SEAL BEACH : Moviegoers’ Noise Remains a Problem

Nearly six months after city officials agreed to look into the situation, residents who live near Rossmoor Center said the noise generated by people leaving a movie theater remains a problem.

The residents have attended several meetings with city officials, hoping to reduce the noise.

Last week several options for quieting the late-night racket were discussed. But observers said a solution that all sides can agree on is still several months away.

In the meantime, some residents said they continue to be kept awake at night by moviegoers who talk loudly when leaving the Super Saver 7 theater and honk their horns while driving out of the parking lot, which is located near several condominium complexes.

“We still have the noise,” said Carl Pettit, whose condominium is 15 feet from a back lot where many moviegoers park. “It’s still a problem.”

Pettit and other residents have complained about drinking and shouting in the parking lot ever since the theater opened three years ago.

One idea for reducing noise levels is to heighten the wall between the parking lot and the condos. Another idea is to place security guards in the area when movies let out.

But most residents would prefer that the back parking lot be closed altogether on certain nights. This would force moviegoers to park in Rossmoor Center’s front lot, which faces Seal Beach Boulevard and is out of earshot for most condo residents.

Leonard Wilson, marketing director for the Rossmoor Center Merchants Assn., said he is opposed to closing the entire back lot.

Wilson said the shopping center has already restricted parking along the back wall after 9 p.m. and has increased security patrols in the area. Seal Beach police are “considerably more visible” at the center in recent months, he added.