Council pulled out the stops last week to push through an introduction and adoption of an urgent ordinance to allow for "open street" community events as early as this summer.
In the past, requests received from event organizers required Council action via the adoption of a resolution to authorize a road closure, which is allowed under the California Vehicle Code. Staff recommended changes to the Community Events Law to allow "open street" events without requiring a license agreement and Council intervention for each individual event.
The proposed changes would not only allow for more "open street" events to take place in support of the City’s economic recovery, but they would also reduce the burden on staff and Council and set in place a policy for when these events can take place.
"This is considered an urgent ordinance to allow for open street events to take place this summer," Jeanette Gant, Community Recreation Manager, said.
As per the Council’s definition, a "open street event" is a "community event" requiring the closure of the street, or a portion thereof, to vehicular traffic, and the use of the closed street for the event, including, but not limited to, celebrations, street fairs, charitable events, ceremonies and events where a group of persons convene to promote walking, biking, or rolling and other similar events, but excluding parades, athletic events and block parties.
A "block party" means a festive gathering primarily intended for the residents and businesses located on a street and their invitees, on a street classified as a "neighborhood street", "avenue industrial," or "shared street" in the City’s Land Use and Circulation Element, which requires the closure of a street, or a portion thereof, to vehicular traffic and the use of the street for the festivity.
Staff proposed the reduction of the number of signatures required to approve a block party from the current 67 percent requirement to 51 percent. This change will make it easier for residents in multi-family neighborhoods to hold block parties, increasing community connectedness and wellbeing. Further, the street typologies eligible for block parties are proposed to be expanded from "neighborhood streets" exclusively to also include the "shared street" and "avenue: industrial" typologies.
The amount of open street events allowed per year shall be determined annually by the City Manager. For the remainder of calendar year 2023 and all of calendar year 2024, staff are recommending no more than four open streets be allowed to occur. To hold an open street event, among other applications, the event organizer must provide proof that they own, lease or rent property within the proposed closure area, or provide a signed letter of co-sponsorship from someone who meets that criteria.
Additionally, they must provide a petition indicating the occupants of a least 51 percent of the residents and businesses within the closure area have no objection to and support the closure — or they must produce a letter of support for the event by the Business Improvement District or neighborhood organization in that area. If the latter is chosen, then all notifications to residents and businesses regarding the closure must be completed a minimum of 14 days in advance whereas if they chose the 15 percent option, only 10 days advance notice is required.
With regards to block parties, City recommended where the majority of the parcels in the area of the requested closure are zoned R-1 single unit residential, the applicant must include a petition in favor of the event signed by 51 percent of residents and/or businesses on the street to be closed.
Where the majority of the parcels in the area of the requested closure are zoned other than R-1 single unit residential, the applicant must include a petition in favor of the event signed by 25 percent of the residents and/or businesses on the street to be closed and must provide at least five days advance notice of the closure to all residents and businesses located on the street to be closed.
Only a street classified by the City in its Land Use and Circulation Element as a "neighborhood street," "shared street," or "avenue: industrial" may be utilized for a block party and a Community Event Permit is not required.
Since the motion was considered "urgent," a minimum of five votes was required and it was passed by a vote of five to one, with Councilmember Brock voting "no" and Mayor Pro Tempore Lana Negrete being absent. Brocks opposed the measure citing a belief that all block party applications, regardless of zoning, should require 51 percent of the neighborhood to support the idea.
