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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/21/2004 - STAFF REPORTS (22) DATE: April 21, 2004 TO: City Council FROM: Director, Department of Parks and Recreation UPTOWN MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION'S FIRST "FRENZY" EVENT RECOMMENDATION: That City Council consider sponsoring the Uptown Merchants Association's First "Frenzy" event along Palm Canyon Drive on Friday, May 7, and adopting a resolution suspending certain regulatory ordinances and waiving certain requirements for that event. SUMMARY: The Uptown Merchants Association (UMA) is requesting that City Council support its request to suspend certain regulatory ordinances and waive the normally- imposed insurance requirements to allow for the proposed First"Frenzy" event to occur on Palm Canyon Drive from El Alameda to Granvia Valmonte on Friday, May 7. The UMA is wanting to create an event that encourages foot traffic in its business area through the extension of the First Friday event concept by having a daylong special sales event. The business owners want to create a "sidewalk sale" atmosphere in front of their individual stores through the use of festive storefront promotions, balloons, signs, and merchandise displays in the public right-of-way. To do this, the City needs to suspend the applicable Zoning Ordinance and Sign Ordinance for the area and waive the liability insurance requirements normally imposed for events occurring in the public right-of-way. Business owners have assured staff that they will not impede the flow of pedestrian traffic along the walkways and hope to encourage additional traffic through their displays. BACKGROUND: The majority of the Uptown Merchant Association businesses have participated in the monthly First Friday event for the past three years. The First Friday event was created to assist the UMA in promoting business in its district by encouraging foot traffic in the uptown area. The First Friday event is located along Palm Canyon Drive from El Alameda to the north to Granvia Valmonte to the south. Merchants have been encouraged to advertise their businesses by staying open later in the evening on the first Friday evening of each month. The City has supported this program by hanging castle banners along the street, providing a designated mid- block crosswalk for pedestrians, and placing additional trash receptacles, as needed, throughout the venue. The UMA is wanting to expand the First Friday event to begin at 8:00 a.m. and run through 7:00 p.m. on the designated day rather than staying open later in the evening as in the past. The UMA met on April 8 to discuss ways in which the First Friday event might be enhanced. Its members have developed a plan to change UPTOWN MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION'S FIRST "FRENZY" EVENT DATE: April 21, 2004 PAGE: Two the event times and lengthen the event to occur throughout the entire day. The thought is that this change in event time, along with the planned festive promotion by the businesses in the area, will attract more traffic. Also, the UMA will be conducting a "Silent Auction" in participating stores for a variety of merchandise with the hope of raising funds in support of the Uptown Visitors Center. To allow the businesses to promote themselves in the public right-of-way, certain ordinances needs to be suspended. Staff is suggesting that the normal insurance requirements to operate within the public right-of-way be waived for all participating businesses. Requiring additional insurance waivers would discourage many business owners from participating and reduce the strength of the event and ultimately its potential success. The proposed event was reviewed by the Special Events Planning Team on April 13 and there were no issues of significance to deal with primarily due to the lack of street closure. The Streets Division will delineate the mid-block crossing for pedestrian traffic well in advance of all store openings and the Parks Division will be on hand during the day to monitor trash pickup as needed. S TT MIKESELL, Director Department of Parks and Recreation APPROVED — � City Manager ATTACHMENTS: 1. Minute Order 2. Resolution MINUTE ORDER NO. APPROVING CITY SPONSORSHIP OF THE UPTOWN MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION'S FIRST "FRENZY" EVENT ALONG PALM CANYON DRIVE ON FRIDAY, MAY 7. I HEREBY CERTIFY that this Minute Order, approving City sponsorship of the Uptown Merchants Association's First "Frenzy' event along Palm Canyon Drive on Friday, May 7, was adopted by the City Council of the City of Palm Springs, California, in a meeting thereof held on the 21" day of April, 2004. BY: PATRICIA A. SANDERS City Clerk 1 RESOLUTION NO. OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, TEMPORARILY SUSPENDING CERTAIN REGULATORY ORDINANCES AND WAIVING CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS TO FACILITATE THE UPTOWN MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION'S FIRST"FRENZY" EVENT ON FRIDAY, MAY 7. WHEREAS the City of Palm Springs designated the Uptown Merchant Association's First "Frenzy" event as a City-sponsored event; and WHEREAS the City Council desires to facilitate the staging of the City-sponsored event to maximize revenue production; and WHEREAS the City Council finds that certain regulatory ordinances, which are generally deemed desirable and necessary, may, nonetheless, impede the conduct of special events; and WHEREAS the City Council finds that certain requirements,which are normally mandatory, would discourage participation in and reduce the strength of the event; and WHEREAS the City Council finds that in holding special events, the public interest and the benefits derived therefrom outweigh the temporary public inconvenience; and WHEREAS the City Council has enacted Ordinance #1310 authorizing temporary suspension of regulatory ordinances. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Palm Springs, California, as follows: Section 1. A. That the Uptown Merchants Association's First "Frenzy" event is a special event beneficial to the community. B. That the date and time of the Uptown Merchants Association's First"Frenzy" event is Friday, May 7, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. C. That the Uptown Merchants Association is the event promoter, along with its construction personnel and staff. D. That the venue is Palm Canyon Drive from El Alameda to the north to Granvia Valmonte to the south. Section2. That the following ordinances are hereby temporarily suspended for the special event designated in Section 1 above: Sign Ordinance and Zoning Ordinance. `0 V Section 3. That the regulatory ordinances designated in Section 2 above shall remain in full force and effect as to the event, date and persons or organizations as designated in Section 1 above. Section 4. That the insurance requirements to operate within the public right-of-way are hereby waived for all businesses participating in the event. ADOPTED this 21" day of April, 2004. AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ATTEST: CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA By City Clerk City Manager REVIEWED &APPROVED AS TO FORM