Sunset Junction is dead. Maybe. But it certainly doesn't look good for the indie bands, DJs, food vendors, and community groups that were planning on gathering to show their stuff at the Sunset Junction Music Festival and Street Fair this weekend in Silver Lake. The yearly festival, which has come close to the business end of the city's ire in the past, will have to come up with some pretty serious cash by a Wednesday hearing at City Hall or it really will be the end. The festival's permit was denied this afternoon in a 3-1 vote by the city's Board of Public Works, which oversees permitting for festivals, after more than three hours of public comment.
While there are many members of the Silver Lake community on both sides of the issue, the City Maven reports on Twitter that one person who spoke against the festival was Yusef Robb from City Council President/Silver Lake Councilmember Eric Garcetti's office--he told the board that the festival failed to comply with city laws and that neighborhood residents had complained about the impacts of the festival.
Andrea Alarcon, the president of the Board of Public Works, had some especially harsh words for the festival's attorney: "...you cannot and will not and have not paid the city for services rendered," and related the bill to the city's fiscal crisis: "The city is owed more than $400,000 from your organization. Do you know what that $400,000 could do for this city?"
As for what it will take to bring the festival back from the dead, Buzzbands.la reports that the festival must first pay the expected bill for this year's event--$141,000--for the board to reconsider the permits. City Maven reports a different figure, saying the festival will have to pay the outstanding bill from last year's festival--$245,848.
· Sunset Junction Street Fair: It's On! (Probably) [Curbed LA]
· Public Works Denies Permit for Sunset Junction Festival [City Maven]
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