September 8, 2003 Rev A
LA County Dept of Regional Planning
John Gutwein
FAX 213-974-6384 and E-mail jgutwein@planning.co.la.ca.us
To see the documents on line go here
RE: Temporary Use Permit 03-020
I am writing to you to express my concern, and the community's concern, over the proposed country fair in Agua Dulce under Temporary Use Permit 03-020.
While we are a firm supporter of the Agua Dulce Country Fair as a local event for the community, as it is has been held for over 25 years, we are totally opposed to this event the Airpark intends to have.
The Airpark intends to hold a regional event to replace the Santa Clarita Frontier Days, which has been canceled by Santa Clarita. This proposed event is controlled by the Airpark and the so-called sponsors are just a cover for the Airpark.
This is not a community event as claimed in the TUP, but actually a continuing effort by the Airpark to turn it's site into a regional entertainment center. If the Airpark wants to be an entertainment center, then let it apply for a proper CUP.
The idea of using a TUP to overcome limits of their existing CUP, which would clearly prohibit this activity, is illegal and a detriment to the community.
The following is the detailed list of complaints and changes that must be issued in the TUP:
The TUP application claims "we have notified all residents of Agua Dulce and Acton through a postcard mailer and in the 'newspaper' the Country Journal ". Many residents, including myself, did not receive a postcard; and the Country Journal is not a newspaper but in fact a throw away advertiser which is ignored by many.
I believe that if the people in the community knew that the Airpark was taking this local event and converting it into a regional entertainment venue for out-of-towners, there would be even more opposition than there is now.
The application does not have any indication of the event size. A letter dated August 15th on the Agua Dulce Women's Club stationary, which is part of the TUP, states their groups "are jointly hosting" the event and that they are "important parts of the small community of Agua Dulce"; they further state the event is " for the community". (The groups purportedly jointly hosting the event are: Agua Dulce Women's Club, Agua Dulce Lions Club, and the Agua Dulce Elementary Boosters Club.)
When I questioned your department about the size of the event, you called the Airpark, which is the true sponsor of the event; they stated it would be a maximum of 1500 people per day. This is well within an event for the community, keeping in mind the population of Acton and Agua Dulce.
But this does not represent the true event the Airpark plans. The Airpark has placed many ads which include at least two full-page color ads in the Santa Clarita issue of the Daily News, a full-page ad in Santa Clarita Today, extensive radio advertising on a station that covers Santa Clarita and Los Angeles, and an ad in a Santa Clarita free classified paper. If it is a local event, why is the Airpark spending thousands in ads that advertise to the people who attended the prior Santa Clarita Frontier Day event?
The minutes from the Agua Dulce Woman's Club board meeting of February 17th, talk about a “new and bigger fair”… “with 10,000 attendees per day”. An advertisement in the Country Journal also repeats the 10,000 attendees.
Proposed Condition: No advertising for the event outside of the communities of Acton and Agua Dulce. All other advertising should be immediately terminated.
For the last 25+ years, the Country Fair has been sponsored by the Agua Dulce Woman's Club and the Agua Dulce Civic Association. This year the Woman's Club “gave” the event to the Airpark. The Agua Dulce Civic Association dropped out as sponsor. The minutes of the Agua Dulce Women's Club, on January 20th, state that Barry Kirschner offered the use of the Airpark as a location for the Agua Dulce Fair.
In the Agua Dulce Women's Club minutes on February 17th, the event changes so that the three sponsoring groups will get a total $15,000 to divide among the 3 groups and the Airpark will get the rest. That same information is reiterated in their July 17th minutes.
The event has changed from the Airpark simply donating the space to hold the event to an event totally controlled by the Airpark. A look at the Airpark's Website and all the advertising shows it to be an Airpark event.
Most of the participants are from outside the community. The Rodeo is by the Antelope Valley Youth Rodeo Association and from what we can determine almost every vender will be from out of town.
Proposed Condition: 100% of receipts of the event go to the three sponsoring groups and that the Airpark simply donate space for the event and will receive no compensation whatsoever. That a full accounting of the event be made public by 10-15-03.
I believe Regional Water Quality will be issuing a cease and desist order for this demolition derby. This event would only serve to pollute the ground water in the community. This event certainly is not part of a Country Fair, but is solely to bring in attendance from outside the community. See attached fax to Regional Water Quality.
Proposed Condition: Prohibit the demolition derby and require that no discharge of fluids from any activities be allowed to directly discharge into the ground.
The TUP does not request permission for an air show. The Santa Clarita Today and a number of websites are publishing that there will be an air show on Sunday. This is from the Santa Clarita Today Magazine distributed to 64,500 residents in Santa Clarita:
Agua Dulce Wild West Days. BBQs, concerts, tractor races, rodeo, crafts, cowboys, kids games, parades, motorcycles, dancing, roping, breakfast, air show, car and truck show, and more! Visit the Web site at www.aguadulceairpark.com/events/country
Proposed Condition: As they have not applied for an air show, prohibit an air show over the country fair.
The type of aircraft for the static show be limited, as it is stated in CUP 1404 condition 5a which states:
5a. Airport for pleasure and executive type aircraft not exceeding light twin motors by weight and by heavier types not exceeding 30.000 pounds total weight; such heavier types shall not exceed 15 percent of the annul takeoffs and landings at this airport;
This specifically prohibits helicopters, jets and heavier aircraft. There is a significant safety issue of aircraft landing or flying low over the community while the event is in progress.
Proposed Condition: that all static display aircraft arrive prior to dusk on Thursday and depart after the airport opens on Monday morning. That the static display aircraft be limited to pleasure and executive type aircraft not exceeding light twin motors by weight and by heavier types not exceeding 30,000 pounds total weight; such heavier types shall not exceed 15 percent of the annul takeoffs and landings at this airport; That the airport be closed to all aircraft from sundown Thursday until all the material and residue from the event has been removed on Monday.
Please use their limit of 1500 people attending each day, just as the Airpark claimed. Require all the cars (limited to 750) to be parked on the paved runway to prevent pollution of ground water. If their statements and application are true, this will not hurt the event they are asking to hold. If the Airpark intends to have a 10,000-person event, then this limitation to 1,500, as they requested. will protect the community. Condition 3. of CUP 1404 states:
That all areas used by automobiles shall be paved with asphalt, concrete or macadam type of surfacing;
Proposed Condition: Attendance is limited to 1500 people per day and no more than 750 cars are allowed per day, and these cars per CUP 1404 must be parked on paved areas.
Agua Dulce is a quiet community and an oversized event or any event with noise and late hours will create a public nuisance unless limited.
Proposed Condition: That the event will not open till 9:00 am, and close promptly at 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 8:00 p.m. on Sunday. The sound levels will be limited so they cannot be heard off the airport property. All lighting must be directed toward the Airpark property with no light source visible off the Airpark property.
Proposed Condition: The County must have an inspector on site at all times to confirm compliance with the final TUP. A telephone number must be available for residents to report violations of the TUP. A final written report will be made public within 30 days of the event.
The Airpark has conspired with a few pro-airport residents to take over a respected local community event and convert it to their own Airpark controlled regional event.
The County has found the Airpark guilty of violating their CUP 1404. The TUP has little relationship with the actual event planned and their application is in conflict with their actions.
We ask the County to require a public hearing 30 days prior to the event in Agua Dulce on any future event at the Airpark, which proposes over 500 attendees or that has light or sound that can be heard or seen off the property. I will be pleased to post your information without cost on my website www/vanguardnews.com which is, by the way, an adjudicated newspaper.
We can provide copies of any of the referenced documents.
Thank You
Charles Brink
Enc Fax to Regional Water Quality