What Drought? Petition Blasts Proposed 1,000-Foot Water Slide In Downtown LA
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Opponents of a proposed 1,000-foot-long traveling water slide event in downtown Los Angeles are calling on city officials to reconsider their plans in the face of the ongoing statewide drought.
Organized by San Diego-based McFarlane Promotions, the proposed "Slide The City" attraction would reportedly be held in September along Olive Street between Third and Sixth streets, according to Downtown News.
Spanning the length of about three football fields, organizers of the "family friendly slip-and-slide water party event" have plans to stop in San Diego and Orange County as part of its nationwide tour, according to Slide The City's official website.
But the Los Angeles event could be in jeopardy if city officials respond to an online petition launched by Karina Soto that has so far garnered nearly 1,900 signatures as of Aug. 11. The group hopes to have 5,000 signatures by Sept. 27.
The petition includes the following message: "Califonia (sp) is currently facing one of he worst droughts that has been recorded in the state's history. Many Californians have been asked to be water wise because of this drought. Some people have even been faced with fines if water use has been too high.
"It is extremely irresponsible for any city in California to allow an event like one featuring a giant water slide to take place for the sake of money and fun while the state as a whole has been suffering from this drought. I am asking you to sign this petition today so that we may stop this event from taking place in Los Angeles and any other city in the state of California."
In a message posted to Twitter on Saturday, Slide The City said: "Our crew won't be showering or watering our lawns that day to conserve. Oh and may just use the water from a pool."
There was no immediate reaction from city officials to the petition.
Last year, Slide the City held its giant slide event in the city of San Francisco.
Downtown LA has been hit especially hard by the dry California weather: the National Weather Service announced in July that the last two back-to-back water years – which are recorded from July 1 to June 30 – for the city have marked the driest two years on record since 1877.
