From: Brenda L.
To: [email protected]
Subject: Agenda item for Tuesday meeting- Feedback on Symphony of Flowers Date: Sunday, October 13, 2024 7:16:19 AM
You don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important We are HB residents and think Central Park is not the right venue for the Symphony of Flowers. It is disrespectful to those who frequent the park to take a stroll or enjoy the outdoors for some quiet time, amongst the trees, flowers, grass and wildlife (particularly all of the birds). Let it be. This is too disruptive.
Best Regards,
Brenda Low
10/15/2024
19 (24-750)
From: Suzanne Hart
To: [email protected]
Subject: Symphony of Flowers
Date: Sunday, October 13, 2024 3:17:03 PM
I am extremely concerned with the suggestion of disrupting one of HB’s precious assets, that being the bird habitat at Central Park!! My husband and I love walking the park and enjoy spotting the birds, especially the raptors such as owls and hawks. The very fact that you are even considering this is a travesty! SHAME!! Chris and Suzanne Hart,
26 year residents
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From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Oct 15, 2024 HB City Council Meeting
Date: Sunday, October 13, 2024 3:47:57 PM
The “Maga 4” members and City attorney have drained our Treasury in a secret vile contemptible meeting With the Airshow Company. Then you’re trying to privatize our wonderful H B Public Library. Now Strictland and Van Der mark are trying to destroy our wonderful nature reserve in the middle of our city, Central Park East, with a daily Light Show! Go to Disneyland if you want to see a light show but leave our nature reserve Central Park East alone! LEAVE our CENTRAL PARK ALONE, Please!!!!
From: Judith Hutton
To: [email protected]
Subject: Central Park
Date: Sunday, October 13, 2024 8:27:52 PM
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Dear Council members,
My entire family strongly believes that any light shows in Central Park should not be held. All 6 of us vote & your actions will be remembered. We will vote accordingly.
Sincerely,
The Hutton family
Sent from my iPhone
From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Symphony of flowers
Date: Monday, October 14, 2024 1:05:02 PM
-----Original Message-----
From: gail susskind <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2024 4:32 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: Symphony of flowers
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At this time, I oppose the “Symphony of Flowers” being held in Central Park.
Thank you for reconsidering this idea .
Gail Susskind
Sent from my iPhone
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From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Parks not fake flower shows
Date: Monday, October 14, 2024 1:08:23 PM
From: Vicky Shuttleworth <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, October 14, 2024 12:45 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: Parks not fake flower shows
Dear City Council,
Please do not vote in favor of Symphony of Flowers or anything similar. I saw it and it was nothing more than plastic and fabric fake flowers wired with lights. Our group's conclusion was a cargo ship of fake flowers was unpaid and this was their scheme to make money. It is not beautiful but is a circus of unattractive items. Even if it was free, I would not go see it again! It was that bad!
Central park and all our parks are for public use for walks, birdwatching and free music concerts. Please do not try to take away the designated open space of our parks.
Sincerely,
Vicky Shuttleworth
From: Carol Daus
To: [email protected]
Cc: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF)
Subject: In opposition to Agenda Item 24-750
Date: Monday, October 14, 2024 3:41:58 PM
Dear Council Members,
I am greatly opposed to using our city's peaceful Central Park as a site for holding the Symphony of Flowers production, which would likely be held for 6-8 months or longer.
Central Park East is one of the few places in the city where residents can enjoy nature--it's a quiet place behind the library and is the home to a wide variety of plants & trees, as well as migrating birds and ducks. Children particularly enjoy seeing the owls that make their homes in Central Park. Bringing in a production of this scale with loud music and lasers would seriously impact this natural habitat. I can't imagine residents who live nearby liking it either.
I have attended Cirque de Soleil shows in Irvine and other cities in South County, and none of them were situated in a city park like Central Park. They were in places like the South Coast Plaza parking lot or in large vacant lots. There must be another location in Huntington Beach that's more suitable for a large-scale music/lightshow production. Why Central Park? Thank you,
Carol Daus
Huntington Beach resident
From: Isabella Ford
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF); [email protected] Subject: Symphony of Flowers
Date: Monday, October 14, 2024 4:44:05 PM
I saw a memo about the Symphony of Flowers to possibly go for 6 - 9 months. This is insanity. One of the main appeals of our Central Park is the nature in our urban setting. If you are on the OC Hiking page, you would see our Shipley to Shore trail is the only HB trail highlighted on that page and it's because of the beautiful nature sightings. This Symphony of Flowers would disrupt all of that.
Maybe utilize Edison Community Park or Murdy Park to spread the events around Huntington Beach.
And, cut the timeframe to the same timeframe as the ice rink at the pier. Give people multiple reasons to come to HB and enjoy during the winter months. This will also ensure visitors frequent other parts of HB; keeping their money in HB and not making them go to other So Cal cities.
Isabella Ford
714-308-0660
From: David Rynerson
To: [email protected]; CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) Subject: Supplemental Communications
Date: Monday, October 14, 2024 5:55:33 PM
Council Majority –
Yesterday’s flash “news conference” was a transparent political stunt, and I believe it backfired spectacularly. The amount of double-speak and outright lies from the three of you and City Attorney Gates was breathtaking.
You continue to use the widely discredited tourism economic impact report to tout the benefits of the airshow. As Dan Kalmick stated, it’s certainly non-zero, but you cannot support the $100M impact that the report suggests as even the folks who crafted it are forced to admit it covers the “economic zone” not just Huntington Beach and includes such laughable impacts as property tax increases! That’s probably also why you conspicuously voted down a proposal to find the real economic value the air show brings to the city. You don’t want a true economic impact study because it will destroy the story you’re trying to sell.
Mr. Gates decided he could tease that HB got all of the Amplify Energy settlement, conveniently ignoring the other agreement he "negotiated", which promises Pacific Airshow $2M of any settlement the city gets from litigation against Amplify Energy. He also conveniently ignores the cost to the city of two years of litigation by outside counsel. You also continue to suggest that the airshow settlement isn’t a settlement despite the fact that it includes the clause, “The Parties shall request that the court retain jurisdiction under California Code of Civil Procedure § 664.6 to enforce the terms of this agreement.”
Tony’s boast that Cirque du Soleil is interested in coming to HB is all well and good, but also conveniently ignores the volume of negative press that the city is receiving locally, within the country, and internationally. That is this council majority’s doing, and you are proud of it.
However, the rest of us pay the price.
In short, continued gaslighting, half-truths, and outright lies. You’re like the joke about used- car salesmen: How can you tell if they are lying? Their lips are moving.
David Rynerson
Huntington Beach
From: Justine Shaffer
To: [email protected]
Subject: Central Park
Date: Monday, October 14, 2024 8:34:35 PM
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One of the most beautiful things about our city is Central Park. And people post on a daily basis about the beautiful wildlife, especially the owls and raptors. I go out constantly looking for them, and I feel so lucky to be able to have something like that, so close to my home. This type of concert activity will absolutely disrupt these birds and displace them, and who knows if they will return.
I don't wanna live in LA or Santa Monica or any city related to that sort of concert loud activity. We live in a surf community which is supposed to be chill. People come from all over to visit our city. If they want concerts and crazy light shows they can go to LA or San Diego or anywhere else that wants to entertain them.
Justine Shaffer
Huntington Beach, Ca
562-881-1704
From: onewildart
To: [email protected]; CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) Subject: Symphony Of Flowers
Date: Monday, October 14, 2024 10:22:00 PM
To: HB City Council and Supplemental Correspondence
Will this nonsense of bringing PRIVATE FOR-PROFIT events, that have the potential to harm our fair city, please stop? Letting a musical/light show use Central Park for a theatrical event that is designed for a ‘vast field’ (according to its brochure) makes no sense whatsoever.
Our park is a haven for all kinds of wildlife. It is a major stopping over spot for migrating birds. A half a million lights and music blaring for 6-8 months would disrupt and displace breeding, nesting and home for many bird species.
You may recall the incident at the Bolsa Chica a few years back when someone flew a drone over the island where the least terns nested and scared them all away. They haven’t returned to this day.
In addition parking would be a nightmare for that area. Would busing be used for overflow? Who foots the bill for this? Lighting to accommodate safety at night? Restrooms? Who pays for it? Security? $$ Thousands of people traisping thru the park at night is another issue. How does this event get power? Who remediates the park afterwards? Does the city pay to do this? What happens with concerts in the park? (Free to the public) The civil war recreation? (Free to the public)
How does this benefit Huntington Beach? The recent air show debacle that is still costing the city is a perfect example why this is not good for our city.
Trudy Roe
47 year resident
Sent from my iPad
From: Harry McLachlan
To: [email protected]; CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) Subject: Agenda Items #10 (24-752) and #19 (24-750)
Date: Monday, October 14, 2024 10:25:06 PM
Attachments: Clouds Over Huntington Beach.docx
Please see attached.
Huntington Beach City Council Meeting Oct. 15, 2024 Submitted by Harry McLachlan, Huntington Beach Resident RE: Agenda Item #10 24-752 (Twin Cities) (Vote No)
Agenda Item #19 24-750 (Symphony of Flowers) (Vote No)
Clouds Over Huntington Beach
Like the Karmic Clouds that kept the Air Show from view, The MAGA 5 now seek to do the same thing to you.
Regarding their clandestine hidden corruption:
They hope to avoid an investigation eruption!
Along with their Israel “Twin Cities” ploy
They pray an “Electronic Light Show” will bring us all joy.
At the same time these unscrupulous 5 MAGA turds
Don’t give an owl’s HOOT about the fate of the birds.
But up north an audit of their skullduggery is brewing, The results of which will have them all stewing
And fretting that late at night knock on the door:
The DOJ’s coming, and you’ll swagger no more!
Your embarrassing Clown Show continues. Your self-serving “press conference” was an embarrassment. You gift co-grifter Kevin Elliot another $2 Million. Mayor Gracie joins the rest of the MAGA cultists at Coachella.
Sincerely hope you had a nice walk to your car after your orange Pig-God stiffed all the attendees on the return transportation.
From: Michele Burgess
To: [email protected]; CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) Subject: 10/15/24 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AGENDA ITEM #19, FILE #24-750 Date: Monday, October 14, 2024 10:53:47 PM
Attachments: Montreal surrounding area.png
Symphony of Flowers Debut in Huntington Beach
To the City Council:
This sounds like an interesting show, and I’d go if it was as far away as Pasadena or Irvine, but wouldn’t drive or fly somewhere just to see it. Per the show's FAQ, it’s only a 15-minute narration to music through headphones, then a 30- to 60-minute interactive walk through the light field. I also wouldn’t be inclined to make a day of it, but would probably drive down in late afternoon and go back home afterward if the drive was only an hour and a half. Not sure it’s the type of attraction that would bring people from a long distance who would book hotel rooms at $200/night. For Cavalia, I might, because of the gorgeous horses and the acrobats, but not this. Otherwise, most people would likely attend if the show were here when they were already visiting, but probably wouldn’t visit Huntington Beach and pay for hotel nights, several meals, and event fees just to see it.
Symphony of Flowers would require an enormous amount of acreage in the pristine landscape of Central Park East for 6-8 months, making that area unusable for anything else during the day. Construction and dismantling at the site would be disruptive to birds and wildlife, one of the main reasons people visit, as evidenced by the comments and photos on Google, which summarizes this way: “Idyllic park great for bird-watching.
Full of open fields, trees and flowers, this sprawling 350-acre park is great for picnics and strolling.”
Also, the Montreal site has a lot of open space around it on one side. This area of Central Park is surrounded on 3 sides by residential and commercial. How much damage would construction do to the existing landscaped areas? Who’s going to put it all back the way it was, if that’s even possible, when the show moves on — and at whose expense? Not to mention increased traffic, noise, and pollution.
This isn’t like the Civil War Reenactment for a weekend, or the Cherry Blossom Festival for a couple of days. This is 6-8 months people won’t be able to use a large portion of our beloved park!
Please take a look at the attached photos before you decide to wreck Central Park East for a few thousand dollars.
Michele Burgess
Huntington Beach resident since 1961
From: Annie Kelly
To: [email protected]
Subject: Giant light show in Central Park
Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 8:55:06 AM
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Good morning,
Regarding the proposal to put some sort of giant light show in Central Park for a 6-8 month period. If this is true, please don’t.
Why would anyone want to ruin our beautiful park on this manner?? The wildlife and the peaceful nature are extremely important to preserve! This is just a ridiculous idea. Our city officials need to preserve our park.
Just Stop. Tell whoever wants this to go away. Please.
Thank you
Annie Kelly