A Huntington Beach group has sued the city to stop a planned light show at Huntington Central Park that is expected to draw in thousands of visitors weekly, arguing the city violated state environmental law when it approved the show.
The lawsuit, filed in late March by Protect HB, which was formed to counter efforts championed by the city’s conservative City Council, alleges the city did not conduct a complete environmental review for the multi-month show and the event could harm sensitive wildlife at the park, including monarch butterflies, bald eagles and other migratory birds.
For the show, the Symphony of Flowers, the operator would install at Huntington Central Park more than 100,000 luminous flowers totaling 500,000 LED lights that are choreographed to accompany classical music played over speakers. The city has signed a contract for three years, and it is expected the show would run for about six months each year.
“Central Park is one of the last remaining open spaces in our community,” Cathey Ryder, one of the co-founders of Protect HB, said in a statement. “This project would close off public access to over six acres of cherished parkland for most of the year, disrupting sensitive wildlife habitat — including that of bald eagles and monarch butterflies — and replacing it with 500,000 LED lights, amplified symphonic music, and concrete installations. That’s not what our community wants, and it’s not what (the California Environmental Quality Act) allows.”
Bleachers would be erected at the park to hold up to 2,000 spectators for the 30-minute show. The shows would run multiple times from dusk to 11 p.m. nightly Thursdays through Sundays. About 900 people are expected to attend each show on average.
Symphony of Flowers operators would guarantee the city at least $150,000 annually in revenue, according to a city staff report. The city would share ticket and parking revenue for the event.
Huntington Beach last approved a master environmental impact report for Huntington Central Park in 1999. An addendum to that environmental study examining the show’s potential impact was included when the City Council unanimously approved the event in February.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife in a March 7 letter said city officials did not consult the agency for feedback and did not circulate the addendum for public review.
CDFW officials said the agency expects it “may need to exercise regulatory authority” over the show. Agency officials noted the light and sound from the show could disrupt or even cause the death of wildlife. The agency disagreed with the addendum’s conclusion that the lightning from the show would be “insignificant.”
Residents spoke out at that February council against the show, arguing it would be harmful to wildlife and was removing access to too much public space for a lengthy time.
Councilmember Gracey Van Der Mark said at the time it is an opportunity to raise revenue as the city faces tough decisions over a growing projected budget deficit over the next several years.
The lawsuit asks a judge to order the city to vacate its certification for the show and not issue it any permits. It also asks that the city be required to prepare an “adequate” document to satisfy CEQA requirements before the show can be reapproved.