Camarillo City Council
AGENDA REPORT
Date: March 13, 2024
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Greg Ramirez, City Manager
Submitted by: Michelle D’Anna, Assistant to the City Manager Subject: 2024 Fourth of July Fireworks Agreement and Street Closures
BACKGROUND
The City of Camarillo (City) has a long-standing tradition of providing an annual Fourth of July Fireworks Show (Show), as a free community event. Over the past several years City staff has managed all aspects of the Show, including working closely with other local agencies to ensure the outcome of a safe and successful community event. During the planning and event coordination process, staff considers and prioritizes various safety protocols such as the location of the fireworks launch site and potential impacts to the immediate surrounding areas, flow of traffic and congestion areas, and ample parking and viewing spaces for spectators who gather to enjoy the Show.
Since 2021, the Show has taken place on a vacant lot owned by Hiji Investment Co. (Hiji), located on the south side of Camarillo Center Drive and east of Las Posas Road, adjacent to the Camarillo Premium Outlets (Outlets) (Attachment 2). This provides ideal viewing areas from the Outlets parking lots and other immediate surrounding areas (Attachment 3). The 2024 Show will again take place on the vacant Hiji property.
Pyro Spectaculars, a producer and presenter of pyrotechnic spectacles around the world, has worked with the City for many years to provide the annual fireworks display. Given the successful work history with the vendor and their experience with the logistics of this event, City staff is requesting approval for a production agreement with Pyro Spectaculars for 2024 (Attachment 1).
DISCUSSION
Event Description
The 2024 Fourth of July Fireworks Show is a free community event, scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 4, 2024. Attendees are anticipated to arrive at the Outlets at 7:00 p.m. The fireworks display will commence promptly at 9:00 p.m. with no other entertainment, concessions, or activities being provided. Personal fireworks and sparklers are prohibited, illegal, and pose a risk of severe injury or harm, therefore, this public event provides a safe opportunity to enjoy an evening fireworks display. Various
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joint efforts for event preparation and cleanup will be conducted by City staff, Ventura County Sherriff’s Office (VCSO), Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD), and Outlets staff preceding and following the event.
The Outlets will remain open to customers during regular mall hours, potentially resulting in a benefit of increased sales from the additional attractions of Show attendees.
Additionally, the Regal Edwards Cinema movie theater and restaurants located within the Outlets are anticipated to remain open through the duration of the Show.
Fireworks Display
Since 2017, the City has contracted with Pyro Spectaculars for the annual fireworks display, with the exception of the 2020 Show which was canceled due to the COVID pandemic. Pyro Spectaculars will provide all pyrotechnic equipment, trained pyrotechnicians, product, and a musical soundtrack for an 18-minute fireworks show. The production fee for the 2024 Show is $35,000 compared to $30,000 for a similar show in 2023. The 2024 Show, though the same length of time as the 2023 Show, will feature an increased number of “aerial shells” or “fireworks.” Additionally, costs have increased all around as we are experiencing a period of high inflation, resulting in higher budgeted amounts for the same level of prior service.
Communications and Community Outreach
As in prior years, staff continues to expand communications and community outreach with surrounding businesses and residents within close proximity of the Show to provide detailed information of the temporary safety and traffic control measures and resources that will be implemented for this event. This includes contacting Ventura County Animal Services, located at 600 Aviation Drive, to inform them of the fireworks schedule and to take any precautionary steps for monitoring the animals at the shelter that may become startled or anxious as a result of the increased noise caused by the fireworks. In addition, staff will contact the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure compliance with safety regulations and requirements for fireworks displays.
Detailed information on the event will be shared on the City’s website and events calendar and will be promoted on the City’s communications platforms including social media, the local Government Channel (Spectrum Channel 10 and Frontier Channel 29), and Marquee sign located at City Hall. Event advertisements will be submitted to the Camarillo Acorn and Ventura County Star newspapers, featured in CityScene Newsletter, and in City News emailed to the community. Finally, staff will coordinate with local radio station FM 95.1 KBBY to produce the live broadcast and online streaming (951KBBY.com) of the fireworks soundtrack during the Show, allowing attendees to tune in to experience an exhilarating evening of the fireworks display.
Street Closures and Traffic Control Plan
Traffic control for the event will be provided by the VCSO and the City, with security being provided by VCSO and Outlets staff. The event requires the street closure of Camarillo Fourth of July Fireworks Street Closures
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Center Drive between 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and partial closure of immediate surrounding streets between 8:45 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Staff prepared a traffic control plan and maps that specifically outline the street closures in alignment with the Show’s anticipated 9:00 p.m. start time, as described below (Attachment 4):
•Camarillo Center Drive: Beginning at 8:00 a.m., closure of the driveway at the Regal Edwards Cinema and self-storage facility to the driveway entrance at the Outlets Promenade (approximately 530 feet to the east of Camarillo Center Drive and Las Posas Road), for public safety within immediate areas of the fireworks fallout zone. All traffic entering Ventura Boulevard from Camarillo Center Drive will be restricted to a right turn only at the intersection. At 8:30 p.m. the closure will expand further east to the intersection of Camarillo Center Drive and Factory Stores Drive. All additional driveways providing inflow access to designated parking lots will be closed by 9:00 p.m.
•Ventura Boulevard: Closure of driveway closest to Las Posas Road entering the Cracker Barrel restaurant, closure of the driveway entering the Regal Edwards Cinema, and closure of eastbound traffic from Las Posas Road to Camarillo Center Drive (westbound traffic will remain open). All east and westbound traffic at the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Las Posas Road will be restricted to a right turn only. Closure of left-turn lane from Overland Road onto Ventura Boulevard.
•Las Posas Road: Closure of left turning lanes from Las Posas Road onto Ventura Boulevard west of the intersection, closure of through traffic exiting southbound U.S. 101 to the Park N Ride, and closure of turning lanes onto Camarillo Center Drive.
•Factory Stores Drive: Closure of the driveways providing inward access to designated parking lots at the Regal Edwards Cinema and the Main Court of the Outlets, closure of southbound traffic lanes, and closure of right turn lane onto Ventura Boulevard. All intersection traffic entering Ventura Boulevard from Factory Stores Drive will be restricted to a left turn only. The intersection of Las Posas Road and Camarillo Center Drive will be managed by a designated Traffic Control Officer.
•Plaza La Vista: Closure of the right-turn lane onto Camarillo Center Drive. •Plaza Del Rancho: Closure of the left-turn lane onto Camarillo Center Drive. •Hughes Drive: Closure of the left-turn lane onto Camarillo Center Drive. •Phased Closure of Outlets Plazas: Phased closure of entry access to the Outlets Promenade, Main Court, and Fashion Court plazas will be monitored and closed as each parking lot become full. Closures are anticipated to begin at 8:00 p.m. or immediately when the Promenade parking lot becomes full.
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For additional safety, traffic control will remain in place through the duration of the fireworks show. Upon ending, VCSO will remove traffic barriers and assist in clearing out the Outlets parking lots through designated egress routes on the east and west areas, with Factory Stores Drive serving as the center dividing flow. Finally, once the fireworks technician and VCFD staff confirm that the area is ‘all-clear’ and safe enough to resume normal traffic flow, VCSO staff will reopen Camarillo Center Drive for all through traffic. It is anticipated that all parking lots will be clear, and traffic control will begin dismantling by 10:00 p.m. Street closures and the traffic control plan are subject to change at the discretion of VCSO.
Staff recommends approval of the proposed production agreement with Pyro Spectaculars and proposed street closures and traffic control plan for the 2024 Fourth of July Fireworks Show, on Thursday, July 4, 2024.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for the fireworks display in the amount of $35,000 will be included in the General Fund – Cultural Arts Services/Community Support budget, Account No. 101-4500- 469.46-43 for Fiscal Year 2024-25.
CEQA DETERMINATIONS
Not applicable.
RECOMMENDATION
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a Production Agreement with Pyro Spectaculars; and
2. Authorize the proposed street closures for the 2024 Fourth of July Fireworks Show, on Thursday, July 4, 2024.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Production Agreement with Pyro Spectaculars
2. Hiji Property Site Map with Fallout Zone
3. Camarillo Premium Outlets Site Map with Fallout Zone
4. Traffic Control Plan and Maps
REFERENCE MATERIALS – AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT CITY HALL None