Full Notification

The CSD has received many questions and requests for clarification about a previous release regarding gate operations. Here is some additional information about the "legitimate reasons" previously listed:

-Attending services at Bear Valley Church: Due to various Religious Freedom laws, we do not restrict access to places of worship or similar sites

-Visiting the Bear Valley Cemetery: California Health and Safety Codes guarantee reasonable access for visitation by relatives or friends of the deceased

-Attending BVCSD Board or Committee meetings: California Government Code section 54953(a) requires all government meetings to be open to the public

-Shopping at the Bear Valley Market or using the gas station: Due to its public status and Alcoholic Beverage Control license rules, we cannot prevent customers from going to the Bear Valley Market or the gas station. Non-resident customers who want to shop or refuel are required to check in at the gatehouse and provide identification and purpose, or they can be turned away.


We also wanted to clarify 4th of July procedures and questions about a previous event in Bear Valley.

A Renaissance Fair was held in Bear Valley on June 14. In their marketing, it was implied that the event was open to everyone, not just residents. There were also some comments made on social media explicitly saying guest passes were not required.

When the Bear Valley CSD was made aware of the event and marketing, we decided to consult legal counsel to review District Codes and California law to determine if guest passes could/should be required. Unfortunately, that review was not completed in time to make a final determination before the event. Since we weren’t confident we could legally restrict access, we erred on the side of caution and did not issue a mandate requiring gate passes for the event.

Since then, the legal review has been completed, and we are requiring guest passes for non-residents attending the 4th of July festivities, as well as future activities.