Despite three months of discussion and debate the Pacific Beach Special Events Committee has yet to finalize its policy and procedure.
The Monday, March 19, meeting at the Earl & Birdie Taylor Library once again ended without a vote on the finalization of the much-edited special events policy. The committee’s procedure has yet to be discussed.
The committee, formed late last year by District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer, has already been directed by the city to begin recommendations for upcoming events, according to committee Chair Todd Brown.
“The initiative that the city is saying is, ‘Get to work. We’ve got business for you,'” Brown said. However, Brown explained that it is important to remember that the policy is constantly evolving and changing.
Continuing last month’s discussion regarding the committee’s jurisdiction and creating set boundaries to establish what events the committee would hear, Brown explained his findings from studying the municipal code and speaking with Carolyn Wormser of the City Special Events department.
According to Brown, the committee does not have jurisdiction over Mission Bay Park, Kate Sessions Park or the beaches. The Mission Bay Park Committee hears proposals for events at Mission Bay Park while special events at Kate Sessions and the beaches are heard by the Park and Recreation Department, despite having an impact on the Pacific Beach business district.
“The best that I can give you in terms of jurisdictional boundaries for this committee, the word of the night is ‘impact,'” Brown said. “Any event that would be in the business district of Pacific Beach or in proximity that would create impact in one regard or another.”
While this did not please most committee members ” concerns about events in neighboring residential street and the impact on the residents as well as the business district were raised ” they could not discuss the issue further without information from Wormser.
While the committee had requested Wormser’s presence at Monday’s meeting, she was unable to attend.
Promoters of two events attended the meeting to discuss their plans, though some committee members wondered if the committee was qualified to make a recommendation regarding the events without a policy in place.
Steven Hubbard, manager of Pacific Beach Bar & Grill, came to discuss their participation in the Stay Classy Charity Crawl, a charity fund-raising event featuring six tribute bands at two locations, Pacific Beach Bar & Grill and Typhoon Saloon, Saturday, April 14.
While Typhoon Saloon is holding their live music on their indoor stage, Hubbard explained that PB Bar & Grill is not equipped with an indoor stage to facilitate bands of this size. They plan to convert their parking lot into an expansion of the bar with a stage, hamburgers and hotdogs on sale outside and possibly a “beer tub.”
The committee was spit in their feelings on this project. Half the committee was adamantly against the word “crawl” in the event title, saying it promoted excessive drinking and rowdiness as well as the inclusion of alcohol in the parking lot/stage area.
The other half insisted that taking the word “crawl” out of the event title would do nothing to change the event itself or effect the type of people attending the event.
In the end the committee gave Hubbard recommendations to improve the event but did not vote regarding support of the event, but others insisted that they would not support the permit for having live music and serving alcohol on the parking lot premises.
Representatives from Bar West, part of EnDev Enterprises, LLC, which also owns Stingaree, Side Bar and The Witherby ” all located downtown ” were also present to discuss plans for Bar West’s grand opening April 12 and 13.
In order to accommodate set-up and breakdown for the evening event and the loading and unloading of guests, the group is requesting that the sidewalk and four metered parking spaces located directly in front of the venue, located at the former location of Margarita Rocks at 959 Hornblend St., be closed from 10 a.m., Thursday, April 12, until 2 a.m., Friday, April 13.
The committee saw no problems with supporting the approval of the permit, as long as the sidewalk and parking spaces are used for what the permit intended, valet parking and guest check-in. Committee member Marcie Beckett expressed her concerned the event would instead serve alcohol on the sidewalk or have live music.
The committee has yet to determine a regularly scheduled meeting time and place. All Special Events Committee meetings are open to the public and event promoters.
The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 10, at 6 p.m. at the Discover Pacific Beach offices, 1503 Garnet Ave.