SR 01-10-2023 5E
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: January 10, 2023
Agenda Item: 5.E
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: David White, City Manager, City Manager's Office
Subject: Accept Proposal and Enter into Agreement with the San Francisco AIDS
Foundation for the AIDS/LifeCycle 2023 Finish Line Festival
Recommended Actions
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15323 (Class 23
Normal Operations of Facilities for Public Gatherings) of the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a license agreement with
the San Francisco AIDS Foundation for use of the 4 South Beach Parking Lot
from June 9-10, 2023 for the “AIDS/LifeCycle 2023 Finish Line Event”.
Summary
In 2019, the City of Santa Monica partnered with Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM),
and the Santa Monica Pier to host the first SaMo Pride Month to celebrate and support
the LGBTQ+ community. Since that time, Santa Monica Place and Santa Monica
Travel and Tourism have joined as SaMo Pride partners. Staff now requests
authorization to bring the Finish Line Festival for AIDS/LifeCycle 2023 to Santa Monica
as part of 2023 SaMo Pride programming. AIDS/LifeCycle (The Ride), a 7 day, 545-
mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, co-produced by and benefiting San
Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, brings approximately
2,500 cyclists down the California coastline over a 545-mile route from San Francisco to
Santa Monica. The Ride is the premier fundraising event for both agencies, and in 2022
raised over $17 million for HIV/AIDS services in the San Francisco and Los Angeles
regions. Staff have examined several locations for this event and determined that the
City Beach Lot 4 South is the best fit for the needs of The Ride, while preserving beach
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access and parking. To host this event, staff now seeks authority to enter into a
License Agreement with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation for use of the City Beach
Lot 4 South for the Finish Line Festival and closing events for AIDS/LifeCycle 2023.
Discussion
To further embrace the City’s core values of equity and inclusion, SaMo PRIDE was
established in 2019 as a city-wide partnership between the City of Santa Monica,
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica Place and Santa
Monica Travel and Tourism dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community and
providing a platform to champion individuality and acceptance. Since its inaugural year,
SaMo PRIDE has evolved into a rich community tradition with family-friendly displays,
events and activities that encapsulate the City’s inclusive and diverse spirit. SaMo
PRIDE continues to strive to increase visibility and understanding of the broad spectrum
of gender identities and experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community. The City’s
perfect score on the Human Rights’ Campaign’s 2022 Municipal Equality Index is
recognition of the community’s broad commitment to LGBTQIA+ equity inclusion,
creation of safe spaces, inclusive policies, and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ protections.
The opportunity to bring The Ride and the Finish Line Festival event to Santa Monica
advances the work established in SaMo Pride to support the LGBTQIA+ community and
address issues facing this community. Services for those living with HIV/AIDS remains
a critical health need. The Center for Disease Control estimates that 62,800 people
with HIV/AIDS are living in Los Angeles County. The virus disproportionately affects
people of color and the LGBTQ+ community, those who have difficulty accessing
traditional healthcare services. Those living with HIV/AIDS are also at greater risk of
becoming homeless. The range of services funded by the AIDS/LifeCycle event help
support this community to ensure access to treatment, education, and other services.
Overview of the Ride
The Ride is a 7 day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, co-
produced by and benefiting San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT
Center. The Ride began in 1994 and was called the “California AIDS Ride.” In 2002, it
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was rebranded as AIDS/LifeCycle. Since 1994, participants have raised more than $300
million for the HIV and AIDS-related services of the Los Angeles LGBT Center and San
Francisco AIDS Foundation. In 2022, the Ride raised $17.8 million, approximately 30%
of the budgets for these two agencies.
Overview of the Event
The AIDS/LifeCycle Finish Line Festival incorporates both a finish line experience for
2,500 cyclists and 650 7-day volunteers (called Roadies), as well as a reception point
for event vehicles, supplies, and equipment. The event would be held on June 10, 2023,
in the 4 South Beach Parking lot. Cyclists will use the City’s existing bike lane network
to exit off the Beach Bike Path at Channel Road and navigate up to Ocean Avenue
where they will use the bike lanes to ride down to Bicknell and enter the event site.
Cyclists are paced when leaving the campsite in Ventura and ride single file on public
streets abiding by all laws, and according to a strict set of safety policies that are
enforced by event staff throughout the duration of the Ride. This means that unlike
other traditional “race” events, participants steadily enter the event site over the course
of 4 hours rather en masse at any one time. This allows all roads to remain open during
the event.
Event activities include:
• Barricaded cyclist chute through which participants cross the official end of the
route
• Friends and family spectator area where viewers can watch and cheer on the
cyclists
• Bike Parking for 1,000 cyclists
• Bike Tech and Bike Shipping
• Participant Gear Pick Up
• Cyclist Lunch
• An event stage
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• A “Camp Store” retail space
• An outreach lounge and recruitment area
• Sponsorship activations
The event will involve closure of the 4 South Beach lot from noon on June 9, 2023,
through June 10, 2023.
License Agreement
The City’s Community Events Permit process and Site Guidelines do not currently allow
for events on the Santa Monica Beach and Beach Lots during the peak summer
months, in order to preserve maximum access for beachgoers. Outside of summer,
beach events are required to have a “beach-related activity” such as beach sports as a
primary component.
In shaping its event proposal, the AIDS/LifeCycle event team has engaged with a
number of relevant City departments, including the Santa Monica Police Department,
Mobility and Parking staff within the Department of Transportation, Economic
Development/Pier Management, the Community Events Team, the City Attorney’s
Office, and the City Manager’s Office. City staff have focused on coordination with
AIDS/LifeCycle event team to align event plans with key Council and community
objectives—including safety and security of the event site and surrounding areas,
planning for traffic management and alternative mobility options, and supporting
economic development for the City.
Staff supports this event because of the potential economic impact and the opportunity
to establish a marquee event for SaMoPride that provides over $17 million in funding to
deliver needed HIV/AIDS services in our region and the San Francisco region, including
access to healthcare and services as well as services such as housing and support for
those living with HIV/AIDS.
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Community Engagement
The AIDS/LifeCycle event team is dedicated to a good neighbor policy. Having hosted
this event since 1994, they are experienced working with community members and
other stakeholders to help address concerns wherever possible. The event is
supported by the SaMo Pride partners and the team has met with the Main Street
Business District and Ocean Park Association (OPA), both of whom support bringing
the event to Santa Monica. OPA has also committed to partner with the City and Ride
Team to help engage OPA residents to inform the community of this event, including
through their weekly newsletter and community meetings. The team will meet with
these groups starting in January 2023 and remain in community up through the event in
June 2023.
Coastal Commission Approval
This event will likely require a Coastal Development Permit because it occurs between
Memorial Day and Labor Day, pursuant to the Coastal Commission’s adopted
Guidelines for the Exclusion of Temporary Events from Coastal Commission Permit
Requirements, dated May 12, 1993. The City’s adopted 1992 Coastal Land Use Plan
would be the standard of review, in addition to the aforementioned guidelines, however,
the 1992 LUP does not contain any policies regarding temporary events.
Environmental Review
The event is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15323 (Class 23 Normal
Operations of Facilities for Public Gatherings) of the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) guidelines. Class 23 consists of the normal operations of existing facilities
for public gatherings for which the facilities were designed, where there is a past history
of the facility being used for the same or similar kind of purpose in where there is a past
history of the facility being used for the same or similar kind of purpose. The 4 South
Beach Parking lot and City’s bicycle network has been previously used for public
events, and therefore, the AIDS/LifeCycle 2023 Finish Line Event is categorically
exempt from CEQA.
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Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
The City will receive $19,200 in revenues for use of the 4 South Beach Lot and parking
staff costs. The event will also incur fees for all required permits and licenses required
to support the event. Additional ancillary positive impacts would accrue through
additional transient occupancy tax, and sales tax, along with benefits related to
enhancement of the City’s brand and marketability to visitors.
Prepared By: Christopher Smith, Assistant to the City Manager
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. ALC 2023-FLF-Event Narrative 20221222
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AIDS/LifeCycle 2023
Finish Line Festival Event Narrative
OVERVIEW
This narrative details the Finish Line Festival event, which occurs as the final moment of the
AIDS/LifeCycle 7-day bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles (also referred to herein as
‘ALC’ or ‘the Ride’). The AIDS/LifeCycle organization has been discussing opportunities with
representatives from the City of Santa Monica to move the Finish Line Festival event from
Fairfax High School, where it has been located for the past several years, toSanta Monica
Parking Lot 4 South. The event is free and open to the public, and will occur on Saturday, June
10, 2023, from approximately 10AM to 4PM.
The event plan as proposed to the City of Santa Monica includes the activation of the long term
parking portions of Lot 4 South to house the AIDS/LifeCycle Finish Line, Finish Line Festival,
and participant services.
TIMELINE
●Load In - Friday, June 9, 2023, 12:00PM - 8:00PM:Load in and setup up event
infrastructure in Lot 4 South
●Finalize Set Up - Saturday, June 10, 2023 - 6AM - 10AM: final placement of
infrastructure; open event to receive ALC participants & the public
●Operate Event - Saturday, June 10, 2023 - 10AM - 4PM:receive event participants; all
areas open & operating
●End of Event - Saturday, June 10, 2023: 4PM - 4:30PM:Closing Ceremony occurs
following the final cyclist crossing the Finish Line
●Strike & Load Out: Saturday, June 10, 2023: 4:30 PM - 11:59 PM: close down & strike
all event areas; ALC completely off-site by end of day
EVENT DESCRIPTION - PARKING LOT 4 SOUTH
Parking Lot 4 South is currently being planned to hold event infrastructure that exists to support
the Finish iLine experience and getting ALC participants off of the event:
●Finish Line Chute: A delineated, protected lane for event cyclist traffic, with runs of
barricade on either side to protect cyclists. We will have approximately 2,500 cyclists, all
riding single file & spaced out with a full bike length between them and the bike in front
of them, crossing the finish line at some point between 10AM and 4PM. The flow of
cyclists is gradual and follows the arc of a bell curve - it’s a trickle of cyclists between
10AM and 1PM; then a heavier flow between 1PM and 3PM; then back to a trickle from
3PM to 4PM. Spectators typically line up along the chute to watch their friends and
family cross the finish line.
●Finish Line: The official ending point of the event for cyclists
●Bike Parking: And area of racks where cyclists can park their bikes after they cross the
finish line
●Bike Shipping: A service provided by ALC partners to help participants ship their bikes
home after the event
5.E.a
Packet Pg. 222 Attachment: ALC 2023-FLF-Event Narrative 20221222 (5523 : License Agreement for AIDS/LifeCycle event)
AIDS/LifeCycle 2023
Finish Line Festival Event Narrative
●Gear Pick-Up: ALC carries all participant gear forward during the full 7 days of the Ride
event. The Gear Pick Up lot is designated as the location for all gear to end up. The
operation consists of unloading approx. 16 box trucks full of participant luggage into an
area delineated by temporary event fencing and restricted to access by participants only.
●Festival Stage - live entertainment (DJs, performances, etc.) will be staged, in addition to
a Closing Ceremony
●Event Booths - elements like a Camp Store, a registration booth for the AIDS/LifeCycle
2024 event, sponsor activations, snacks and lost & found, etc.
●Food & food trucks - some food is available for free for event participants only; some
food is available to all for purchase
●Seating, etc.
●Important Notes:
○There are no activated event spaces on the sandy beach.
ATTENDANCE
Total Attendance: 3,000 ALC Participants (Cyclists, Volunteers, Staff, Vendors) plus 2,500
attendees – Total of 5,000 - 6,000 people
ABOUT AIDS/LIFECYCLE
AIDS/LifeCycle is a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles that raises
critical funds for the HIV/AIDS services of the Los Angeles LGBT Center and San Francisco
AIDS Foundation. The event raises over $17million annually for these two California non-profit
organizations, and features approximately 2,500 cyclists and 650 volunteers, called “Roadies,”
who travel together, along with vendors & event staff, from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
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Packet Pg. 223 Attachment: ALC 2023-FLF-Event Narrative 20221222 (5523 : License Agreement for AIDS/LifeCycle event)
ABCDEFGHIJLMNOPQRGEAR LOTCAMP STORE20'X30'SPONSOR ROW10'X10' TENT (X 7)MASSAGE& STRETCHACE RideCannondale / FedExBIKE PARKING (320)EXITBIKE PARKING (40)BikeBoxesSecuritySecuritySecuritySPECTATOR AREAABCDEFGHIJJLMNOPQRGEAR LOTCAMP STORE20'X30'SPONSOR ROW10'X10' TENT (X 7)MASSAGE& STRETCHCCACE RideCannondale / FedExBIKE PARKING (320)EXITBIKE PARKING (40)BikeBoxesSecuritySSSSSSSSSSSSSSSecurityiSecurityityyyyyyyyyyyyyyyuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuSeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeSecuritySTAGE(24' X 12')PICNIC TABLESQTY 56BackstageAreaFOOD TRUCKSOUTR
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AND VICTORY
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20'X20'SPECTATOR AREASPECTATOR AREAFOOD TRUCKSSecuritySecurityPRODUCTIONPARKINGVOLUNTEERSPRODUCTIONPLAN: FINISH LINE FESTIVAL - KEY PLAN (Saturday - June 10)SCALE: TBDDRAWN BY:REV. NUMBER:LOS ANGELES OFFICELos Angeles, CA 90038P: 323-860-73801125 McCadden Place, Suite 202DRAWING TITLE:LOCATION:EVENT NAME:ofPAGE NUMBER:FILE NAME:REV. DATE:ALC 2023-FLF-SM Pier-Layout-Op 7A.dwgCHRISTOPHER CARRINGTONProduction Director323-860-7320 (w)310-310-0132 (c)LOG. STAFF (AIDS/LifeCycle)BRIAN BOSTWICKSr. Production Manager323-860-7320 (w)626-497-3978 (c)SITE CONTACTS (Venue)(w)(c)SAN FRANCISCO OFFICESan Francisco, CA 94103P: 415-581-70771035 Market Street, Suite 400FINISH LINE FESTIVALLAYOUT OPTION 7AAIDS/LifeCycle 2023LOT 4 SOUTHSanta Monica, CA 90405Brian Bostwick(w)(c)(w)(c)WRITTEN DIMENSIONS ON DRAWINGS SHALL HAVE AUTHORITY OVER SCALED. CONTRACTORS AND MANUFACTURERS SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALLDIMENSIONS AND CONDITIONS ON JOB SITE. ANY CARIATIONS FROM THE DRAWINGS ARE TO BE REPORTED TO PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT.THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN PREPARED SOLELY TO DESCRIBE PROPOSED ELEMENTS RELATING TO THE SPECIFIC EVENT NAMED ON THIS DRAWING. IT DOESNOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT ANY AS-BUILT OR EXISTING CONDITIONS THAT MAY EXIST AT THE VENUE. ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DRAWING THAT APPEAR TORELATE TO MATTERS OF SAFETY,STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, OR COMPLIANCE WITH LOCAL BUILDING CODES SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH A VENUE REPRESENTATIVE AND/OR THE CONTRACTORRESPONSIBLE FOR ALTERATIONS.SITE NOTES:01010212/19/2022Name Here000-000-0000000-000-0000Name HereName Here000-000-0000000-000-0000Name HereName Here000-000-0000000-000-0000Name HereBike ShippingBike ParkingRide In ChuteCYCLISTSFire Lane and Vehicle AccessPARKINGNOTES:1. BICKNELL AVE CLOSED TO VEHICLES.2. CYLISTS ENTER CHUTE FROM BICKNELL AVE.3. EVENT VEHICLES AND PUBLIC ENTER FROM HOLLISTER AVE.
DROP-OFF/PICK-UP
5.E.aPacket Pg. 224Attachment: ALC 2023-FLF-Event Narrative 20221222 (5523 : License Agreement for AIDS/LifeCycle event)