Bride Says Lodi Ruined Wedding Venue With Bright Orange Netting
LODI (CBS13) — A bride-to-be is weeks away from saying 'I do,' but a recent decision has her furious with the city of Lodi.
Lodi says Lodi Lake has been dealing with an erosion issue for the last decade, and recently decided to block off the lake with orange netting.
But the city's decision comes weeks before Erin Parks' big day.
She's dreading her most treasured moment—her walk down the aisle. She paid the city $375 to rent a picturesque venue overlooking Lodi Lake. But that view changed.
"It looks like I'm getting married in a construction zone," she said.
The city says it had to put up a temporary barrier—bright orange fencing—to protect people from an erosion problem in the lake. Park of the retaining wall is floating in the water.
She knew nothing of the problems before booking.
"I came out here with our decorator and discovered it and of course it was a shock. I contacted the city and their response was, 'You can't take it down, you'll be charged a fine,'" she said.
It's not a small fence, either. The park is lined with the netting. Parks wants a small part of it temporarily taken down.
"This is a park and it's open all sorts of elements and factors," said Jeff Hood with Lodi's department of Parks and Recreation. "It's all about protecting the property and our renters."
He's offering the same compromise he provided other couples—a green tarp to cover the orange netting.
Parks wishes she knew about the problem before sending out invitations.
"We're not party planners," Hood said. "We don't advertise the youth area as a wedding venue."
Still, the city generates more than $100,000 a year from events at the park.