The annual street festival and fireworks display “Big Bang on the Bay,” which traditionally takes place on the eve of July 4 but was canceled this year for permitting reasons, could now take place after all – on Labor Day weekend.

The California Coastal Commission will decide on Friday, August 9, whether to grant a request from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach to host the Big Bang on the Bay next month and then again each of the following four years.

If the request is approved, the event could take place on September 1, the day before Labor Day, saving a hugely popular event that was canceled earlier this year when the Boys & Girls Clubs, first-time organizers, failed to submit the necessary documents in time for Coastal Commission approval before Independence Day.

“We hope it gets approved,” said Don Rodriguez, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs, a longtime beneficiary of Big Bang on the Bay, which doubles as a fundraiser for nonprofits. “We hope to get it approved and give back to the city.”

The follow-up events would take place again on July 3.

However, according to a staff report, event organizers must still submit an application for a shoreline development permit by January 15 each year in order to continue hosting the iconic – and recently controversial – fireworks display.

Many Long Beach residents were disappointed to hear that organizers — local restaurant owner and Big Bang founder John Morris and the Boys & Girls Clubs — were unable to complete the permit application with the Coastal Commission in time for the July 3 event to light up the night sky as it has every year since 2011.

Big Bang on the Bay draws thousands of visitors each year to Alamitos Bay and the area around Morris’ Boathouse on the Bay restaurant for an evening of fireworks and street partying. But environmentalists also criticize the event because of the potential pollution caused by setting off fireworks over Alamitos Bay.

Fireworks displays, particularly those over water, have been the subject of lawsuits and vocal criticism from some environmentalists in Southern California in recent years. Because of that, the rising costs of putting on such shows — at least in part due to stricter environmental regulations — and other reasons, many fireworks displays this year have been canceled or replaced with drone shows.

Morris was among the public figures who had to fight these lawsuits.

Because of the lawsuits and other challenges, Morris previously said he decided to leave Big Bang on the Bay to the beneficiaries – local nonprofits. In December, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach decided to take over responsibility for the event, Rodriguez said.

This meant, however, facing the complex and time-consuming task of obtaining a permit for the coastal development from the Coastal Commission. The nonprofit had completed and submitted the application, but not in time for the Commission staff to review the documents and help make the necessary recommendations and adjustments in time for the Commission’s vote.

In June, commission staff said they would work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach to complete the permitting process and bring the project to a hearing in time for an alternative event in the fall.

Rodriguez and Morris had said they would start over Labor Day weekend – and now that seems likely. Staff recommended that the commission approve the request during Friday’s meeting.

“We have submitted everything according to their wishes and hope for a positive outcome,” Rodriguez said. “If not, we will try again, but we are confident that we have done everything in our power to get this through and will see how it goes.”

If the Coastal Commission approves the Boys & Girls Clubs’ request, the five-year permit would apply to annual temporary use and closure of public sidewalks, public areas, about 50 parking spaces and a portion of the Marina Drive pathways north of the Boathouse on the Bay restaurant in Alamitos Bay.

Temporary construction within the block party area would include the installation of vendors, a concert stage, fencing for the ticketed block party, a fireworks area and safety zone, and a 20-minute fireworks display that would be launched from a barge in Alamitos Bay, according to the staff report.

Because the event takes place in a coastal zone and may block access to public beaches and waters, organizers require approval from the Coastal Commission.

The Commission also takes other environmental concerns into account.

For their part, the Boys & Girls Clubs have proposed using fireworks made from biodegradable materials without plastic and hiring a consultant to conduct environmental monitoring before, during and after the event to minimize impacts on coastal resources.

Commission staff have since recommended that the application be approved for this year’s event – but with a number of special conditions to minimize the impact of the fireworks over the water. The special conditions are also intended to ensure that future CDP applications for the Big Bang on the Bay event are submitted in a timely manner to allow for less harmful alternatives to the environment.

Commission staff have recommended 11 specific conditions to avoid the creation of hazardous conditions or new long-term adverse impacts on public access and recreation, water quality and/or marine birds and wildlife.

Among the special conditions is that if the Boys & Girls Clubs continue to use fireworks, they must submit a complete application for a coastal development permit for the event no later than January 15 of the year the event is held. This application must include a comprehensive analysis of all possible alternatives to the fireworks that would minimize the impact on the water quality and marine life of Alamitos Bay – such as a drone or a light/laser show.

Other conditions include the use of fireworks without plastic casings, limiting the show to a maximum of 20 minutes, having a plan for the best possible management of fireworks, a plan to reduce marine debris, a plan to clean and restore the beach and adjacent marine waters, and a strategy to ensure public access.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach are already promoting the Big Bang on the Bay event on their website and collecting donations and ticket sales. The event, if approved, would take place on Sunday, September 1, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Boathouse on the Bay restaurant.

The California Coastal Commission meeting begins at 9 a.m. Friday and can be followed online at coastal.ca.gov.