County considering more restraints on temporary events

The board of supervisors will consider major changes to Riverside County’s procedures for regulating temporary events (Ordinance 348, section XIX) at an upcoming meeting. A draft ordinance has been prepared and Planning Department staff intend to present it to the board at its Oct. 19 meeting.

Since the section for temporary events is three pages in the current ordinance and the draft ordinance is 13 pages, this appears to be a substantial revision.

Currently, for example, temporary events are classified as either “major,” 2,000 or more people expected to attend, or “minor,” between 200 and 2,000 expected attendees.

The proposed revision has six classes of temporary events. A Class I event expects fewer than 50 people attending. A Class VI temporary event would expect more than 1,000 people. Commercial temporary events are a separate classification. Annual and seasonal temporary events (such as Christmas, Halloween or other holidays) are another category.

After considering the number of people who may attend the event, the revised ordinance then considers the size of the property being used for the event. For example, an event expecting more than 100 people and being held on a lot of less than 10,000 square feet (about a quarter of an acre) is prohibited. If more than 1,000 people are expected to attend, the event must be on lots greater than 20 acres.

Commercial temporary events are specifically prohibited in several different land-use zones. Examples include rural residential, rural single family, rural multiple family lots and more.

The proposed ordinance provides many examples of possible temporary events. These include festivals, concerts, stage events, sports, equine, carnivals and art shows. Whether the event is inside or outdoors does not matter and neither does the designation of public or private matter.

Wedding ceremonies and receptions are included in the list of possible temporary events. However, weddings, and birthday or graduation parties, or similar events will not require a permit if attendance is fewer than 100 people and the property is host to no more than four of these types of events within a 12-month period.

All temporary events are limited to four days. But a seasonal temporary event may continue for 45 days.

All events are required to have approved access and parking plans, fire protection plans, security operation, emergency medical, sewage disposal, potable water, food service, noise dust and lighting mitigation plans.

Most temporary events may not operate between 2 and 7 a.m. For those in certain residential, citrus and wine country zones, their non-operation period extends from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Further permit applications will be denied for properties that host up to four temporary events within a 12-month period if the county has received five separate and substantiated complaints related to noise, odors, outdoor illumination traffic, parking or rubbish about the use of this property.

The reason for the proposed restraints is not because of COVID-19, but according to the draft, “… these temporary events are increasing the need for county services and resources and intensifying adverse impacts to surrounding neighbors and properties. These adverse impacts include, but are not limited to, noise, trash, parking difficulties, and disruption to the normal flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic.”

Visit https://planning.rctlma.org/Advance-Planning/348UPD for the proposed draft ordinance and select “Draft Temporary Events Ordinance.” Submit comments on the proposed document to Steven Jones, the project planner, by email at [email protected].