In July La Jolla Parks and Beaches, Inc. approved two events — Concours d’Elegance in April and a December jazz festival — to be held in Ellen Browning Scripps Park in 2017.
The LJPB Board also sanctioned a letter drafted by chair Dan Allen to be sent to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department opposing a proposal for DecoBike to extend its bike share stations into the Jewel.
“La Jolla Parks and Beaches does not support locating bike kiosks in La Jolla parkland or public areas,” said Allen’s letter. “Our objection is to the city’s bike share station location plan proposed by contractor DecoBike as presented to us, which includes using grassy areas and adjacent parking spaces along Scripps Park in La Jolla.”
Allen also noted in his letter that LJPB voted 15-1 against having bike share in the community in April 2014.
Of the two community events which got the coastal advisory group’s approval one, the annual Concourse classic-car show, now in its 12th year, is hosted by a local nonprofit group, the La Jolla Historical Society.
The second event, a jazz festival proposed to be held Dec. 2-4 at Scripps in 2017, is a first-time event hosted by an outside, for-profit group.
For some time, there has been a schism on the LJPB board between members more- and less-inclined to allow Scripps Park to be commercialized and used by outside interests. Some board members believe some portion of the park should always remain open, no matter what special events are scheduled there on any given day during the year.
Concours d’Elegance reps Michael Dorvillier and Laurel McFarlane presented a check to the LJPB board for $550, proceeds from a new charity program at this year’s Concours during which promoters allowed those showing cars or attending the event to use a promotion code which donated a small portion of the cost of their ticket to a charity of their choice. In this case, the La Jolla parks group.
LJPB Board unanimously approved the Concours request, despite the fact that all of Scripps Park is used during the classic-car exhibition.
David Payne of RTE Productions, which produced San Diego Bayfest, pitched LJPB on bringing an upscale jazz festival to Scripps Park this winter. Payne has been making the rounds of La Jolla civic groups asking for their approval for the jazz fest.
In response, several LJPB board members expressed concern that allowing the park to be used by a commercial group for profit was setting a bad — and perhaps irreversible — precedent.
“I’m worried about the noise for the neighbors on three consecutive nights,” said LJPB member Sally Miller. “Have you reached out to them?”
“It’s a little bit of a gamble,” pointed out LJPB member Ann Dynes. “Though I know that quality events of this kind can be very productive for communities like ours.”
“This is the first profit making group to use the park,” pointed out LJPB member Mary Ellen Morgan asking, “Aren’t we letting the genie out of the bottle? Maybe in the future we should clamp down on what people asking to use the park can do.”
“It is opening the door though,” commented LJPB Cindy Greatrex.
“We’re not here to sell the park,” added Miller.
After debate, the parks’ group opted to vote on a one-time use of the park for the jazz fest. The vote was 9-6.