City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: October 8, 2024
Agenda Item: 5.F
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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 2025 Finish Line Festival Recommended Action
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 7-8, 2025 for the “AIDS/LifeCycle 2025 Finish Line Event.” Summary
Since 2023, Santa Monica has hosted the Finish Line Festival for the AIDS/LifeCycle as part of SaMoPride. 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 2,200 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 2024 raised $10.9 million for HIV/AIDS services in the San Francisco and Los Angeles regions. Staff now requests authorization to have the Finish Line Festival for AIDS/LifeCycle return to Santa Monica for 2025. The event would again be held in City Beach Lot 4 South. This will mark the final Finish Line Event for the AIDS LifeCycle, which has announced the ride will be discontinued after 2025.
Discussion
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To further embrace the City’s core values of equity and inclusion, SaMoPride 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 LGBTQ+ community and providing a platform to champion individuality and acceptance. SaMoPride continues to strive to increase visibility and understanding of the broad spectrum of gender identities and experiences within the LGBTQ+ community. The City’s perfect score on the Human Rights’ Campaign’s 2023 Municipal Equality Index is recognition of the community’s broad commitment to LGBTQ+ equity inclusion, creation of safe spaces, inclusive policies, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ protections.
The opportunity to host The Ride and the Finish Line Festival event in Santa Monica advances the work established by the City and SaMoPride partners to support the LGBTQ+ 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, coproduced 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 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 2024, the Ride raised $10.9 million, which serves to underwrite significant costs for the health services provided by these two agencies.
Overview of the Event
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The AIDS/LifeCycle Finish Line Festival incorporates both a finish line experience for 2,200 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 8, 2025, 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 than en masse at any one time. This allows all roads to remain open during the event.
In shaping its event proposal in 2024, the AIDS/LifeCycle event team engaged with several 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. The AIDS/LifeCycle team also worked closely with the Ocean Park Association, Main Street Businesses, and other stakeholders as part of ensuring a safe and successful event.
The AIDS/LifeCycle event team has already engaged City staff for the 2025 Finish Line Festival event to again 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.
The event will involve closure of the 4 South Beach lot from noon on June 7, 2025, through June 8, 2025. Event activities will mirror those in 2023 and 2024, including:
• Barricaded cyclist chute through which participants cross finish line • Spectator area where viewers can watch and cheer on the cyclists 4 of 6
• Bike Parking for 1,000 cyclists
• Bike Tech and Bike Shipping
• Participant Gear Pick Up
• Cyclist Lunch
• An event stage
• A “Camp Store” retail space
• An outreach lounge and recruitment area
• Sponsorship activations
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. Therefore, a license agreement is required to produce the Finish Line Festival. Staff supports this event because of the potential economic impact and Santa Monica’s commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion. Staff also support this event because of the AIDS LifeCycle’s demonstrated commitment to a good neighbor policy, engaging with the local neighbors and businesses to ensure a successful event. Sadly, this will be the final AIDS/LifeCycle Ride as the costs of producing the event have forced the event producers to rethink fundraising strategies to continue providing these much needed services.
Coastal Commission Approval
This event will 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. This was permitted for the 2023 event and staff does not perceive any issues receiving the permit again this year. The City’s adopted 1992 Coastal Land Use Plan would be the standard of review, in addition to the 5 of 6
aforementioned guidelines, however, the 1992 LUP does not contain any policies regarding temporary events.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Description
1/10/2023
(Attachment A)
Authorization of License Agreement for 2023 ALC Finish Line Festival
8/22/2023
(Attachment B)
Authorization of License Agreement for 2024 ALC Finish Line Festival
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 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 2025 Finish Line Event is categorically exempt from CEQA.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There is no budget action necessary as a result of the recommended action. The City will receive $25,612 in revenues to the Beach Fund for use of the 4 South Beach Lot and parking staff costs associated with supporting the event. The Event producers will also be required to pay fees for all necessary permits and licenses. 6 of 6
Prepared By: Christopher Smith, Deputy City Manager
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. January 10, 2023 Staff Reporting Authorizing License Agreement for 2023 AIDS LifeCycle Finish Line Festival
B. August 22, 2023 Staff Report Authorizing License Agreement for 2023 AIDS LifeCycle Finish Line Festival
C. ALC 2025-FLF-Event Narrative 20240801
D. ALC 2025-SaMo Oaks Initiative Form 20240801
E. 2024 AIDS LifeCycle Finish LIne Festival License Agreement F. ALC 2025-SaMo Levine Act Disclosure 20240926