What good is an advisory group to the city if the city doesn’t follow its advice?
That’s the question being asked after the city approved Stay Classy’s April 19 Charity Jam despite the fact that the Pacific Beach Special Events Committee (PBSEC) voted 3-2 in March against approving the event.
Representatives for Stay Classy, a local social networking group, came before the PBSEC earlier in the year to tell the committee about efforts to make the event a bit more palatable than the previous year’s pub crawl to the community, but not enough members gathered to officially vote on it.
To address the concern of public intoxication, the group repackaged the pub crawl, which involved several bars, into its Charity Jam at just one.
In a letter presented to the PBSEC, Pacific Beach resident Jennifer Sprofera asked the PBSEC board why the city allowed the event to take place despite the PBSEC voted against it.
“Why do we have such [special events committee] groups in our community?” Sprofera ask. “It’s totally fallen short”¦if the city is not going to listen to them.”
Carolyn Wormser with the City’s Office of Special Events said the city allowed the event because Stay Classy “met the [city’s] requirements and were willing to implement plans to address potential issues in all facets of their event planning.”
Sprofera’s letter, which was also sent to city officials, outlined several problems she found with the event, including music she said was too loud at times and more than the usual number of cars parked in her neighborhood. She lives four blocks east of Pacific Beach Bar and Grill, 860 Garnet Ave. The event also took over the adjacent parking lot.
Sprofera’s letter called the city’s permission of the event “disturbing” in light of efforts by many community members to change the “party image” of Pacific Beach.
Sprofera attended a PBSEC meeting Tuesday, May 20, at the offices of Discover Pacific Beach for the post-event review.
PBSEC member Marcie Beckett said she wants more family-oriented events in Pacific Beach like the annual BeachFest and the many restaurant walks throughout the year.
She added that the group should also put more resources toward environmental programs in Pacific Beach if they’re going to use the area for fundraisers.
The event raised $10,000 for environmental programs such as planting trees in Mission Bay and helping to install solar panels in local schools, Stay Classy representative Pat Walsh said.
According to its website, stayclassy.org teams with several organizations such as Surfrider Foundation, Urban Corps of San Diego and San Diego Coastkeeper for volunteer efforts.
And despite differences in opinion over the image charity events in bars may cast upon the community, Walsh said he wants to work with the community for any possible events in the future.
“This is our neighborhood too and we want to take care of it and want to be respectful of it,” he said.
In addition to centralizing the event at PB Bar and Grill, a marked difference from previous years was the use of decibel meters to monitor sound levels during this year’s event to make sure the noise level stayed within the law.
PBSEC chair Todd Brown said simply not liking an event isn’t enough reason for the events committee to deny the event, especially if organizers follow the city’s rules. Brown voted to approve the event in March.
The Pacific Beach Special Events Committee meets every third Tuesday of the month at Discover Pacific Beach offices, 1503 Garnet Ave.
Formed by Councilman Kevin Faulconer in April 2007 and comprising of officers from the local government groups and at-large members of the community, the committee plays an advisory role to the city regarding large events in Pacific Beach.