Council Gives Nod to Skateboard Event Week of July 4th

• Critics Query Timing and Traffic

BY BILL KOENEKER

Just in case there is not enough traffic and visitors this summer during the Fourth of July week, the Malibu Mother Nature Street Fair and Festival may be coming to town with the blessing of the Malibu City Council.

The council was asked last week to consider whether the city should host the festival on July 7 in what officials claim is an attempt to showcase Malibu’s environmental efforts and possibly benefit the Malibu Legacy Park fund.

However, one critic contends that the event is a skateboard festival cloaked in Mother Nature’s clothes.

The staff report indicates the event would include booths and activities throughout the day, promote environmental products and sales, such as sustainable housing, solar and wind energy, local water studies, organic cosmetics and solutions to global warming. In the evening the so-called worldwide concerts, which would be filmed in cities on seven continents that day to promote global warming awareness, would be projected onto an outdoor screen.

There was a mention in the staff report that the promoters suggested the “possibility” of a surf contest or skateboard contest to be held in conjunction with the festival event.

However, Point Dume activist John Mazza called the event no less than an international skateboard contest whose sponsors include Billabong and Element Skateboards. The event’s website claims Malibu is being targeted for attendance to match a London event that drew 20,000 visitors.

“These types of sponsors don’t do little events. The city needs to determine if it is going to promote an event on the July 4 weekend. This is not a small event. This is a corporate event,” he added.

Council members were told the fair and festival would be held at no cost to the city, that it is a family program, and Malibu would become part of the global warming event that same day. Festival organizers promise they would help with the fundraising for Legacy Park with the possibility of $43,000 going to city coffers.

Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich, who helped spearhead the request, acknowledged there are still issues concerned with parking, suggesting that Legacy Park could become the parking lot for the event and the city could charge $20 per car. “It would make money for the city,” she noted.

Festival organizers, who were on hand to promote the event, said their skateboard program is for amateurs and could not be considered a professional event. They touted the girls skateboard contest as an example.

Councilmember Andy Stern tried to minimize traffic concerns by saying that July 7 is not technically the Fourth-of-July weekend, although the Fourth falls on the Wednesday of that week and people may try to extend the holiday. That first July weekend traditionally draws large crowds.

Councilmember Sharon Barovsky said she could support the event since the city would not have to pay for anything and there was no staff time involved. “I am going to support a scaled back version,” she added. “I like the idea of girls at the skate park.”

“I don’t understand people [being] against girls skateboarding,” said Councilmember Ken Kearsley. “Mazza is against all skate boarding.”

After the meeting, Mazza dismissed Kearsley’s comments, emphasizing that what he opposes is promoting events in the middle of the summer when beach traffic is at its heaviest.

Stern and other municipal officials have often said the city hosts about 15 million visitors per year. There was no discussion why council members would want to encourage more visitors other than to add some money to the park fund.

Mayor Jeff Jennings said he had looked at the website and remarked there were references to London and Malibu being targeted for the crowd attendance.

Jennings, though, said he was impressed with some of the other event supporters, including the Boys and Girls Club, YMCA and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

The mayor noted the organizers would have to secure a temporary use permit and that any discussion of live music at the Civic Center could generate the ire of nearby residents.

“Live music in the Civic Center is a source of controversy and contention,” he added. “It seems to be focused on skateboarding, but skateboarding seems to go along with very loud music.”

City Manager Jim Thorsen said the short amount of time left for applying, noticing and possibly having a TUP appealed could be problematic for the organizers. “There is a limited time. It has to be done tomorrow,” he said.