A summer gift: Despite one resident's protests, the Cambria Christmas Market nabs a 15-year permit to keep its holiday cheer going into the future 

Christmas spirit arrived early this summer season as the SLO County Board of Supervisors approved a permit for the Cambria Christmas Market to run for the next 15 years—despite a resident appeal calling the popular market unsustainable for the town.

Claudia Worthen, cofounder of Beautify Cambria and 38-year Cambria resident, appealed the permit approved by the SLO County Planning Commission in February—arguing that the market violates various codes, including noise, light, and air pollution—to the Board of Supervisors on July 9.

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• Cover File Photo By Jayson Mellom
• LIGHTS, PARKING, VISITORS The impacts of the Cambria Christmas Market depend on who you are. For one resident, the event brings more negatives than positives.

Worthen told the board that the growth of the market throughout the past years has "[eroded] the magic and sacredness of the holiday time of year."

The board unanimously denied the appeal, and 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson said the market, hosted by Cambria Pines Lodge, serves as a "significant benefit to the business community of Cambria."

The decision included the condition that the event's organizer, Pacific Cambria LLC, submit a report to the county Planning Commission biennially for compliance review.

Appellant Worthen said she knew her appeal would be denied.

"It was totally expected. I just like to let them know what I think and what things violate the code," she told New Times.

At the July 9 meeting, Worthen argued that the market is too large for the small community, and in the past years it's created heavy traffic, as well as light and noise pollution, especially for residents near the market itself.

Dave Watson, a planner with Pacific Cambria LLC, addressed some of Worthen's concerns that day, saying that the event has never violated any noise ordinances, as the company monitors sound levels each year to remain in compliance.

Worthen also accused Pacific Cambria of cutting down trees in the area without a permit, an occurrence she said she heard about from a neighbor.

Watson said the organization has never removed any trees without a permit and has only trimmed branches to protect the buildings.

"We are trying to be respectful neighbors," he said, adding that the company realizes the event may be an inconvenience for some residents.

In addition, Pacific Cambria hired a professional traffic company to help assist with directing traffic. The market also coordinates with the county to schedule shuttles from various areas in Cambria, including Moonstone Beach.

Despite the board's denial of her appeal, Worthen said she intends to keep fighting and is taking matters to the California Coastal Commission.

"I am feeling more confident about going to the Coastal Commission," she told New Times. "This is kind of a wheel that just won't stop. They might be able to slow it down a little bit."

Under the approved permit, the market is scheduled to run every Wednesday through Sunday each week between Black Friday and New Year's Eve from 5 to 9 p.m., adding an additional week to the schedule, as previous years ran between Black Friday to Christmas Eve. The market caps attendance at 3,000 visitors per evening.

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• Photo Courtesy Of Cambria Christmas Market
• HOLLY JOLLY Millions of lights guide attendees through the Cambria Christmas Market, an event permitted for another 15 years.

Thousands of daily visitors have Worthen concerned about Cambria's water supply and road conditions, issues she believes the Coastal Commission may address.

"One hundred twenty thousand people coming through in six weeks," she said. "I mean, it's impossible for that not to impact our water supply and our air and the wear and tear on the roads, and all the things that go along with that."

While the market will provide porta-potties, Worthen said she does not believe local water levels will stay the same.

"If I have a chance to use a toilet, I will use a toilet," she said. "They have them so anybody can walk into the [Cambria Pines Lodge] and go use the toilet. The vendors are going to use the toilet. The extra help that they hire over the holiday season is going to use the toilets. The normal people who work, they're going to use the toilet."

Worthen doesn't want the Cambria Christmas Market to come to an end, she said. She wants it to scale back down to what it was when it started in 2012.

"I just want people to know that what's going on is wrong," she said. "The Christmas Market should never have been allowed to bloom into what it is."

Supervisor Gibson told New Times that county staff analyzed each of Worthen's grievances and found that the Planning Commission made the right decision in approving the market in February. However, he said, the biennial review is important for the residents of Cambria and attendees of the market.

"Those were really technical changes just to be sure that we had a very tight set of conditions so that if we have to make a decision 10 or 12 years from now, and nobody who is involved in this was around, we've got a real clear set of rules for them to look at to decide whether this thing's operating as it should," Gibson said.

A few of the approved technical changes included striking Pacific Cambria's responsibility for bike accommodations to avoid promoting nighttime bike use, providing direction for traffic, and establishing a shuttle route along Moonstone Beach Drive.

Cambria Christmas Market Event Coordinator Mike Arnold told New Times the market was "thrilled to have received a 15-year permit."

"Which enables us to continue enhancing the Cambria Christmas Market and providing a magical experience for our guests," he wrote via email. "The market has become a cherished tradition for countless families, and we are excited to carry that tradition forward, creating memories for many more years to come."

Tickets for the market are currently available to purchase online, and prices increase by $10 at the door. Δ

Reach Staff Writer Libbey Hanson at [email protected].