37.1.1 DEFINITION OF PARADE.
Parade shall mean any parade, march, procession, assembly, or demonstration consisting of persons, animals or vehicles, or combination thereof, upon any public street, sidewalk, alley or other public place, which does not comply with normal and usual traffic regulation or control.
37.1.2 EXCEPTION.
This Chapter shall not apply to:
a) Funeral processions;
b) Students going to and from school classes and participating in educational activities provided such conduct is under the immediate direction and supervision of the proper school authorities;
c) A governmental agency acting within the scope of its function;
d) Picketing by persons engaged in a labor dispute provided that such picketing does not take place in the traffic lanes of a traveled roadway in a public street, alley, or other public place.
37.2.1 PERMIT REQUIRED.
No person shall conduct, manage or participate in any parade until a parade permit therefor has been obtained from the License Review Board.
37.2.2 COMPLIANCE WITH PERMIT.
No person shall conduct, manage or participate in any parade in violation of or in any manner contrary to the provisions of such parade permit.
37.2.3 INTERFERENCE WITH PARADE.
No person shall join or participate in a parade without the consent of the permittee, nor in any manner interfere with its progress or orderly conduct.
37.2.4 APPLICATION FOR PERMIT.
(Amended by O-2037)
Any person desiring to conduct or manage a parade shall file with the License Supervisor a verified application for a parade permit on a form furnished by the License Review Board.
37.2.5 TIME OF FILING.
(Amended by O-2037)
The application shall be filed at least thirty (30) days before the date on which it is proposed to conduct such parade; provided, however, that the License Supervisor in his discretion, may consider any such application filed less than thirty (30) days prior to the proposed parade.
37.2.6 CONTENTS OF APPLICATION.
The application shall contain the following information:
a) The name of the person or organization wishing to conduct such parade;
b) If the parade is proposed to be conducted for, on behalf of, or by an organization, the name, address and telephone number of the headquarters of the organization, and the authorized and responsible head of such organization;
c) The name, address and telephone number of the person who will be the parade chairman and will be responsible for its conduct;
d) The name, address and telephone number of the person or organization to whom the permit is desired to be issued;
e) The date when such parade is to be conducted;
f) The route to be traveled, the starting point, and the termination point;
g) The approximate number of persons who, and animals and vehicles which will constitute such parade; the type of animals, and a description of the vehicles;
h) The hour when such parade will start and terminate;
i) Whether such parade will occupy all or less than all of the width of the streets proposed to be traveled;
j) The description of assembly and disassembly areas and streets to be used by such parade;
k) The time at which units of the parade will begin to assemble at any such assembly area;
l) The interval of space to be maintained between units of such parade;
m) Such other information as required by the License Review Board.
37.2.7 AUTHORIZATION.
If such parade is designed to be held by and on behalf of or for any organization other than the applicant, the applicant for such permit shall file with the License Review Board a communication in writing, from the governing body of such organization, authorizing the applicant to apply for such permit on its behalf.
37.2.8 ISSUANCE OF PERMIT.
The License Review Board shall issue a permit for a parade if, from the consideration of the application, or such other information as it may otherwise obtain, or both, the Board finds that:
a) The conduct of such parade will not substantially interrupt the safe and orderly movement of other traffic contiguous to its route;
b) The conduct of such parade will not require a diversion of so great a number of police officers to properly police the line of movement and the areas contiguous thereto as to prevent normal police protection to the rest of the City;
c) The concentration of persons, animals and vehicles at the assembly areas of the parade will not unduly interfere with the proper fire and police protection of, or ambulance service to, areas contiguous to such assembly areas;
d) The conduct of such parade will not interfere with the movement of fire-fighting equipment enroute to a fire;
e) The conduct of such parade is not reasonably likely to cause injury to persons or property or a riot;
f) Such parade will move from its point of origin to its point of termination expeditiously and without stopping enroute;
g) The conduct of such parade will not obstruct any construction or maintenance work scheduled to take place upon the public roads.
37.2.9 NOTICE OF DECISION.
Within ten (10) days after the filing of the application, the License Review Board shall render its decision to grant or deny the permit as applied for or suggest an alternate plan as provided in Section 37.2.10. and shall notify the applicant of such decision by mail. In the event that such decision is not mailed within said ten (10) day period, it shall be deemed to have been denied.
37.2.10 ALTERNATIVES.
a) If the conduct of the parade on the proposed date, time and route is found by the License Review Board to conflict with any of the requirements of this Chapter, it may suggest an alternative date, time and route.
b) If the applicant desires to accept the alternative plan, he may file a notice of acceptance with the License Review Board within five (5) days after its receipt; and the Board shall issue the permit.
c) If such acceptance is not so filed, the applicant shall be deemed to have rejected the alternative plan. The License Review Board then shall reconsider the matter, render its decision on the plan originally proposed by the applicant and notify the applicant thereof within three (3) days after the alternative plan was rejected.
37.2.11 RIGHT OF APPEAL.
(Amended by O-2822)
In the event a permit is granted or denied, the matter may be appealed pursuant to the provisions of Article 5, Chapter 1, Division 1 of this Code, commencing at Section 11.5.1.
37.2.12 HEARING BY CITY COUNCIL.
The City Council shall grant or deny the permit in accordance with the provisions of Section 37.2.8. and Section 37.2.13.
37.2.13 PERMIT CONTENTS.
Parade permits shall prescribe the following:
a) Starting time;
b) Minimum speed;
c) Maximum speed;
d) Maximum interval of space to be maintained between the units of such parade;
e) What portions of the streets to be traversed may be occupied by such parade; and
f) The maximum length of such parades in miles or fractions thereof.
37.2.14 OFFICIALS TO BE NOTIFIED.
(Amended by O-2129)
Immediately upon the granting of a parade permit the License Review Board shall send a copy thereof to the following officers:
a) The Fire Chief;
b) The City Engineer;
c) The Bus Superintendent;
d) The General Manager or responsible head of each public transportation utility, the regular routes of which vehicles will be effected by the route of the proposed parade; and
e) The Traffic Engineer;
f) The Superintendent of Sanitation:
g) The Superintendent of Street Department
37.2.15 FINDINGS OF DETRIMENT.
(Added by O-1822; O-1823)
The City Council of the City of Torrance does hereby find and determine 1) that certain streets in the City of Torrance as described in Section 37.2.16. have unusually high levels of traffic, 2) that the conduct of a parade on any of said streets would be detrimental to the control of traffic, the health, welfare, comfort and convenience of the citizens of Torrance, the adequate supply of police and fire protection, the free exchange of commerce and the reasonable use of the streets and highways of this City, and 3) that under any circumstances said streets would be unfit for the conduct of a parade.
37.2.16 EXCLUDED STREETS.
(Added by O-1822; O-1823; Amended by O-2997)
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Code, the following streets shall under no circumstances be utilized for a parade as herein defined for the reasons set forth in Sec. 37.2.15.:
1) Hawthorne Boulevard from northerly city limits to Pacific Coast Highway;
2) Crenshaw Boulevard from northerly to southerly city limits; provided, however, that the City Council may waive this prohibition for Crenshaw Boulevard between 190th Street and Torrance Boulevard to accommodate running events which, in its judgment under prescribed conditions, will not unduly interfere with vehicular traffic;
3) San Diego Freeway from easterly to northerly city limits;
4) Artesia Boulevard from easterly to westerly city limits;
5) Sepulveda Boulevard from easterly to westerly city limits;
6) Pacific Coast Highway from easterly to westerly city limits;
37.2.17 LICENSE FEE.
(Amended by O-2129; O-2288; O-2843)
No parade may be held unless a license fee is first paid. The license fee for parades shall be set by the License Review Board in an amount which it determines will pay the costs of police personnel and public works personnel and equipment made necessary by the parade. Such additional personnel and equipment shall be deemed necessary if the License Review Board determines on the basis of competent evidence that said personnel is necessary to protect the public health and convenience and to protect the health or safety of the paraders or the spectators. In no case shall the license fee exceed $1,543.00.1
Fees increased/decreased pursuant to Section 31.2.16.