Covina : Fair Can Continue for Now

A city-appointed citizens committee has recommended that the city break an agreement allowing the Arts and Crafts Assn. to hold weekly fairs in Covina Park. But the City Council on Monday sent the matter back to the committee for further study.

About half of the association’s 300 members participate in the crafts fairs every Saturday. The committee cited traffic problems, damage to the grass and the commercial nature of the fair in urging the council to immediately end the park use agreement, set to expire in 1993. The association would be given 90 days to seek another location.

Five of the nine committee members live close to the park, while one member is the vice president of the crafts association.

In a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Gary Coffey dissenting, the council allowed the fair to continue in its 18th year at the park until the committee comes back with more facts. No deadline was set for the extension.