citizens of Miami-Dade County from even having a conversation about one of the most prestigious and significant sporting events in the world,” Dolphins president Tom Garfinkel wrote in a Wednesday letter to commissioners.

Commissioner Barbara Jordan, whose district includes the stadium, this week added an item to Thursday’s agenda proposing new rules for the road race. Her proposal would require noise and traffic studies for auto races requiring road closures, as the Formula One event would. It also would require commission approval of the race, which would be held each May. It also would prohibit even temporarily closing roads for races when they go through residential areas. Team executives say the rules would probably apply to Northwest 199th Street, a public road outside Hard Rock slated to be part of the Formula One track.

Marcus Bach Armas, head of government relations for the Dolphins, said the team shouldn’t be penalized for running the two-day race on roads ringing the stadium. He estimates about six hours of racing per year.

“I understand there’s a handful of residents that don’t want more events at Hard Rock Stadium,” Armas said. “The track is not running through residential neighborhoods.”

The proposed crackdown on auto races stalled when Commissioner Sally Heyman ordered the resolution be considered at the next board meeting, a right of any commissioner for a late item. There was no debate, so Jordan did not address her proposal.

The legislative scuffle at County Hall was the latest twist for Dolphins owner Stephen Ross in his bid to bring Formula One to the Miami area. In 2017, he launched an effort to bring it to downtown Miami. When that fizzled, he moved the race to the stadium he and his partners own in Miami Gardens.

Residents used the public comment segment at the start of the meeting to plead with commissioners to stop Formula One from coming to Miami Gardens, citing noise, traffic and smog from the high-performance race cars.

“It’s hard to believe anyone would consider having a Formula One race in the middle of Miami Gardens,” said Betty Ferguson, a Miami Gardens resident and former county commissioner. The county should “require a project of this magnitude to come before this full board for a vote.”

This story was originally published October 3, 2019 at 9:32 PM.