Costa Mesa : Officials Stymied Over Concert Noise Complaints

Although a concert held at the Pacific Amphitheatre earlier this week brought a rash of complaints from residents, City Manager Alan Roeder said Friday that there isn’t much Costa Mesa can do about the noise.

The rock group Tears for Fears attracted about 18,000 people to the amphitheater Wednesday and prompted area residents to lodge 33 complaints about noise with Costa Mesa police, who do not have jurisdiction over the amphitheater.

Previous attempts by the city to combat noise generated by the amphitheater by bringing criminal charges against concert performers themselves have been stymied because the outdoor theater is on state-owned property and is immune to city noise ordinances.

“There is very little, if anything, that we can do at this point,” Roeder said. “It’s really a matter of monitoring the events there.”

Legislation in Sacramento that would enable Costa Mesa to enforce its noise laws against the theater is pending, as are several lawsuits against the amphitheater operators.

Meanwhile, a committee consisting of Roeder and City Council members Dave Wheeler and Mary Hornbuckle have met to draft both a survey of Costa Mesa residents regarding their feelings on the amphitheater and a newsletter explaining what the city is doing to fight the noise.

Roeder said the questionnaire would reach about 1,800 residents in the neighborhoods closest to the amphitheater. He added that it could be some time before residents can answer the questions, because the committee probably won’t be ready to present the proposed survey to the council before its Aug. 5 meeting.