Friday, December 04, 2020

CoVid-19: Looking Grim: SD Sets New Case Record | San Diego Can't Stop Destroying Itself, Balboa Park Ferris Wheel Edition | Take The #CrashNotAccident Pledge



The first thing I saw when I woke up today was an article being shared online about the proposed Balboa Park Ferris Wheel being preliminarily approved. Naturally this got me so pissed, I sprung out of bed and decided to watch the 2+ hour Balboa Park Committee Meeting on the subject. I kicked myself for forgetting the meeting in the first place, but I guess I got caught up with other shit, which seems to be exactly as designed when the committee scheduled the previously unplanned meeting. You can see all my notes at the end of this email, but basically the committee voted to allow the Cohns and the ferris wheel company to further continue and pursue talks with the City and other entities. The whole thing is so goddamn stupid I can't even stand it. But they've emphasized even if they get al of their approvals from the City Council, City Attorney, FAA, Airport Oversight Board and all these other entities, it is supposed to be temporary, meaning specifically no more than 180 days. Some committee members were comparing it to one installed in Golden Gate Park, so I looked that one up...it was installed in the spring, but then couldn't open until October, and now is closed again indefinitely. It would be really, really stupid to get this stupid thing in the Plaza de Panama, removing all the space that is currently being used by walkers, bikers, skaters, families, picnickers and beyond and then have the stupid thing not even able to be open. I find it all so irritating. 

We're trying to adhere to all the current recommendations, but I know it's really hard. I want to run around and buy everything we could possibly need for two months even though that is unrealistic because we count on things like fresh celery and cilantro and other things just can't be frozen or stockpiled. We still have to use a laundromat. The San Diego Zoo has been my main source of exercise during this pandemic because at least I can count on the mask requirement enforcement there and they may have to be shutting down, too. Some epidemiologists are even saying that ANY mixing should be prohibited, even the outdoor/masked/socially distanced kind and I guess you'll see my hypocrisy shine through because I'll certainly be hanging in my parents' backyard again before the year comes to an end. It's all a lot and I need to unplug to stew over it all and then get optimistic and remember, it won't always be this way. 

  • World COVID-19 Stats (JHU 12/4 4:28pm):
    • 65,760,928 Known Cases
    • 1,515,990 Known Deaths
  • US COVID-19 Stats (COVID Tracking Project):
    • 224,831 New Cases/14,146,191 Known Cases
    • 2,563 New Deaths/269,791 Known Deaths
    • 101,276 Currently Hospitalized
    • 19,858 Currently in ICU
    • 6,999 Currently on Ventilators
  • California COVID-19 Stats:
    • 22,018 New Cases/1,286,557 Total Cases (1.7% increase)
    • 145 New Deaths/19,852 Total Deaths (0.7% increase)
    • 7.3% 14-day test positivity rate
  • San Diego County Stats
    • State Data:
      • 1,504 New Cases/86,144 Total Cases
      • 5 Deaths/1,040 Total Deaths
      • 30.5 cases/100k population (Based on week ending 11/28, Assessed on 12/1. Unadjusted Case Rate)
      • 4.7% Test Positivity (Based on week ending 11/28, Assessed on 12/1.)
      • 10.6% Health Equity Positivity (Based on week ending 11/28)
    • County Data:
      • San Diego County COVID-19 Update – 12-4-2020 - County News Center
      • 2,039 New Cases/88,181 Total Cases 
      • 7 New Daily Deaths/1,047 Total Deaths
      • 8% Daily Test Positivity/7.4% (7-day avg after 7-day lag)/6.7% Test Positivity (14-day average)
      • 15.3 cases/100k population (Based on week ending 11/28, Assessed on 12/1. Unadjusted case rate per 100,000 excluding prisons.) 
      • Case Investigation 56% (under 70% goal)
      • Increasing Hospitalizations 7.7% (under 10% trigger)
      • 14 New/93 Community Outbreaks (7-day)
        • Business 31
        • Restaurant/bar 5
        • Retail 17
        • Restaurant 3
        • Grocery 4
        • Faith-based agency 10
        • Government 3
        • Daycare/preschool 5
        • Healthcare 3
        • Emergency Services 3
        • Food/Bev Processing 2
        • Higher Ed 1
        • tk-12 school 3
        • Warehouse/Distribution 2
        • Hotel/Resort/Spa 1
      • 791 Beds Occupied with COVID Patients/4,587 Total Hospital Beds Occupied/4,815 Bed Capacity 
      • 216 COVID ICU/542 ICU Total Beds Occupied/708 ICU Beds Capacity
  • Universities:
  • COVID-19:
  • Politics/Other News/Reading:
  • Balboa Park Ferris Wheel/Balboa Park Committee Meeting. You can see the agenda here. And watch it here. Next meeting is January 20th at 6pm.
    • A "reimagined" December Nights starts today. Politicians will ride vintage cars. Santa will be waving from a safe distance. Cottages will have sweet offering in the daytime. Food trucks available in the evening. This event is for cars only. No bikes, pedestrians, scooters allowed. CHRISTMAS IS FOR CARS!!
    • Over 700 new trees have been planted by Tree Stewards in past 3 years
    • BPCP - It's pretty at Christmas. Come by. 
    • Committee of 100- concerned with Phase 2 of Palisades Project to focus on "parking circulation issues." My Commentary: watch out for a new parking structure proposal. 
    • Friends of Balboa Park: Addressing parking and circulation issues. Will have a proposal/findings for Parks and Rec in upcoming weeks. Moreton Bay platform is delayed because of backup with supply chain and contractors and families affected by COVID. Mobile fire suppression system will be deployed soon. Friends of Balboa Park official position is in support of "Donor Recognition Program."
    • Balboa Park Ferris Wheel (Sky Views Wheel Observation Deck):
      • Christina Chadwick - Committee is being asked to approve and move forward with proposal for ferris wheel. "reenergize the heart of the park." Requested a site plan and FAA clearance, County Health with regards to COVID-19. Operational considerations: permitting by City Attorney, liability by risk management, competitive bidding by City Attorney, Historical Resources Board to review impacts, interference with current infrastructure projects, public safety priorities. 
      • David Cohn - "with governor's new announcements, we've been busy closing restaurants and laying people off, so it's a sad day for us." Doesn't make sense to move forward if committee doesn't approve. Wheel would need to be pushed to a time where there is approval but also able to have people in the "gondola" for this "wonderful journey of seeing Balboa Park from an amazing vantage point." Install pushed to spring. Expect that three weeks could turn to three months. Timing is out of their hands. Have had discussions with Museum of Art and Timken so as not to interfere with their events and operations. Worked out a revenue sharing plan in numerous meetings with committee meetings. (Brown Act violations??) This is temporary, no intent to make it permanent. (BULLSHIT) Would hope to have a parkwide event when region is cleared to Orange or Yellow tier which would include ferris wheel. 
        • Speaking to for-profit ventures in the park: "There has been a history of for-profit ventures in the park," lists food trucks as his example 
        • "No financial interest whatsoever" 
        • Wants to make wheel permanent in San Diego, but not necessarily in Balboa Park (but not excluding)
      • Ben Pickett - Sky Wheels of America - have mitigated through challenges and requests. Would be able to set up and activate with short notice. Many things (sanitization, air flow, that make it possible even in the middle of COVID situation. FAA approved, Air Traffic Control, Airport Authority have preliminarily said project is cleared.  
      • Public Comments:
        • David Lundin - Against - exclusionary exploitation for-profit carnival ride. 
        • Frank Scales - Against
        • Kate Langhorn - Against
        • David Donnelly - Against - not in keeping with architectural theme of park
        • Alex Garcia - Against - eyesore. Keep Plaza de Panama open space
        • Juliette Sykes - Against - inappropriate and out of scale
        •  Eric Stewart London - Against - absurd proposal, destroy views, all for one private profit tenant
        • Za Miranda - Against - no to business use of 
        • Charles Kominsky - Against - put this somewhere else in the City. Inappropriate use of space after clearing cars from plaza. $1 revenue share is outrageous
        • Marty Cransberg - ? - If you do it, do it right? Let local architects build. 
      • Committee discussion:
        • Plaza de Panama is the only location being considered. Determined by ingress/egress and fire lane.
        • Has met with every institution per recommendations "Vast majority of people support the project and believe it should move forward." -D Cohn
        • Line would be on "front foyer" of platform and also 25 feet distance from the fountain. Would be mostly contactless with reservations/QR codes/app based ticketing
        • Cultural Partnership: would like to laud Sky Star and Cohn for hearing all issues, addressing issues from BPCP. Appreciate fund to benefit stakeholders in the park. Want to find ways to all uplift each other. Devastating time for all earned revenue institutions. A lot of unknown variables to come. Hope for more ideas like this in the time to come.
        • Ken (this staggering hypocrite)- Surprised by public comments with regard to historical context. Compared to London Eye and location by House of Commons, Westminster Abbey, etc. 'I just think there are stakeholders who treat the park as if it's their own, this is a public space. Anything that is going to reinvigorate people coming back to the park is a good thing.' Not persuaded by any public comments and will be supporting project. 
        • Luanne- Echoing Micah and Ken. This is a great project. Sucks up to Cohns. Thinks this will enhance the park and attract more people. Don't understand public comments about historical disturbance because this is temporary. 
        • Johanna Schiavoni - There actually was a Ferris wheel for the Panama Expo. There is precedent. Sucking up, thanking all the people, but has to abstain from vote. She's on Airport Authority Board and too many unresolved questions with regard to the crane, installation, airport. 
          • Observation Wheel is 150 feet. Crane is only 125 feet. 
        • Vicki Granowitz - Thanks everyone for their work. "In a vacuum I think it's a wonderful idea," applauds creativity, understands wanting to save a restaurant. How will plaza bear under the weight of trucks, crane, observation tower and who is liable for damages to fountain or plaza if there is any?
          • Ben Pickett: I assure liability would fall on us as operator. Structure is 600k lbs. Has minimal impact on underlying surfaces. Would be including subsurface. 
        • Vicki cont'd: Historically, Ferris Wheel was in heart of an amusement area on Zoo parking lot, not in the heart of the park for expo. By the time clearance is granted, Balboa Park is back into busy seasons of Spring and Summer and now less access to plaza. Timing is off on this. We need ways to raise funds for the park, people who don't want revenue-generating enterprises in the park are "living in the past" but this is their worst fear. They think this is a commercial enterprise benefitting one for-profit organization, and it is their worst nightmare. Is this what we want for the first kind of revenue-generating idea for the park? Also, it is really big. It takes the entire plaza. Between timing, size, it's the wrong time. Could get on board with moving somewhere else. Does not support the plan. Wrong solution for the park and the public at this time for when it would be up and operating. Plaza needs to be for the public. Sends a problematic message for what committee wants to do in the future. 
          •  Cohn rebuts: he could walk away from the food service if that is an issue. All he wants is to bring people to the park. Its temporary, architectural, is something people need. Something for people of all ages to do.
        • Vicky, cont'd- says it isn't free, and in fact cost-prohibitive to families, to which David Cohn responds "nothing is free" and that family activities and things kids like to do are expensive. This after he just told us that the Prado alone does $10million in annual revenue, pre-COVID. Ben chimes in that it's well received by families and is in no way trying to take away from anyone's enjoyment of the park, rather give a different perspective. What about populations who don't have money from communities of concern. 
          • Ken - Not everything in the park is free. Balboa Park isn't completely free and open to the public. Doesn't see logic in that argument. Non-profit vs for-profit argument is tiresome. People should be able to make money for providing a service. It's a free market. If you don't want to do it/pay it, you don't have to. People have to have incentive to provide goods and services. Profit isn't inherently a bad thing. 
        • Micah Parzen - reasonable minds can disagree. Valid points on all sides. We're in a hamstrung place in purple tier. Can a vote be delayed? 
          • Cohn- vote can't be put off anymore...too many things to do but need to know if the will is there (Says they expected a vote in November. He is SO FUCKING FULL OF SHIT.) Vote of approval doesn't move project forward just allows further exploration with new council, mayor, City Attorney, etc. 
        • Katherine Johnston - We're voting to affirm conceptual support. (Nice way of influencing the vote). 
        • Don Liddell - The project still faces so many obstacles for implementation, the Balboa Park Committee shouldn't be the thing that kills it. Just want conceptual approval. 
        • Katherine- Cont'd - Was skeptical of project, but did some research and found that there's one in Golden Gate Park that was well received. (From their website: SkyStar Observation Wheel has temporarily ceased operations due to rising COVID cases. Once we resume operations, you can reschedule tickets for a future date below. Here's an SFist article about it. All the things it emphasizes as glowing positives, to me are the very horrible reasons why we shouldn't be considering this monstrosity.)  Important to indemnify the city from liability. Food service should be allowed from all current food vendors. Doesn't oppose for-profit orgs in the park, but the City/Park should benefit from those for-profit ventures. Understands comments and concerns, but unprecedented times anything that brings economic or personal relief and any little joy is worth pursuing. Accessibility issues, like matinee, free or discount tickets should be explored. 
          • Cohn- Yes on indemnification, people spend a lot of money at County Fair, can make more promotional ways to make it affordable. 
        • Motion: "to support continued conversations pending discussions with Sky Views Group and the City Of San Diego to investigate the feasibility of installing an observation wheel for not more than 180 days, contingent on all operational and public health and economic accessibility issues being resolved to the City's satisfaction"
          • Motion should include timeframe of what constitutes "temporary"
          • State/Portable installation is 180 Days is maximum or less
          • Vicki wants discount/free tickets in motion, but Cohn and Pickett won't commit to including language in the motion
          • Cohn is now fully comparing this to San Diego County Fair which should be raising a million red flags
          • Cohn tries to get legal advice from committee members
          • Roll Call
            • Yes Kenneth Davenport – Vice
            • Yes  Sarah Dawe
            • No Vicki Granowitz
            • Yes Katherine Johnston - Chair
            • Yes Luanne Kanzawa
            • Yes Don Liddell
            • Yes Dang Nguyen
            • Yes Micah Parzen
            • Abstain Johanna S. Schiavoni
      • My opinion is that this Ferris Wheel is a gross abomination that has no place in the park. To remove any portion of the Plaza de Panama is shameful, even if considered temporary (less than 180 days) especially because the use of the plaza for walkers, joggers, roller skaters and more has been on the rise during this pandemic, once the park was finally reopened to the public. It is completely disingenuous for the Cohns to act like they're merely acting in the public good. They pulled the same shit when they got their valet service approved. In the same breath that Cohn said their restaurant makes $10 million in revenue, he was suggesting that people can afford it because comparatively, you should see how much they spend at the San Diego County Fair....which is ENTIRELY not the same thing unless he's trying to demonstrate an actual appropriate place for a FERRIS WHEEL. Incoming Mayor Todd Gloria would be really fucking stupid to come into office supporting this after the Jacobs plan debacle. 
Posted by Rosemary Bystrak at Friday, December 04, 2020
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