After two years, OktoberfeSteveston may be no more, with the event’s organizer blaming the City of Richmond for running interference.
Steveston businessman Davood Khatami said he’s considering pulling the plug on the fledgling street party and beer garden because there’s “too much hassle” from the city.
Khatami, who owns Davood’s bistro on No. 1 Road, claimed he jumped through all of the city’s event-planning hoops in the weeks leading up to last Saturday’s German-themed party, but had to wait until the day before to finally get the go-ahead.
He accused the city of making life difficult and even blamed them for influencing the liquor board, which, at the last minute, changed the beer garden permit to 7 p.m. from 10 p.m.
The revellers who packed the beer garden, where local rock band Thor was playing, initially thought the early closing time was a joke, Khatami lamented.
No laughing matter, however, is the potential $2,500 he could be out of pocket in lost beer sales from an event that he was running at cost for the community.
“As it stands right now, no, I won’t be doing this next year,” an angry Khatami told the Richmond News.
“I’ll just have a private event and make money out of it. I have 20 cases of beer, worth $1,400, that the liquor store now won’t take back.
“It likely cost between $5,000 and $6,000 to put this on, just to cover the costs. I paid the permit fees, I have to feed and water the volunteers, I gave up many days of my own time for this. I’m doing this for free, for the community, not to make a profit.
“The city interfered with something that was none of their business; they’re so narrow-minded. Unless it’s a city-run event, they don’t want it.”
When Khatami was told by the liquor board that the liquor permit for the beer garden was changed to 7 p.m. he said they cited police concerns.
“We had zero complaints last year that I’m aware of. The police are residents here, many of them were in the beer garden,” he added.
City spokesperson Kim Decker said that applications for special events are made through the online “REACT” system and that sometimes, the “applications are not complete.”
“Many departments, inside and outside of the city see these applications in real time,” explained Decker.
“We had 100 such applications last year and every single one of them got approved before the event.”
The one in question, she added, wasn’t complete. “The applicants have an obligation to make sure the application is thorough.”
In the days and weeks prior to trying to get the street party permit from the city, Khatami claims he assured authorities he would have a traffic controller, security, neighbours’ permission, proper food serving conditions, as well as giving assurances to the fire department and RCMP about emergency access.
Liquor board concerns about fencing, entrances and exits and security at the beer garden, behind Steveston Seafood House, were all taken care of, said Khatami.
“I did everything (the city and liquor board) asked of me, and they do this.”
On the day of the event, a liquor board inspector showed up at the beer garden, said Khatami, and “everything looked good, I was told.”
But not long after the band started, the inspector called last orders at 7 p.m.
Decker said there was information “brought to light” around Sept. 26 that the city had safety concerns about.
“It’s about public safety, not red tape.”
Asked if that “information” was the beer garden, Decker said that “if something is advertised as being part of the event, then that’s something we have to consider.”
Asked why the beer garden permit was changed the day before the event, a spokesperson for the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch said it couldn’t comment on private business matters.
