Commission backs music

Suzie Harrison

There has been a lot of noise about noise lately in Laguna Beach, and

it’s not over yet.

After listening to all sides in the debate over Music in the Park,

the Arts Commission declined Monday to make any changes in the

22-year-old concert series, voting unanimously to send the proposed

2005 Music in the Park Schedule back to the City Council unchanged

from its original proposal.

On March 1, the council pulled the concert series agenda item from

the consent calendar as proposed, and sent the program back to the

commission for revisions after fielding complaints about noise,

parking problems and the types of music the popular outdoor music

series has.

A record 75 Laguna residents attended the commission meeting,

which felt more like a pep rally for the music series.

“I think the action we need to take this evening is to send this

agenda item back to the City Council as it was originally presented,”

Arts Commissioner Pat Kollenda said. “The original agenda item

recommended that the City Council approve the 2005 Music in the Park

concert schedule to be held on July 24 through Sept. 18, 2005 and to

authorize the use of amplified sound.”

Kollenda noted that the agenda item does not specify decibel

levels.

The City Council, at its March 1 meeting, directed the Arts

Commission to consider the affect of amplified sound, the type of

music and the concert schedule had on Bluebird Park neighbors.

For review, the Arts Commission played a video of the council

meeting that pertained to Music in the Park.

Kollenda gave a brief history of the concert series. She touched

on key points relating to the neighbors’ issues.

“I want to set the facts straight,” Kollenda said. “All concerts

since 1986 have had amplified sound.”

Kollenda said that for the past three years staff has monitored

decibel levels every 15 minutes.

“The decibel level has not exceeded 75 at the perimeter of the

park and has ranged between 70 and 73,” Kollenda said.

The decibel denominator was the biggest concern. The arts

commission recorded the decibel levels at the meeting to help people

understand what decibels actually are.

The City Council will bring the Music in the Park agenda item to

the table at its April 5 meeting.