Laguna Beach officials are studying noise levels coming from the Irvine Bowl on the Festival of Arts grounds, in preparation for a possible fall concert and an overall interest in more concerts at the city-owned facility.
Most well-known as the home to the iconic Pageant of the Masters during the summer festival season, city officials and the community have discussed tapping the grounds for year-round use for a while. Many of the town’s nonprofits already take advantage of the setting during the months the pageant is not performing. A community survey done in 2021 also indicated that 90% of the community supported that idea.
Historically, the open amphitheatre set in canyons overlooking the festival grounds has been used as an arts venue, going back to when James Irvine granted the land to the city in 1947. He then stipulated that it be used partially to house a large, outside amphitheatre and a place to hold arts and cultural events.
Recently, though, the City Council discussed the topic of more concerts being held there and authorized a sound analysis as part of their overall environmental review for the venue. The topic of having more events came to the council after the Irvine Bowl policy committee — which in 2020 set a 70 decibel level cap after complaints from nearby residents — couldn’t reach a consensus on amendments to the noise policy that would facilitate allowing a proposed concert this fall. The committee is comprised of two councilmembers and two Festival of Arts board members.
A tie vote pushed the topic to the City Council because the city owns the facility, Mayor Alex Rounaghi said.
“The community at large wants more year-round usage, and this is a critical first step to achieving that,” said Rounaghi, who is on the policy committee with Councilmember Sue Kempf.
The sound analysis now being done could cost as much as $227,000 if the consultant’s study includes a review of ambient noise, officials said.
“Laguna Beach is an artist colony and the Irvine Bowl is part of our cultural legacy and how we are a cultural epicenter going forward,” Rounaghi said about opening it up to more opportunities. “The residents are supportive of this idea. We want more opportunities for residents to come together and enjoy live music at the city-owned asset.”
Rounaghi said the council is expected to approve a policy for upcoming concerts after receiving the study’s results. The council will also continue collaborating with the festival on more concert uses throughout the year.
But Wayne Baglin, vice president of the Festival of Arts board, said he is a little perplexed by the study the city is paying to do. He and David Perry, the board president, are the other two members of the Irvine Bowl police committee.
Baglin said the initial request for the planned concert was to raise the decibel level to 75.
“I don’t know what the objection is to go from 70 to 75,” he said, adding his bigger concern is sound spikes that get up to 90 or 105 decibels.
He also said “the sound study is only one portion of the pie,” and nearby neighbors also raise complaints about events beyond the summertime Pageant of the Masters.
“They didn’t realize there would be concerts in addition from mid-September into December and then possibly in April and May also,” he said. “The council just has to decide what they really want to do.”
Baglin said it also doesn’t work to simultaneously have two functions on the grounds because the sound from one event bleeds to the other.
He said the council has encouraged the festival board to make the facility available to local nonprofits over the years. Groups such as the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association and Laguna Beach Arts Alliance have each taken advantage of the facility, he said.
Since the festival board routinely monitors the sound with meters set up in two locations, Baglin said they’ve found that the louder sounds more irritating to neighbors have been auction chanting during fundraisers and private events with DJs.
He added that the council faces a quandary: Noise versus a competition for space.
Baglin said he and others are in favor of more concerts, but it will take working with the promoters to set their schedules. The nonprofits that host events at the Irvine Bowl have scheduled years in advance, he said.