CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA

AGENDA BILL

AB 1023
October 5, 2015
Consent Calendar

TO:

Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council

Douglas J. Schmitz, City Administrator

FROM:

Janet Bombard, Library and Community Activities Director

SUBJECT:

Adoption of a resolution authorizing a request from the Sunset Center to: 1. Close the
Sunset Center north parking lot from Friday, May 13, 2016 through Sunday May 15, 2016,
for its annual Gala event, 2. Set-up two tents in the north parking lot, 3. Play live music
and hold an amplified auction in the Gala tent, and 4. Serve alcohol at the event

AMOUNT OF EXPENDITURE

$ N/A

AMOUNTBUDGETED

$~A

APPROPRIATION REQUIRED

$ N/A

RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution authorizing a request from the Sunset Center to: 1. Close the Sunset Center north
parking lot from Friday, May 13, 2016 through Sunday May 15, 2016, for its annual Gala event, 2. Setup two tents in the north parking lot, 3. Play live music and hold an amplified auction in the Gala tent,
and 4. Serve alcohol at the event.

SUMMARY
Sunset Center is requesting permission to hold its annual Gala in the Sunset Center north public
parking lot, which will require closure of the lot from May 13 through May 15, 2016. Sunset Center
wishes to use the north parking lot for the venue, as the event has outgrown the space which was
previously used. The larger space will also allow for greater ticket sales.
The Gala , which is Sunset Center's primary fundraiser each year, will take place on Saturday, May 14,
2016 . Event attendees will have cocktails and dinner in the Gala tent from 5:00p.m. to 8:00p .m. and
then attend a performance in the Sunset Center Theater until 9:20 p.m. At 9:20 , guests will return to
the tent for dessert and an artist "meet and greet" session . The event will end at 10:00 p.m . Guests
will enter and exit the venue at the San Carlos Street ramp.
Food will be prepared by caterers off-site and delivered to the kitchen tent, where final prep and plating
will take place. There will be no cooking in the tent; hot boxes will be used to keep food warm.
Per Municipal Code Chapter 12.32, Section 12.32 .060 , "it is unlawful to construct or erect any building
or structure of whatever kind, whether permanent or temporary in character, any tent or fly or
windbreak ... upon, or across any public property, except on permit issued by the City Council". Sunset

Council Meeting Date : 10/05/2015

Agenda Item: 9
Page 1

Center is requesting authorization to set up two tents, which will be anchored with cement blocks, in the
north parking lot on Friday, May 13th: a 60' X 120' tent for event attendees (the Gala tent), and a
12'X 15' kitchen tent. The tents will be removed on Sunday, May 15, 2016 - the day following the
event.
Per Municipal Code Chapter 8.56, Section 8.56.085 "it is unlawful for any person to operate or cause to
be operated in the City any sound reproduction or broadcasting equipment in such manner as to cause
sound to be projected therefrom outside of any building or out of doors within the corporate limits of the
City". Sunset Center is therefore requesting City Council authorization to play live music and to hold an
amplified auction in the Gala tent during dinner.
Sunset Center intends to serve alcohol during the dinner. City Municipal Code Chapter 9.20 prohibits
consumption of alcohol in any public place, including parking lots; therefore, City Council authorization
through adoption of a resolution is required for Sunset Center to serve alcohol during the event. Sunset
Center or its contracted caterer will secure all necessary Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
permits.
Police Commander Paul Tomasi reviewed the plans for the event. In the interest of public safety,
Commander Tomasi has determined that the north lot must remain closed to automobile traffic during
the three days in which Sunset Center proposes to use the parking lot. During that time Sunset Center
will put up signage directing automobile traffic to the facility's other parking lots. Because the parking
lot will be closed to traffic, Sunset Center will contract with National Parking to provide valet service for
attendees. National Parking will park the valeted cars on the street and/or in the other Sunset Center
parking lots.
Sunset Center representatives spoke with a local hotelier who indicated that time of year is not a
typically busy time with regard to tourism in spite of the fact that the Carmel Art Festival is scheduled to
run May 14 - 17. Sunset Center feels, therefore, that the small number of parking spaces (36 - 39) that
will be lost due to the lot closure will not dramatically affect the public's ability to find parking .
Sunset Center's event caterer will remove all food-related waste from the event. Sunset Center itself
will take care of all the rest of the garbage generated from the event.
The Community Activities and Cultural Commission considered Sunset Center's request at its
September 15, 2015 meeting. The commission voted to send a recommendation to the City Council to
approve and support Sunset Center's request.

PRIOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION

None.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Letter to the Community Activities and Cultural Commission from Sunset Center Executive
Director Christine Sandin
2. Event diagram
3. Resolution authorizing a request from Sunset Center

Council Meeting Date: 10/05/2015

Agenda Item: 9
Page.:;).

Date:
Douglas J.

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Council Meeting Date: 10/05/2015

Agenda Item: 9
Page3

ATIACHMENT 1

To the Community Activities and Cultural Commission:

Sunset Center will be requesting permission from the City Council regarding closing the Sunset
Center north parking lot from May 13th to May 15th for our annual Gala on May 14, 2016.
Some of the reasons that we want to hold our Gala in the north lot are:
1.
This will be our fourth annual Gala and we have outgrown our current space in the
parking lot in front of the theater. The Gala has become very popular in our community
and last year, we were overflowing with 224 attendees. We could have sold many more
tickets but simply did not have the space.
2.
The Gala is the largest and primary method offundraising for Sunset Center. We have
only been independently fundraising for the last 3 years and the Gala has been very
successful for us. We have been given the challenge to raise more contributed income
and the Gala is allowing us to achieve our goal in this regard.
3.
The Gala brings in new people to Sunset Center. Our attendees and donors are inviting
their guests and introducing many new people to both Sunset Center and Carmel-by-theSea, thus bringing in additional City revenue. Our Gala has become the "event of the
season" and we plan to offer 300+ Gala tickets in 2016.
4.
We do not have space in the theater lobby or any of our meeting rooms to house 200+
people for a sit down dinner and live auction.
5.
Using the lot in front of the theater requires renting a large tent and, due to the sloping
of the parking lot, requires that a "floor" be built in order to eliminate safety issues. This
type of tent construction increases our event cost four fold.
As far as displacing the north lot parking spaces, while the north lot is closed, we will provide
signage directing people to our lots at the south end of the Sunset facility, where we have 83
available spaces. The north lot has 122 spaces (if the retaining wall construction has been
completed - otherwise, 119 spaces). Therefore, we would be closing only 36-39 spaces. At the
time of our requested use, May 13 to May 15, there are no large events going on in town and
after speaking with a local hotelier, they don't foresee a great influx of tourists that would
require parking. The only event currently on the books is the Carmel Art Festival, which has
been a small attraction and primarily draws local attendees.
We feel that it certainly behooves the City to approve our use of the north lot for this event, and
in fact we have received verbal support from 3 council members previously to do so. We need to
increase our fundraising activity, message and visibility in order to accomplish our financial
goals.
We appreciate the assistance of the Community Activities and Cultural Commission, and hope
you will recommend the closure of the lot to the City Council.
Thank you,
Christine Sandin, Executive Director
Sunset Center

5
Council Meeting Date: 10/05/2015
Agenda Item: 9

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ATTACHMENT- 3

CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. 2015A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
AUTHORIZING A REQUEST FROM THE SUNSET CENTER TO 1. CLOSE THE SUNSET
CENTER NORTH PARKING LOT FROM FRIDAY, MAY 13,2016 THROUGH SUNDAY, MAY
15,2016, 2. SET UP TWO TENTS IN THE PARKING LOT, AND 3. PLAY LIVE MUSIC AND
HOLD AN AMPLIFIED AUCTION IN THE GALA TENT AND 4. SERVE ALCOHOL AT THE
EVENT

WHEREAS, Sunset Center is requesting permission to hold its annual Gala in the
Sunset Center north parking lot on May14 2016; and
WHEREAS, set up for the Gala will take place on May 13, 2016 and event tear-down will
take place on Sunday, May 15, 2016 necessitating use of the north lot from May 13- May 15,
2016;and
WHEREAS, for reasons of public safety the Sunset Center north public parking lot will
need to be closed to vehicular traffic during that time period ; and
WHEREAS, Sunset Center wishes to set up two event tents- a Gala tent and a kitchen
tent - in the north parking lot, requiring City Council authorization as per Municipal Code
Chapter 12.32, Section 12.32.060; and
WHEREAS, Sunset Center wishes to play live music and hold an amplified auction in the
Gala tent, requiring City Council authorization as per Municipal Code Chapter 8.56 , Section
8.56.085; and
WHEREAS, Sunset Center wishes to serve alcohol at the event, requiring City Council
authorization as per Municipal Code Chapter 9.20.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA DOES :
Authorize the Sunset Center to:
1. Close the Sunset Center North Parking Lot to vehicular traffic from Friday, May 13,
2016 through Sunday, May 15, 2016.
2. Set up two tents in the Sunset Center North Parking Lot
3. Play live music and hold an amplified auction in the Gala Tent
4. Serve alcohol at the event
PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARMEL-BYTHE-SEA this
day of
, by the following roll call vote :
AYES:

COUNCIL MEMBERS:

NOES:

COUNCIL MEMBERS:

Council Meeting Date : 10/05/2015

Agenda Item: 9
Page 6

ABSENT:

COUNCIL MEMBERS

SIGNED:

ATTEST:

Jason Burnett, Mayor

Lee Price, MMC

Interim City Clerk

Council Meeting Date: 10/05/2015

Agenda Item: 9
Page 7