Lowering the Boom : Better solution needed for future Cirque shows at fairgrounds

The board of the Orange County Fair and Exposition Authority should think twice before inviting Cirque du Soleil to perform again on the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. The neighbors deserve a break from the noise.

Fairgrounds officials appear to have been caught unawares by the decibel count of the circus. For its part, the circus has gone out of its way to redirect loudspeakers in an effort to be less annoying to those in the College Park neighborhood, who bear the brunt of the music. But the result has been temporary improvement, not a permanent cessation. If no other location on the fairgrounds can be found, or if the music cannot be played with a bit more pianissimo, it will be time for the tents to go elsewhere.

Some of the fair’s neighbors complained for years about the rock concerts staged at the Pacific Amphitheatre on the fairgrounds. A Superior Court judge settled a lawsuit four years ago by ordering the state to buy the amphitheater from the private owners and to comply with noise restrictions.

Fair officials did a good job of heeding the order. Last summer, while the fair was in session, concerts were held at the Arlington Theatre rather than the amphitheater. The indoor location sealed in the sound; neighbors applauded.

This is the first time the acclaimed Cirque du Soleil has appeared at the fairgrounds. In previous years, the acrobats and tumblers performed their feats beneath a tent spread across a parking lot at the South Coast Plaza shopping center. Fairgrounds employees saw the circus last year at the Santa Monica Pier and reported hearing no complaints from nearby homeowners or hotel residents.

But Costa Mesa has been different. Cirque du Soleil began its performances at the end of January; its run continues to mid-April. That’s a full schedule of noise for homes in the decibel path. Fairgrounds officials last week did decide not to let another circus perform in May, in part because of noise concerns. That was wise.

Fair board members now know the impact of Cirque du Soleil--a delight for the more than 200,000 who will see it, but an annoyance for some neighbors. When the circus music stops next month, a better solution will be needed for the future.