14. 22-0130
Consideration of Updating the Special Event Policy, Removing the Exclusion of Bruce's Beach, and 8th Street and Larsson Street Parkettes as Possible Locations (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
(Estimated Time: 1 Hr.)
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
I support the Parks & Rec Commission’s recommendation to include all parks in MB’s Special Events Policy. This enables the City to know who is responsible for a given event and inform them of the rules for events, require an insurance policy to indemnify the City, and collect revenue for the use of the space. There is no reason not to include all parks in the Special Events Policy, and having such a policy won’t in itself create more activity. (There are bathrooms on the Strand at the Lifeguard HQ.) I do hear a strong shout of the old MB refrain “Locals Only”, now branded as “Keep MB MB”. MB would do well to step fully into the 21st Century and acknowledge the importance of the Bruce’s Beach space in particular as a site of historical significance. I know MB to be a welcoming and friendly place at its best - let’s not fall for the falsehood that we can somehow keep people out of our lovely town and our special parks.
Please leave the park located at 2600 Highland Ave. as a regular neighborhood park as it is surrounded by homes and not equipped for large scale events that would need permitting. It is really unfair to the homeowners in the area for obvious reasons of noise, traffic, etc. and also to large crowds of people who visit as there are no facilities to relieve themselves (hence peeing in people's yards) or to park. Leave our parks alone. Permitting them would only cause more issues in the future. By the way, we should enforce the laws we have on the books!
I am writing in support of removing the exclusion of Bruce’s Beach Park, and the 8th St and Larson St Parkettes from Special Event Permitting.
The current/revised permitting process allows the City to decide whether or not events are appropriate for the location requested, and ensure that permitted users abide by all City regulations regarding park use. No one is suggesting the City allow outsized events in smaller parks, but every neighborhood in MB is in proximity to a park, a school, an open space used by residents, and visitors, or one of our many annual events which attract visitors from all over the world. Bruce’s Beach Park should be available to all who wish to congregate there.
Please do not adopt the recommendation to include the 3 parks - Bruce’s Beach and the two neighborhood parkettes - in the Special Events permit process. None of these venues is even remotely appropriate for large events, as was evident with the recent unpermitted and out-of-control event at Bruce’s Beach.
Council got it right four years ago by adopting a policy to exclude these 3 venues from such events. I would urge Council to stay consistent, retain the existing policy and work with our city manager and our chief of police to ensure adequate enforcement of our park rules for the safety and security of all residents.
Above all, please ignore the bleatings of the local woke radicals who only have contempt for the city’s residents and who want to further divide us by claiming that anyone who opposes opening up these three parks to special events consideration is somehow racist. It wasn’t a race issue four years ago when Council approved the current policy 5-0 and it’s not one now.
I strongly oppose any changes to the exclusion of Bruce's Beach, 8th St and Larson Park from permitted events. As a resident living on the perimeter of Bruce's Beach Park, this park is not able to host large events. The loud music, the pot smoking (aren't we a smoke free city?), the alcohol and illegal parking was just too much for this small park to handle. I felt like a prisoner in my home as cars were parked on the wrong side of the street, people loitering in the street and the loud motorcycles going up and down our street. Keep the exclusions in place and enforce the park rules now in place. Bruce's Beach does not have the parking capacity or restroom capacity to handle hundreds of people in addition to the regular beach attendees at this location.
I support the MB P&R Commission's recommendation to include all parks in the city's Special Events Permitting Policy. Disagreement on special events at this location is evidence that an approval process would help mitigate potential negative neighborhood impacts. Being able to grant permits for culturally or historically relevant special events would allow the city to provide guidance for planned events that it had no channel for doing previously. Efforts to strip the greenspace of its symbolism will only echo in real time the racially motivated actions of our city's past thereby amplifing that symbolism. Predominantly white events held around the city carry many of the same logistical problems, but nowhere near the level of opposition. Let us be honest with ourselves about why that is. Inherent bias can be its own form of misinformation.
Thank you for voting to include the 8th Street Parkette, Larsson Street Parkette, and Bruce's Beach under MB's existing Special Event Policy. This means that staff and the council will review and consider approving special event requests in these locations, just as they do every other park in Manhattan Beach, taking into consideration the needs of local residents and parking possibilities.
I support Option 2 as recommended by the parks and rec commission because I believe special events add vitality to our parks. In addition, I would like council members to reflect on the nature of the claims being made in favor of declaring Bruce’s Beach off-limits. Not all, but many of the comments I read here are racist and insulting. Others wildly exaggerate the impact of past events and the supposed limitations of the site. (For the record, Polliwog Park is also adjacent to residential neighborhoods, including mine).
Let us learn from history instead of repeating it.
I am the guy that has been fighting for an accurate history of Bruce's Beach since Councilmembers Hildy Stern and Steve Napolitano announced in August 2020 that they believed our City was racially motivated 100 years ago in setting up a park overlooking the ocean. I obtained my own copy of the court documents since the City did not share their copy with residents and I wrote many emails to Councilmembers about their path of false story telling to support the Governor's zeal for making a huge reparations payment. I also warned of the other consequences. And here it is. The City did not uphold our park restrictions during the unpermitted festival at BB last month because the optics might look racist. And now, I suspect both Stern and Napolitano have orchestrated a scenario wherein Parks and Recs and City Manger Bruce Mo have recommended lifting the restrictions, thus turning the area into a protest park for BLM in the middle of a neighborhood.
I was quite pleased to see the Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously recommend an update to the special events permitting process to: (i) stop excluding Bruce's Beach and the 8th St and Larsson Street parkettes from the special events permitting process (ii) refine the special events permitting process to be more specific with the type of event conditions that would be appropriate for different parks so to tailor the neighborhood impact mitigation measures and (iii) outline punitive measures for events that do not follow the event permitting process. It is clear that such a recommendation is NOT a blanket "approval" for special events, but at least allows such events to be "considered" and gives the City greater control for enforcement of violations. I see no negatives with moving forward with the Parks and Rec Commission's recommendations. I actually worry that continuing the "exclusion" of Bruce's Beach from this process will further strain race relations in our community.
Honorable Board:
Updating the Special Event Policy and removing the exclusion of Bruce's Beach and other smaller park venues will create havoc in our law-abiding and peaceful city. Why invite in crowds of people who want to abuse alcohol and break city laws? Don't we already have enough problems with the lack of accountability and lawlessness of the LA District Attorney? Haven't we seen an uptick in crime in our city already. Who in the world is promoting this policy change and really what is their political and/or economic motive??? It surely will not promote quality of life in our city. I strongly oppose the proposed special event policy and I encourage you to vote "no," as well!
Best Regards, Pamela Davidson
I support the proposal to include Bruce's Beach and the 8th Street and Larsson Street Parkettes in the City's Special Event's Policy. The MB Parks and Rec Commission has closely examined this issue--I trust their professional review and strongly support their recommendations.
I support CC adopting the Parks and Rec Commission's recommendation that Bruce's Beach, along with 8th St. and Larsson Parkettes, be included in the Special Event Policy. The anonymous groups are again trying to incite fear by alleging we need to stop "mega" events which will get out of control (completely unfounded) and that Bruce's Beach is topographically not designed for gatherings (preposterous). We need to call out these assertions for what they are - veiled racist attempts to keep out black folks. By including these 3 parks in the permit process, we can ensure equality and transparency in allowing community events to take place at these 3 parks as any other park in the city. We need to ensure MB is welcoming and accepting of all.
This should not be a political issue. There is no genuine dispute that public gatherings at these small venues is inappropriate for the such venues and disruptive to the adjacent residential neighborhoods and not in the best interest of Manhattan Beach residents. The only reason to change the existing prohibitions is to give into political pressures and wokeism. This is not about politics or wokeism. It is about what is right for the safety and comfort of our residents and the surrounding community. Please do not allow for public gatherings at these small venues that offer no parking or other appropriate amenities for large public gatherings. You have been elected to serve the best interests of the residents of Manhattan Beach, not to advance political causes. Please vote accordingly.
Please support the decision by the Parks and Rec committee to include Bruce's Beach in the permit process. As you know, people have the right to assemble in public places under the First Amendment. Failing to include Bruce's Beach does not mean that people may not exercise their Constitutional Right to Assemble, it means that the city will have no control over these assemblies.
Also, I suggest you look more closely at the City's written guidelines around these assemblies, as some seem to be vague and not within our constitutional rights. I don't believe they would hold up if challenged in court.
Debating the city “requires permits” to have “control over events” in our public parks is woke insanity at it’s finest.
We have this little thing called municipal ordinances which ensure civil order. No drinking in public, no smoking , no dogs off leash or on the beach…..that would extend to “no using our public parks as an event space for club promoters” which is what occurred a few weeks ago.
The park has been used for years as it’s intended use. It’s a small residential park surrounded by homes & zero infrastructure to support large events. Polliwog boasts 18acres with no residential property on the direct border ….need to have a large event in MB? Apply for a permit at Polliwog, problem solved.
The 'Blackkitty' event at BB recently made a mockery of our city's codes and regulations. I just wonder if an enterprising Trump supporter arranged an all day, music, dancing and drinking and celebrating "America First" at the very same park without event approval....if the CC would have turned their back on it like they recently did.
Sadly, race is now the 'third rail' of local politics.
Either the park is inappropriate or appropriate for everyone, not just some. I say inappropriate just like it was several years ago when the CC voted against events at BB & the parkettes. Only the politics has changed.
I am opposed to removing the special event policy for Bruce's Beach and 8th Street and Larsson Street Parkettes. These are small areas surrounded by private residences. Parking will be a problem and the addition of alcohol is definitely not a good idea.
Bruce’s Beach Park is not the proper venue for mega events. It COMPLETELY lacks parking and restrooms. MB has other / better options for large crowds. Please vote NO to mega events at Bruce’s Beach Park. Thank you.
CC
Please take into consideration opening the city to liabilities and there will be externalities suffered by the residents that live adjacent to BBP
I support the Parks & Rec Commission’s recommendation to include all parks in MB’s Special Events Policy. This enables the City to know who is responsible for a given event and inform them of the rules for events, require an insurance policy to indemnify the City, and collect revenue for the use of the space. There is no reason not to include all parks in the Special Events Policy, and having such a policy won’t in itself create more activity. (There are bathrooms on the Strand at the Lifeguard HQ.) I do hear a strong shout of the old MB refrain “Locals Only”, now branded as “Keep MB MB”. MB would do well to step fully into the 21st Century and acknowledge the importance of the Bruce’s Beach space in particular as a site of historical significance. I know MB to be a welcoming and friendly place at its best - let’s not fall for the falsehood that we can somehow keep people out of our lovely town and our special parks.
Please leave the park located at 2600 Highland Ave. as a regular neighborhood park as it is surrounded by homes and not equipped for large scale events that would need permitting. It is really unfair to the homeowners in the area for obvious reasons of noise, traffic, etc. and also to large crowds of people who visit as there are no facilities to relieve themselves (hence peeing in people's yards) or to park. Leave our parks alone. Permitting them would only cause more issues in the future. By the way, we should enforce the laws we have on the books!
I am writing in support of removing the exclusion of Bruce’s Beach Park, and the 8th St and Larson St Parkettes from Special Event Permitting.
The current/revised permitting process allows the City to decide whether or not events are appropriate for the location requested, and ensure that permitted users abide by all City regulations regarding park use. No one is suggesting the City allow outsized events in smaller parks, but every neighborhood in MB is in proximity to a park, a school, an open space used by residents, and visitors, or one of our many annual events which attract visitors from all over the world. Bruce’s Beach Park should be available to all who wish to congregate there.
Please do not adopt the recommendation to include the 3 parks - Bruce’s Beach and the two neighborhood parkettes - in the Special Events permit process. None of these venues is even remotely appropriate for large events, as was evident with the recent unpermitted and out-of-control event at Bruce’s Beach.
Council got it right four years ago by adopting a policy to exclude these 3 venues from such events. I would urge Council to stay consistent, retain the existing policy and work with our city manager and our chief of police to ensure adequate enforcement of our park rules for the safety and security of all residents.
Above all, please ignore the bleatings of the local woke radicals who only have contempt for the city’s residents and who want to further divide us by claiming that anyone who opposes opening up these three parks to special events consideration is somehow racist. It wasn’t a race issue four years ago when Council approved the current policy 5-0 and it’s not one now.
I strongly oppose any changes to the exclusion of Bruce's Beach, 8th St and Larson Park from permitted events. As a resident living on the perimeter of Bruce's Beach Park, this park is not able to host large events. The loud music, the pot smoking (aren't we a smoke free city?), the alcohol and illegal parking was just too much for this small park to handle. I felt like a prisoner in my home as cars were parked on the wrong side of the street, people loitering in the street and the loud motorcycles going up and down our street. Keep the exclusions in place and enforce the park rules now in place. Bruce's Beach does not have the parking capacity or restroom capacity to handle hundreds of people in addition to the regular beach attendees at this location.
I support the MB P&R Commission's recommendation to include all parks in the city's Special Events Permitting Policy. Disagreement on special events at this location is evidence that an approval process would help mitigate potential negative neighborhood impacts. Being able to grant permits for culturally or historically relevant special events would allow the city to provide guidance for planned events that it had no channel for doing previously. Efforts to strip the greenspace of its symbolism will only echo in real time the racially motivated actions of our city's past thereby amplifing that symbolism. Predominantly white events held around the city carry many of the same logistical problems, but nowhere near the level of opposition. Let us be honest with ourselves about why that is. Inherent bias can be its own form of misinformation.
Thank you for voting to include the 8th Street Parkette, Larsson Street Parkette, and Bruce's Beach under MB's existing Special Event Policy. This means that staff and the council will review and consider approving special event requests in these locations, just as they do every other park in Manhattan Beach, taking into consideration the needs of local residents and parking possibilities.
I support Option 2 as recommended by the parks and rec commission because I believe special events add vitality to our parks. In addition, I would like council members to reflect on the nature of the claims being made in favor of declaring Bruce’s Beach off-limits. Not all, but many of the comments I read here are racist and insulting. Others wildly exaggerate the impact of past events and the supposed limitations of the site. (For the record, Polliwog Park is also adjacent to residential neighborhoods, including mine).
Let us learn from history instead of repeating it.
I am the guy that has been fighting for an accurate history of Bruce's Beach since Councilmembers Hildy Stern and Steve Napolitano announced in August 2020 that they believed our City was racially motivated 100 years ago in setting up a park overlooking the ocean. I obtained my own copy of the court documents since the City did not share their copy with residents and I wrote many emails to Councilmembers about their path of false story telling to support the Governor's zeal for making a huge reparations payment. I also warned of the other consequences. And here it is. The City did not uphold our park restrictions during the unpermitted festival at BB last month because the optics might look racist. And now, I suspect both Stern and Napolitano have orchestrated a scenario wherein Parks and Recs and City Manger Bruce Mo have recommended lifting the restrictions, thus turning the area into a protest park for BLM in the middle of a neighborhood.
I was quite pleased to see the Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously recommend an update to the special events permitting process to: (i) stop excluding Bruce's Beach and the 8th St and Larsson Street parkettes from the special events permitting process (ii) refine the special events permitting process to be more specific with the type of event conditions that would be appropriate for different parks so to tailor the neighborhood impact mitigation measures and (iii) outline punitive measures for events that do not follow the event permitting process. It is clear that such a recommendation is NOT a blanket "approval" for special events, but at least allows such events to be "considered" and gives the City greater control for enforcement of violations. I see no negatives with moving forward with the Parks and Rec Commission's recommendations. I actually worry that continuing the "exclusion" of Bruce's Beach from this process will further strain race relations in our community.
Honorable Board:
Updating the Special Event Policy and removing the exclusion of Bruce's Beach and other smaller park venues will create havoc in our law-abiding and peaceful city. Why invite in crowds of people who want to abuse alcohol and break city laws? Don't we already have enough problems with the lack of accountability and lawlessness of the LA District Attorney? Haven't we seen an uptick in crime in our city already. Who in the world is promoting this policy change and really what is their political and/or economic motive??? It surely will not promote quality of life in our city. I strongly oppose the proposed special event policy and I encourage you to vote "no," as well!
Best Regards, Pamela Davidson
I support the proposal to include Bruce's Beach and the 8th Street and Larsson Street Parkettes in the City's Special Event's Policy. The MB Parks and Rec Commission has closely examined this issue--I trust their professional review and strongly support their recommendations.
I support CC adopting the Parks and Rec Commission's recommendation that Bruce's Beach, along with 8th St. and Larsson Parkettes, be included in the Special Event Policy. The anonymous groups are again trying to incite fear by alleging we need to stop "mega" events which will get out of control (completely unfounded) and that Bruce's Beach is topographically not designed for gatherings (preposterous). We need to call out these assertions for what they are - veiled racist attempts to keep out black folks. By including these 3 parks in the permit process, we can ensure equality and transparency in allowing community events to take place at these 3 parks as any other park in the city. We need to ensure MB is welcoming and accepting of all.
This should not be a political issue. There is no genuine dispute that public gatherings at these small venues is inappropriate for the such venues and disruptive to the adjacent residential neighborhoods and not in the best interest of Manhattan Beach residents. The only reason to change the existing prohibitions is to give into political pressures and wokeism. This is not about politics or wokeism. It is about what is right for the safety and comfort of our residents and the surrounding community. Please do not allow for public gatherings at these small venues that offer no parking or other appropriate amenities for large public gatherings. You have been elected to serve the best interests of the residents of Manhattan Beach, not to advance political causes. Please vote accordingly.
Please support the decision by the Parks and Rec committee to include Bruce's Beach in the permit process. As you know, people have the right to assemble in public places under the First Amendment. Failing to include Bruce's Beach does not mean that people may not exercise their Constitutional Right to Assemble, it means that the city will have no control over these assemblies.
Also, I suggest you look more closely at the City's written guidelines around these assemblies, as some seem to be vague and not within our constitutional rights. I don't believe they would hold up if challenged in court.
Sincerely,
Brenda O'Leary
Debating the city “requires permits” to have “control over events” in our public parks is woke insanity at it’s finest.
We have this little thing called municipal ordinances which ensure civil order. No drinking in public, no smoking , no dogs off leash or on the beach…..that would extend to “no using our public parks as an event space for club promoters” which is what occurred a few weeks ago.
The park has been used for years as it’s intended use. It’s a small residential park surrounded by homes & zero infrastructure to support large events. Polliwog boasts 18acres with no residential property on the direct border ….need to have a large event in MB? Apply for a permit at Polliwog, problem solved.
The 'Blackkitty' event at BB recently made a mockery of our city's codes and regulations. I just wonder if an enterprising Trump supporter arranged an all day, music, dancing and drinking and celebrating "America First" at the very same park without event approval....if the CC would have turned their back on it like they recently did.
Sadly, race is now the 'third rail' of local politics.
Either the park is inappropriate or appropriate for everyone, not just some. I say inappropriate just like it was several years ago when the CC voted against events at BB & the parkettes. Only the politics has changed.
I am opposed to removing the special event policy for Bruce's Beach and 8th Street and Larsson Street Parkettes. These are small areas surrounded by private residences. Parking will be a problem and the addition of alcohol is definitely not a good idea.
Bruce’s Beach Park is not the proper venue for mega events. It COMPLETELY lacks parking and restrooms. MB has other / better options for large crowds. Please vote NO to mega events at Bruce’s Beach Park. Thank you.