Save Pacific Beach

Background: The PB Block Party was last held on May 14, 2005. It is organized by Kevin Hellman (promoter), the Pacific Beach Town Council and Discover PB (business association). For many years, the PB Block Party and its significant impacts on our community have evoked considerable public comment and controversy.

Sub-Committee Contact: Marcie Beckett at (858) 483-8908. E-mail mbeckett@ucsd.edu.

Action: In order for our comments to be most effective, they must be directed to the appropriate officials and agencies. The Special Permits Office and SDPD (police) are involved in the granting of permits for the block party and are interested in its impacts. Katie Keach, at our Council District 2 Office, is very interested in community concerns. The City Attorney is always concerned with ensuring community safety and improving the quality of life for residents. The PB Town Council and Discover PB would like your comments and also your suggestions for alternative fund-raising events.

Encourage friends and neighbors to share their ideas for alternative special events that will benefit and unite our community. Send ideas and comments to:

Join the PB Town Council. Becoming a member of the PB Town Council is a good way to become more involved in our community and to help the town council with its efforts to build a better community. You can join on-line (pbtowncouncil.org) or at their office, 1706 Garnet Avenue (483-6666).

May 31, 2006: PB Special Events workshop date pending. There is widespread commitment to developing a special events policy, a special events committee, and new special events in Pacific Beach. We'll let you know when the workshop has been rescheduled. In the meantime, there is a coalition of community groups forming to come up with some FUN, community-building events for 2006, that will provide fund raising opportunities for schools and community groups. Some ideas we are working on: Community Picnic with Silent Auction, Golf Tournament, BeachFest "Walk/Run for Schools", and Restaurant Walk.

March 30, 2006: The PB Special Events workshop scheduled for April 3rd, has been POSTPONED due to:

Uncertainty over whether city's denial of the permit for the PB Street Fair will be appealed; and
Councilman Faulconer has asked for his office to be involved in planning the next workshop in order to encourage participation by the PB Town Council and as many community groups as possible.

March 15, 2006: Pacific Beach Town Council members vote AGAINST (69-46) supporting the proposed PB Street Fair scheduled for April 22, 2006.

January 17, 2006: Discover PB holds second public workshop on special events. Approximately 50 residents, business people and representatives of community organizations attend. Kevin Faulconer and Lorena Gonzalez also attend. Participants review results from the November workshop, and begin working on:

a) development of a special events policy for PB;
b) creation of a special events committee;

Don Mullen announces that the PBTC is pursuing the "PB Street Fair" for April 22, 2006. Most participants are clearly upset that the PBTC would still be pursuing this event even while public workshops are being held to develop a special events policy and a brand new event that would garner the support of the entire community. Kevin Faulconer states that he will not allow a permit to be issued for the "PB Street Fair" and that he supports the ongoing public process and wants to see it completed before any new events are approved.

Also at this meeting, Discover PB (business association) indicated that they are opposed to any permit being issued for a modified block party this spring. Kevin Faulconer stated that he would not allow a permit to be issued for t he PBTC and PB Foundation sponsored "PB Street Fair".

November 21, 2005: Discover PB sponsors a workshop to develop a special event(s) to replace the PB Block Party. Over 150 residents, business people, representatives from community organizations and both District 2 candidates attend. Participants are divided into groups and they rotate between the 5 workstations at which their input is solicited and recorded. The workstations cover all aspects of special events, such as event content, location, size, security, theme, budget, and community role and feedback. Participants are also asked to complete a written survey. Ben Nicholls of Discover PB announces that further community meetings will be held to analyze results from the workshop, to develop a special events policy for PB, and to develop a replacement event(s).

November 2, 2005: PBTC board indicates it will participate in the community dialog on alternative events. However, the PBTC board has not ruled out supporting PB block party promoter Kevin Hellman’s proposal for a 2006 block party (renamed “PB Street Fair”). Also, PBTC is in the process of analyzing the results of a recent written survey of their members to determine membership views on the block party and other community issues.

October 20, 2005: Beach & Bay Press Article - In this article, Discover PB announces that it will not support a 2006 PB Block Party and has asked the city not to issue any block party permit until a community dialog on alternative events is complete. Participants invited to the community dialog will include the PB Town Council, Discover PB, PB Community Foundation, and all interested community members. Kevin Hellman says that he continues to move forward with the 2006 block party, scheduled for April 29 and renamed as “Pacific Beach Street Fair.

September 2005: Carolyn Wormser (City Special Events office) sends a letter to Discover PB (block party permit holder) along with a large stack of emails, letters and SavePB’s report containing 54 handwritten comments. In her letter, Ms. Wormser asks Discover PB to make sure they specify in detail how they would address all the community concerns before applying for a 2006 permit. Discover PB board votes not to support the block party and not to apply for the 2006 permit. Discover PB conveys their position to Ms. Wormser and asks her not to issue the permit to anyone until there has been a community dialog on alternative events. Caroline Wormser sends a letter to Benjamin Nichols agreeing with the plan for a community dialog and the delay of any permit consideration until after this dialog.

August/September 2005: SavePB sends city and community officials an addendum report containing 12 additional block party comment forms plus additional newspaper letters, articles and columns about the PB block party.

June 20, 2005: SavePB hand-delivers to city and community officials a report containing 54 block party comment forms plus related newspaper letters. Officials also received dozens of emails and letters regarding the block party. We met with Carolyn Wormser, Director of Special Permits. She already had a stack of block party emails and letters on her desk. She is receptive to our concerns and is serious about seeing that they are addressed.