As of Thursday, Sun Kissed Summer Festival attendees won’t be able to park in the Granite Park parking lot — save for 142 spaces controlled by the city of Fresno.

Disputes over parking between property owners at the shopping center and the operator of the city’s sports facility there have resulted in the property owners denying use of the parking lot for the music festival, said Club One Casino President Kyle Kirkland at a news conference Thursday.

The long-festering dispute over parking led City Hall in May to call on Central Valley Community Sports Foundation President Terance Frazier to cancel the festival.

Additionally, City Manager Georgeanne White sent a letter to Frazier on May 17 notifying him that the foundation is in default on its lease and owes more than $1.1 million to the city.

Frazier Denies Owing City Money

“That’s inaccurate,” Frazier told GV Wire over the phone.

“I will repeat, we do not owe any monies toward Granite Park lease,” Frazier went on to say.

Frazier’s attorney, Kevin Little, sent a response letter to White on May 22 stating that “contrary to your assertion, no rent is past due.”

Frazier and the foundation are plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit that names White and other city officials as defendants.

Kirkland: ‘Enough Is Enough’

Kirkland said that Frazier had repeatedly not given property owners prior notice to events held at the sports complex. The dispute came to a head after Kirkland said he only found out about the festival through social media.

On June 19, property owners sued the city and the sports foundation over unauthorized use of the parking lot. Kirkland said he still hopes for a solution before Saturday’s event.

“We leaned in and said ‘enough is enough,’ ” Kirkland said. “You must have preapproval if you are going to use the parking lot.”

City Called on Frazier to Cancel Sun Kissed Festival

Event organizers expect to sell out for the Sun Kissed Summer Festival at the sports complex. World-renowned DJ Steve Aoki is headlining.

Kirkland said he found out about the event through social media, rather than from Frazier, his neighbor at Granite Park. Kirkland said he usually is left finding out about events through social media.

Parking for events often spills over into spots owned by other businesses, Kirkland said.

The city has 142 spots in the parking lot available to it.

An agreement with property owners states those are intended for ballfield use only, Kirkland said.

A bounce house event in March brought 700 cars, according to city documents. The lease default document stated the sports foundation often promotes use of the parking lot without letting other property owners know.

“When you don’t put in place parking security, it can result in a tragedy and we’ve seen that,” Kirkland said.

A woman was assaulted in the parking lot after the bounce house event.

After the property owners said the city was liable for all damage caused by events hosted at the sports complex, City Hall called on Frazier to cancel the festival.

The city said in the lease default that a required 60-day notice for the event was never filed.

“The City hereby demands that CVCSF cancel the Sun Kissed Festival event bring advertised for June 29, 2024,” the lease default notice stated.

A question to city officials about why the festival was allowed to continue went unanswered.

Granite Park Was Here First: Frazier

Club One Casino moved into its new location in September 2021. Frazier said that before Club One’s arrival, they never had problems with parking.

Frazier wanted the city to provide the parking they have had historically.

“I demand that the city honors our access to the parking that we have had since 2015 without interruption or additional charges imposed by Mr. Kirkland,” Frazier told GV Wire.

Frazier also said that when he took over Granite Park, it had been “left to decay for a decade.”

“Through the community events we host, we have brought life back to this neighborhood, which is now thriving,” Frazier said.

Similar observations were made by attendees of the news event hosted by Kirkland.

Kirkland said when he purchased the property in 2022, Club One acquired a share of the parking lot as a joint property owner. He said he has no objection to Frazier’s use of the parking lot but that he wanted adequate notification and a plan for how parking will be managed.

“There’s plenty of parking,” Kirkland said.

Frazier said Kirkland had illegally locked gates during a carnival, forcing attendees to exit through a dangerous path along the canal.

When those objections were brought up during the news event, Kirkland said that gate had always been locked. Kirkland said the locks belong to Frazier and he didn’t have access to the combinations.

Frazier Owes $1.1 million for Rent, Utilities: City Hall

As of February 2024, the sports foundation owes $708,298 in back rent to the city, according to the lease default dated May 17. The city also says it has had to pay $414,107 in utility charges.

Part of the contract requires Frazier to make improvements to Granite Park, including basketball and volleyball courts and the construction of a new retail space. The city says the sports foundation was supposed to have made $2.7 million in total improvements.

“The city is hoping Granite Park will cure its default,” said city spokeswoman Sontaya Rose on Thursday.

Correction: A previous version of this story stated Club One moved in May 2022. The casino moved in September 2021.