TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
Linda Robb, Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of LA Times Food Bowl and Outstanding in the Field Event on Manhattan Beach (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that City Council discuss and provide direction on the proposal from Los Angeles Times and Outstanding in the Field to host a “long table dinner” in the sand north of the Manhattan Beach Pier on May 24th, 2018 as part of the LA Times Food Bowl.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the event. However, if the event is approved and services of city staff are required in the execution of the event, organizers will pay fully burdened rates for those services.
BACKGROUND:
Staff received an inquiry from Outstanding in the Field, an event coordination agency, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Times (LA Times) event team, about holding a sustainable seafood event or “long table dinner” on the Manhattan Beach Pier (Attachment 1).
The dinner would be part of the LA Times Food Bowl, a month-long food festival held in May, in locations across Los Angeles. It would be hosted in partnership with Outstanding in the Field, a group that produces outdoor dining events with the mission to re-connect diners to the land and origins of their food. The Manhattan Beach dinner will focus on educating attendees on the issue of sustainable seafood, as well as feature chefs from Manhattan Beach restaurants.
After a site visit on the Manhattan Beach Pier with City staff on February 13, 2018, Outstanding in the Field submitted a special event application. As per standard procedure, all departments received the application for review. Based on reports from several departments regarding legal requirements, necessary outside agency approvals and restrictive timeline, the City denied the original application to hold the event on the Pier.
Representatives from Outstanding in the Field and the LA Times had also been working with Kelly Stroman, Executive Director of the Manhattan Beach Downtown Business and Professionals Association (DBPA), to hold this event in Manhattan Beach. She requested that City staff consider alternative locations for the dinner. After evaluating the available options, event organizers requested that the event be held on the beach, north of the Pier, which is under the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County Beaches and Harbors.
DISCUSSION:
Outstanding in the Field has submitted an application to Los Angeles County Beaches and Harbors for a permit to hold the event on the sand to the north of the Pier (Attachment 2). LA County Beaches and Harbors required the applicant to secure approval from the Manhattan Beach City Council prior to LA County approvals.
The event would occupy the area north of the Pier between the first and second life guard towers to the west and the volleyball courts to the east. The area between the pier and the first lifeguard tower would remain clear for pedestrian access and emergency response.
The table, kitchen, reception area and service station would be north of the pier between the first two sets of volleyball nets. The 300 ft. table will be set in one long line down the beach and the kitchen will be at the north of the table, about 50 ft. to the east. The service/wine/water/dish station will be set directly behind the kitchen to the north.
The event itself will last from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. (Attachment 3) and will provide a reception with alcohol, educational speakers regarding the sustainable fishing industry, and a 4-course dinner serving about 300 guests. The timeline attached to this report was provided during the application process to hold the event on the Pier, so any details pertaining to that location should be disregarded. The event will also feature sand art by artist and Outstanding in the Field owner, Jim Denevan. There will be no amplified sound and no extra lighting.
As this event involves food preparation and delivery, it may require the use of charcoal grills, propane burners or other heating elements. However, most of the food is typically prepared off-site and delivered ready-to-eat, which necessitates minimal on-site cooking. The organizer will work with the Fire Department to obtain necessary permits. Safety stations, including fire extinguishers and hand-washing stations, will be established at multiple locations.
To address concerns regarding parking and traffic control for the bike path, the Police Department recommends additional staffing on hand during set-up and tear-down of the event, particularly surrounding the bike path. Due to the presence of alcohol, they also recommend staff stationed along the Pier and at key locations to assist with security, along with an on-duty LA County Lifeguard. The Fire Department also requires one Fire Safety Officer on-site.
The City Traffic Engineer recommends a shuttle to bring attendees and staff in/out of the area from a private parking location outside of the Downtown to address parking concerns. Closing Manhattan Beach Boulevard west of Ocean Drive is also recommended to prevent confusion and potential incidents.
PUBLIC OUTREACH/INTEREST:
This item was discussed with the Downtown Business and Professionals Association. The event has the full support of the DBPA (Attachment 4).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
Attachments:
1. LA Food Bowl/Outstanding in the Field Presentation
2. Event Site Plan
3. Event Timeline
4. DBPA Letter of Support