THE BREITLING Huntington Beach Air Show is set for Oct. 21-23 in the pier and beach area.

By Jim Tortolano

The inaugural Breitling Huntington Beach Air Show got a lift Monday night when the City Council approved a temporary increase in parking fees during the three-day event to help defray its costs.

On a 5-0-2 vote – with Councilman Mike Posey absent and Councilman William O’Connell abstaining – the city leaders approved a resolution calling for:

• an additional $5 surcharge to the daily parking lots for the main Promenade parking structure, south beach lots and Pier Plaza lots for Oct. 22 and 23.
• temporarily increase parking rates at the south beach, Pier Plaza lots and main Promenade parking structure on Oct. 21 from $15 to $25 per day, and on Oct. 22 and 23, from $15 to $30 a day
• defer 75 percent of the fees due to the city by the event sponsor until 30 days after the event.

Councilman Dave Sullivan expressed some reservations about the last part of the resolution, but voted for it anyway. “I’m concerned about the 75 percent,” he said. “We as a city are putting a lot of money out for this inaugural show. I hope it works out.”

Breitling, a Swiss watch manufacturer that uses air shows as promotional devices, has a three-year contract with Huntington Beach to put on the shows. The parking increased – expected to bring in about $32,000 – are aimed at helping to balance the books on some unanticipated expenses.

The air show will feature flying exhibitions by Breitling’s own jets, but also aerial acrobatics by U.S. Air Force and Navy teams, as well as other aviation performances.

Also Monday night, the council approved a resolution prohibiting overnight street parking on Montecito Drive, which is located in a permit parking district. Nine residents of the area spoke to complain about people – perhaps residents of a nearby apartment complex – taking up on-street spaces in front of the houses of residents and sometimes behaving poorly. Residents spoke of litter, noise and rude behavior.