Recreation and Parks Commissioners at the June 20th meeting
On Wednesday, June 20 the Los Feliz Improvement Association attended the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners meeting. An amendment to the schedule of Rates and Fees for special events held at the Griffith Observatory was on the agenda. Included in the Rates and Fees was a set of proposed guidelines to govern special events including the service of alcohol.
The commissioners listened to comments from ten neighborhood representatives including LFIA. President Marian Dodge spoke to Griffith J. Griffith’s donation of the park and the Observatory for “the use of the plain people.” Zoning chair, Juliet Kiperman, cautioned that each time a special event took place, all or part of the Observatory would be closed to the general public. LFIA supports guidelines for special events at the Observatory, but advised the Commissioners that the guidelines before them for approval had only been made public at 4:30 pm the day before the hearing and thus had neither been seen nor accepted by the public.
The approved guidelines include: No more than 26 significant events with alcohol service per year (no more than 3 in one month); Maximum of 1,800 participants; Load-in and load-out prohibited between 10:30 pm and 6:00 am; Liquor service must end at 10:00 pm; however that restriction may be waived at the discretion of the General Manager.
After a brief period of discussion, the Commissioners voted unanimously to authorize Rec. and Park’s amended Rates and Fees and their proposed guidelines. One Commissioner gave her support with the provision that the Rates and Fees be subject to a review in six to twelve months.