Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council
Regular Meeting of December 14, 2021
Title
APPROVAL OF 2022 IMPACT LEVEL III EVENTS INCLUDING: CBVA VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENTS (3/27, 4/16, 5/14-5/15, 5/28-5/30, 8/13-8/14, 8/28, AND 9/03-9/04); STATE OF THE ART (4/30); JVA AND BVCA NATIONAL BEACH CHAMPIONSHIPS (7/14-7/19); AAU JUNIOR NATIONAL GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS (7/20-7/24); WEST COAST AAU JUNIOR OLYMPIC GAMES (7/25-7/29); AND SKECHERS’ PIER TO PIER FRIENDSHIP WALK (10/30); AND DESIGNATION OF TWO NOTHING WEEKENDS ON 6/25-6/26 AND 8/20-8/21
(Interim Community Resources Manager Lisa Nichols)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends City Council:
1. Approve the Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Advisory Commission’s recommendation to include the following Impact Level III Special Events on the 2022 Special Event Calendar:
• CBVA Volleyball Tournaments on Sunday, March 27; Saturday, April 16; Saturday, May 14-Sunday, May 15; Saturday, May 28-Monday, May 30; Saturday, August 13-Sunday, August 14; Sunday, August 28; and Saturday, September 3-Sunday, September 4 on the volleyball courts north of the pier;
• State of the Art on Saturday, April 30 on Cypress Avenue and 6th Street;
• JVA and BVCA National Beach Championships on Thursday, July 14-Tuesday, July 19 on the volleyball courts north and south of the pier and the beach tennis courts;
• AAU Junior National Girls’ Volleyball Championships on Wednesday, July 20-Sunday, July 24 on the volleyball courts north and south of the pier;
• West Coast AAU Junior Olympic Games on Monday, July 25-Friday, July 29 on the volleyball courts north and south of the pier; and
• Skechers’ Pier to Pier Friendship Walk on Sunday, October 30, on the pier head and the strand north of the pier; and
2. Approve the designation of two “Nothing Weekends” on the 2022 Special Event Calendar on Saturday, June 25 to Sunday, June 26 and Saturday, August 20 to Sunday, August 21.
Body
Executive Summary:
The City of Hermosa Beach is a highly sought-after destination for special events, especially those taking place on the beach. The Community Resources Department is tasked with overseeing these event requests and permits following an extensive review and approval process that includes both the Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Advisory Commission (Commission) and City Council, depending on the Impact Level of each event. Impact Level III events, which are the largest impact events or new events to the City, require a Public Hearing by the Commission and City Council for formal approval and are the first events to be considered for the following year’s Special Event Calendar.
At its December 7, 2021 meeting, Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Advisory Commission, through a Public Hearing deliberation, recommended approval of the following Impact Level III events to the 2022 Special Events Calendar:
• CBVA Volleyball Tournaments on Sunday, March 27; Saturday, April 16; Saturday, May 14-Sunday, May 15; Saturday, May 28-Monday, May 30; Saturday, August 13-Sunday, August 14; Sunday, August 28; and Saturday, September 3-Sunday, September 4 on the volleyball courts north of the pier;
• State of the Art on Saturday, April 30 on Cypress Avenue and 6th Street;
• JVA and BVCA National Beach Championships on Thursday, July 14-Tuesday, July 19 on the volleyball courts north and south of the pier and the beach tennis courts;
• AAU Junior National Girls’ Volleyball Championships on Wednesday, July 20-Sunday, July 24 on the volleyball courts north and south of the pier;
• West Coast AAU Junior Olympic Games on Monday, July 25-Friday, July 29 on the volleyball courts north and south of the pier; and
• Skechers’ Pier to Pier Friendship Walk on Sunday, October 30, on the pier head and the strand north of the pier.
Additionally, the Commission recommended City Council approve the designation of two “Nothing Weekends” on Saturday, June 25 to Sunday, June 26 and Saturday, August 20 to Sunday, August 21.
Background:
In 2017, the Special Event Policy Guide was implemented, which outlined an updated approval process for special events consistent with each event’s categorized Impact Level. Impact Level III events, which are the largest impact events or new events to the City require review and approval by City Council through Public Hearing deliberations. Impact Level II events require review and approval by the Commission and Impact Level I events are approved by staff. Impact Level III events are given priority review and approval.
Staff began accepting applications from all events interested in applying for 2022 event dates regardless of their individual Impact Levels on September 27. The event requests which were received by the initial deadline for the Commission and City Council review of Impact Level III events in December are included on the 2022 Special Events Calendar (Attachment 1). Impact Level II and Impact Level I event requests are included for informational purposed only. Staff will return to the Commission at its January 2 meeting for formal review and consideration of Impact Level II events. For purposes of tonight’s Public Hearing deliberation, City Council should only consider the Impact Level III events on the 2022 Special Event Calendar.
Discussion:
Staff received a total of seven Impact Level III special event applications for 2022. A brief summary of each event request is included below. Additionally, provided as attachments, are event overview sheets containing additional event details and a corresponding site plan for each event. The event requests detailed below are those recommended for approval by the Commission, as well as one new event request not recommended for approval to accommodate returning events in the month of July.
Additionally, the Special Events Policy requires one side of the volleyball courts north and south of the pier remain open for public use on the weekends (with an exception to events taking place at the same time as City-sponsored classes on the volleyball courts south of the Pier). The Commission may recommend for approval events requesting simultaneous use of the volleyball courts north and south of the Pier at its discretion. The following events recommended for approval requested use of the volleyball courts both north and south of the pier:
• AAU Junior National Girls’ Volleyball Championships on Wednesday, July 20-Sunday, July 24;
• West Coast AAU Junior Olympic Games on Monday, July 25-Friday, July 29; and
• JVA and BVCA National Beach Championships on Thursday, July 14-Tuesday, July 19.
The applicants of these events agree to provide volleyball courts south of the pier for public use as soon as they become available and are no longer needed for the events.
CBVA Volleyball Tournaments
This is a returning event from California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) for event dates on Sunday, March 27; Saturday, April 16; Saturday, May 14-Sunday, May 15; Saturday, May 28-Monday, May 30; Saturday, August 13-Sunday, August 14; Sunday, August 28; and Saturday, and September 3-Sunday, September 4 on the volleyball courts north of the pier. Due to event date requests during the peak season, between the Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays, these events qualify as Impact Level III. However, these events are low impact youth volleyball tournaments. Some of the event dates are concurrent with other events scheduled within the City; however, the events are planned for different locations or different times. Therefore, staff does not anticipate any conflicts. Additional event details are included in CBVA Volleyball Tournaments event overview sheet (Attachment 2). Estimated permit fees payable to the City are included in Table 1 below:
State of the Art
The South Bay Artist Collective has requested Saturday, April 30 to hold a new event to the City, State of the Art, on Cypress Avenue and 6th Street. The event would serve as a fundraising event for the organization including art displays, interactive activities, music, food trucks and virtual and live auctions. The requested event date does not conflict with other event requests. Additional event details are included in the State of the Art event overview sheet (Attachment 3). Estimated permit fees payable to the City are included in Table 2 below:
JVA and BVCA National Beach Championships
This is a returning youth volleyball event from the Junior Volleyball Association (JVA) and the Beach Volleyball Clubs of America (BVCA) for Thursday, July 14-Tuesday, July 19 on the volleyball courts located north and south of the pier and the beach tennis courts. Additional event details are included in the JVA and BVCA National Beach Championships event overview sheet (Attachment 4). This returning event’s dates directly conflict with a new event request for the USA Volleyball (USAV) Beach National Championships for Tuesday, July 11-Sunday, July 17 on the volleyball courts located north and south of the pier and the beach tennis courts. The Commission recommends approval of the returning JVA and BVCA National Beach Championship event to remain consistent with the past approval process for the month of July. Estimated permit fees for the JVA and BVCA National Beach Championship event payable to the City are included in Table 5 below:
AAU Junior National Girls’ Volleyball Championships
This is a returning youth volleyball event from the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) for Wednesday, July 20-Sunday, July 24 the volleyball courts located north and south of the pier. The requested event dates do not conflict with other event requests. Additional event details are included in the AAU Junior National Girls’ Volleyball Championships event overview sheet (Attachment 5). Estimated permit fees payable to the City are included in Table 3 below:
West Coast AAU Junior Olympic Games
This returning youth volleyball event requests approval for Monday, July 25-Friday, July 29 on the volleyball courts located north and south of the pier. Approval of this event does not conflict with other event requests. Additional event details are included in the West Coast AAU Junior Olympic Games event overview sheet (Attachment 6). Estimated permit fees payable to the City are included in Table 4 below:
Skechers’ Pier to Pier Friendship Walk
This is a returning event request from the Skechers Foundation for Sunday, October 30 for the pier head and the strand north of the pier. The event is a fundraising event with proceeds supporting public education and children with special needs. Due to the large number of expected participants, staff would work with the event producer to ensure an effective amount of volunteers, event staff and/or traffic officers are on site during the event to help the flow of traffic and safety of participants at the connection between Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach. The requested event date does not conflict with other event requests. Additional event details are included in the Skechers’ Pier-to-Pier Friendship Walk event overview sheet (Attachment 7). Estimated permit fees payable to the City are included in Table 6 below:
Event Not Recommended for Approval
Amongst the seven (7) Impact Level III event requests received, the Commission does not recommend to City Council the approval of the following event:
• USA Volleyball (USAV) Beach National Championships-this youth volleyball event request from USAV for Tuesday, July 11-Sunday, July 17 on the volleyball courts located north and south of the pier and the beach tennis courts was requested as a new event to the City. However, USAV has held youth national championship events in Hermosa Beach in past years, with the most recent being in July of 2016. Beginning with 2022, USAV is proposing a partnership with the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP). The partnership would request to allow USAV to begin their load-in on AVP’s first load-out day and to utilize some of AVP’s existing infrastructure for their event dates. Additional event details are included in the USA Volleyball (USAV) Beach National Championships event overview sheet (Attachment 8) along with a letter of support from AVP for the proposed partnership with USAV. However, as previously stated, the requested event dates for the USA Volleyball (USAV) Beach National Championships are in direct conflict with the returning JVA and BVCA National Beach Championships event requesting Thursday, July 14-Sunday, July 17 on the volleyball courts located north and south of the pier and the beach tennis courts. In an effort to accommodate all event requests, staff requested alternate event dates from the event producers of the USAV event and the JVA and BVCA event. Each event producer shared their event date requests are crucial to the success of their event and the need for their events to take place in the second or third week of July due to varied school schedules of the nationwide participants and their organizations’ event calendar nationwide and did not provide alternate dates. To remain consistent with the past approval process for the month of July and considering the impact to the returning JVA and BVCA National Beach Championships event, the Commission does not recommend approval of the USA Volleyball (USAV) Beach National Championships.
Nothing Weekends
Consistent with the Special Event Policy Guide, the Special Events Subcommittee (Subcommittee) of the Commission assists staff in making a recommendation for the inclusion of a “Nothing Weekend” within the peak season in an effort to provide at least one weekend annually for residents where events are not taking place. Similar to the Subcommittee, Commission and Council actions during the development of the 2020 and 2021 calendar, the Commission is recommending two “Nothing Weekends” in 2022. These weekends would include:
• Saturday, June 25, to Saturday, June 26; and
• Saturday, August 20 to Sunday, August 21.
Inclusion of these “Nothing Weekends” does not conflict with event requests received thus far.
General Plan Consistency:
This report and associated recommendation have been evaluated for their consistency with the City’s General Plan. Relevant Policies are listed below:
Governance Element
Goal 5. Small beach town character is reflected throughout Hermosa Beach.
Policy:
• 5.7 Visitor and resident balance. Recognizing the desire and need to balance visitor-serving and local-serving uses as a key to preserving character and the economic vitality of the community.
Parks and Open Space Element
Goal 3. Community parks and facilities encourage social activity and interaction.
Policies:
• 3.1 Community-friendly events. Encourage, permit, and support community group, nonprofit, or business organized events on City property that support physical activity, beach culture, and family-friendly social interactions.
• 3.2 Social and cultural events. Design and program parks and open space to accommodate unique social and cultural events to foster connectedness and interaction.
• 3.3 Commercial use of facilities. Regulate and enforce commercial use of City parks and open spaces to ensure activities do not impact general use and enjoyment.
Goal 7. The beach offers high quality recreational opportunities and amenities desired by the community.
Policies:
• 7.3 Recreational asset. Consider and treat the beach as a recreational asset and never as a commercial enterprise.
• 7.5 Designated recreational uses. Continually evaluate and explore devoting certain portions of the beach to different preferred recreational uses while providing access for all users and meeting the recreation needs of visitors and residents.
Fiscal Impact:
If approved, estimated event revenue would be approximately $56,256. Estimated permit fees are calculated with the fees listed in the Master Fee Schedule effective December 1, 2020 to November 30, 2021 as all event requests were submitted prior to November 30, 2021.
Attachments:
1. Tentative 2022 Special Event Calendar
2. CBVA Volleyball Tournaments Event Overview Sheet
3. State of the Art Event Overview Sheet
4. JVA and BVCA National Beach Championships Event Overview Sheet
5. AAU Junior National Girls’ Volleyball Championships Event Overview Sheet
6. West Coast AAU Junior Olympic Games Event Overview Sheet
7. Skechers’ Pier to Pier Friendship Walk Event Overview Sheet
8. USA Volleyball (USAV) Beach National Championships Event Overview Sheet
9. Written Communication from Jenny Hahn submitted December 9, 2021
10. Written Communication from Desiree Phelps submitted December 9, 2021
Respectfully Submitted by: Lisa Nichols, Interim Community Resources Manager
Noted for Fiscal Impact: Viki Copeland, Finance Director
Legal Review: Mike Jenkins, City Attorney
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager