Huntington Fireworks Permit Sought

Fourth of July parade organizers are asking Huntington Beach to lift a three-decade ban on beachfront fireworks so residents this year can celebrate in grander style the centennial of the city’s Independence Day parade.

“We want to make this a super special celebration, and all we’re asking is to have fireworks for one time only to help celebrate our parade’s 100th birthday at the beach,” said Connie Young, a member of the Fourth of July executive board, a city commission.

The issue is up for City Council consideration Tuesday.

The council denied a similar request last year, citing concerns about violence at prior holiday events.

Previous celebrations have drawn as many as 40,000 people and created traffic and safety problems, including the discharge of illegal fireworks and unlawful alcohol consumption on streets and in beach neighborhoods. Fireworks shows have been allowed at the city’s high school.

Keeping the peace on the Fourth has been a problem for many coastal cities, especially Huntington Beach.

Longtime residents date the start of the city’s troubles to a riot during the 1986 Ocean Pacific Pro Surfing Contest, and point to violence during other Independence Day celebrations.

But since 1994, the Fourth has had relatively minor problems, said Pam Julien Houchen, a City Council member who supports issuing a fireworks permit this year.

“I think our city has matured quite a bit from where we were five, 10, 15 years ago,” she said. “It’s time.”

The community has changed considerably since the 1970s, when fireworks were last permitted on the beach, she said.

Parking lot construction at the beach, which was a consideration when a fireworks display was rejected last year, will be completed before July, Houchen said.

But others on the council remain hesitant about allowing beachfront fireworks because of what’s at stake, said Councilman Dave Sullivan.

In recent years, the city has invested tens of millions of dollars in downtown redevelopment to encourage high-end tourism, he said. The luxury 517-room Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa opened last year, and other developments and hotel projects are proposed.

“We have to take advantage of our tourism industry, and I just don’t think it’s worth the chance,” said Sullivan, who opposes a fireworks show.

The parade board already has sponsors interested in donating for the event. The board organizes the annual parade by raising $235,000 from corporations, residents, and runners who participate in a 5K run, said Patricia Stier, parade board president.

Stier said she and board members are confident they will have no trouble raising an additional $35,000 to sponsor the fireworks, if the City Council approves the event.

One local firm has pledged $50,000 for the Fourth of July centennial celebration, Stier said.

Last year’s celebration was marked by many calls to the police and fire departments about illegal fireworks and large rockets, Houchen said.

Pilots of the city’s police helicopter reported so many rockets last Fourth of July they couldn’t keep track, Houchen said.

“Who knows how many there really were,” Houchen said.

“But something had to cause that, and I believe [it was because] there was an absence of a place to enjoy and see fireworks, so many people thought they would have their own private show.

“I would rather have a contained show at the beach,” she said.

Police Chief Kenneth W. Small, who opposed having fireworks last year, is expected to give his opinion at the council meeting, a spokeswoman said.

Large crowds on the sand and the pier present a law enforcement headache, especially when revelers are drinking and setting off legal fireworks in crowded areas.

“We like celebrations as much as the rest, but our problems are historical,” said Lt. Janet Perez, a police spokeswoman.

“We have several miles of open beach ... and we cannot regulate the amount of people on that beach.”

“It would require a great deal of resources from our department, and we want to make sure the City Council and citizens are fully aware of the problems that might occur with this celebration,” Perez said.