Fair Board Hires Appraiser to Set Value on Pacific Amphitheatre

The Orange County Fair Board moved ahead Tuesday with a proposal to buy the Pacific Amphitheatre, hiring a real estate appraiser to determine the value of the open-air concert bowl built on the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

The fair board--a state agency that oversees the fairgrounds--voted during a special meeting to hire George Jones of Newport Beach to conduct the 90-day appraisal, board spokeswoman Jill Lloyd said.

The 18,500-seat amphitheater, the focus of a 4-year-old lawsuit, was built by Ned West Inc. in 1983 for $11 million. Ned West operates the facility on a 40-year lease from the state.

According to Lloyd, Ned West has proposed to sell the amphitheater for $25 million. She said the board decided that an appraisal was necessary to determine the property’s value.

She said the board has also hired a research firm to conduct a study on potential income from the amphitheater.

“If we purchase it, it will be determined first of all if we can afford it. That’s why we want the financial study done,” Lloyd said.

The future of the amphitheater has been uncertain since Concerned Citizens of Costa Mesa, a neighborhood group, brought a lawsuit against Ned West in 1984 claiming that excessive noise generated during concerts constitutes a public nuisance.

In an attempt to settle the lawsuit, Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard J. Beacom on Friday suspended trial of the lawsuit for one week and ordered Ned West to study ways to reduce the noise level during concerts.

Several options were recommended, including building a dome-like cover, erecting a sound wall that would reflect the noise back into the bowl or requiring performers to lower the volume.

Ned West contends that constructing a dome or a sound wall would be too costly and would change the character of the amphitheater. Lloyd said the fair board would consider those same options if it purchases the bowl.