Amphitheater Plans Go South

Not long ago, there were two rival proposals to build a huge open-air amphitheater that would draw excited crowds for big-name entertainment to North County. Now, the competition is heading south.

La Jolla-based Spectator Corp. was chased out of Oceanside by neighborhood opposition in 1990, and since then has purportedly gotten such a clammy reception in other North County cities that Spectator has picked Otay Mesa in South County for its proposed 22,500-seat facility.

Meanwhile, rock-promoter Bill Silva has revealed that instead of pushing his competing plan for an 18,000-seat amphitheater in Carlsbad, he now wants to put the facility in South County. But he would still like to build a second, much smaller, amphitheater in Carlsbad.

So, after two years, the battle over a large amphitheater has shifted south, leaving North County behind despite the area’s 800,000-plus population, continuing growth and a burgeoning appetite for culture.

Over the past few years, a $9-million indoor Center for the Performing Arts has opened in Poway, and ground has been broken on a $73-million Center for the Arts in Escondido, which is scheduled to open in late 1993.

But outdoor amphitheaters, for whatever reason, have fared poorly.

“It’s proven difficult finding an area where an amphitheater is welcome,” said John Brice of Brice & Associates, the public relations firm that has, at different times, represented both Spectator and Silva.

Noting the recent protest over a proposed Price Club in Carlsbad, Brice said, “(if) people don’t want a Price Club, they’re certainly going to give serious thought to 15,000 people coming in to hear amplified music.”

Spectator president Hal Kolker, looking back on his futile efforts to develop a $27-million facility in North County, said “the cities were difficult to deal with and there wasn’t a lot of support from the communities.”

“They look upon (an amphitheater) as noise and drugs and traffic,” said Kolker, adding it became impossible to shake people’s fears that “all shows would be heavy metal.”

His bid to build in a sand pit at busy Oceanside Boulevard and El Camino Real brought a stinging rejection from neighborhood residents and the Oceanside City Council. Opponents cited noise and traffic concerns.

After that rebuke, Kolker said, he scoured North County for a property that was well-priced, had good transportation access and “no vicious neighbors” but concluded “it was impossible to find a piece of property in North County that met those three criteria.”

Recently, Kolker set his sights on Otay Mesa, where he said available land is cheaper, located a healthier distance from neighborhoods but served by highways and roads.

He also decided there was no disadvantage to leaving North County because, he figures, North County residents would be willing to drive 40 miles for top-flight entertainment.

And, Kolker feels that county government has been more open-armed to his proposal, saying, “I have never had such marvelous professionalism and help and cooperation.” He is working with the county planning staff on an application to build on a 100-acre site.

Hot on Kolker’s trail is rock-promoter Silva, who approached Carlsbad 13 months ago about constructing an amphitheater on property east of Interstate 5, in the city’s outback.

After a long silence from Silva, the city’s community development director, Marty Orenyak, said, “we haven’t heard from him and assume only that he was not able to make a deal on the property.”

Silva, however, responding to an inquiry by The Times, said late last week that he hasn’t given up on Carlsbad and is in negotiations concerning two potential sites for a possible 6,000-seat amphitheater.

Although reluctant to detail his plans, Silva said he is now focused on a different venue for his proposed main amphitheater to accommodate 18,000 patrons. “I really like the South County site,” he said, declining to reveal its exact location.

Like his adversary Kolker, Silva has concluded that North County may have a substantial population, but there’s still a bigger drawing area closer to San Diego.

He also believes that if North County residents can’t have an outdoor theater in their back yard, they surely will be willing to make a reasonable drive for entertainment.

Although South County is now Silva’s first choice, he said he was willing to consider building the large amphitheater in North County, but only if his current plans don’t work out.

But a sly look as he delicately cracks the egg’s imaginary shell, spreads its imaginary yolk on real bread and eats it with relish reminds us that this is a man who is proud of the vivid imagination that makes dry bread palatable.

There have been other struggles over amphitheater plans for North County.

Five years ago, an amphitheater that would accommodate 4,500 patrons was proposed near Lake Hodges outside of Escondido, but the plan fizzled.

And there have been discussions between San Marcos and Palomar Community College over constructing a 3,000- to 5,000-seat amphitheater on the college’s ample grounds just north of California 78.

However, “it’s kind of in limbo, just sitting there and waiting,” according to Mike Gregoryk, the college’s vice president for administrative services.

Gregoryk said the project is “on a wish list waiting for the city to come up with some money.”

Both Silva and Kolker approached the college about securing land for their rival amphitheater plans, but “when we looked at their proposals, it appeared there wasn’t enough in it for the college,” Gregoryk said.

Even so, there’s strong belief that North County residents are interested in an amphitheater.

At the small but successful Moonlight Amphitheater in Vista, a fund-raising drive is under way for $800,000 to provide new lighting, a permanent stage and 400 more seats that would bring the fixed seating capacity to 750 people. With room on the grass, the amphitheater could then accommodate 3,000 spectators.

The limited expansion would not be a panacea for bringing entertainment to North County. Jim Porter, director of parks and community services for Vista, said, “you really can’t get big-name attractions, that’s the hang up.”

The fact that Moonlight Amphitheater draws 30% of its patrons from Vista, another 30% from Oceanside, and 40% from other communities “shows the people in this area are interested in coming to something close by,” Porter said.