COASTAL GREENBELT AUTHORITY
13042 Old Myford Road
Irvine, CA 92602
March 25, 2025
Regarding: Future Rules Governing the Use of the Irvine Bowl Mayor Rounaghi and Laguna Beach Councilmembers and the Irvine Bowl Policy Committee, The Coastal Greenbelt Authority (CGA) is the cooperative management authority for Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park. The CGA members represent the park’s landowners – County of Orange, Cities of Laguna Beach, and Laguna Woods, as well as local environmental organizations, and Laguna Canyon Homeowners (CANDO) who were part of the negotiations for the purchase of the Laguna Laurel Development land for parkland. The guiding documents for the CGA oversight are the General Development (GDP) and Resource Management (RMP) Plans for Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and the Resource Management Plan for Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park.
Our March 12, 2025 agenda included some information about a change in the decibel level from 70 to 105 for events at the Irvine Bowl. Although the CGA members did not have a great deal of information we voted unanimously to send a letter of concern to the City of Laguna Beach.
Our concerns and suggestions include:
• Consideration of the land use now for adjacent parcels to the Irvine Bowl – City of Laguna Beach Open Space and Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. These are habitat areas and also include public trails to and within Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. • The open space and wilderness park lands are coastal sage habitat for the Coastal California Gnatcatcher which is listed as federally threatened and designated as a Bird Species of Special Concern by the State of California.
• CEQA would have to be included in any change to the adjacent land use to this nesting area and public trails. Change of use would include sound and light levels. • A permanent increase in the sound level is a health hazard to humans and wildlife. • We encourage the council to retain a consultant to review all impacts of an increase in decibel level for off-Festival Season use at the Irvine Bowl. The study could include sound and light management with options for improvement. • The CGA members are not opposed to more utilization of the Irvine Bowl during offseason-Festival times, but only that the new use be compatible with the adjacent land use.
Thank you for considering our concerns.
Mary Fegraus
Mary Fegraus, Chair Coastal Greenbelt Authority
cc: Coastal Greenbelt Authority Members
OC Parks Director Pam Passow
County of Orange Fifth District Supervisor Foley
Ann Marie McKay, City Clerk, City of Laguna Beach, [email protected]
COASTAL GREENBELT AUTHORITY
13042 Old Myford Road
Irvine, CA 92602
May 15, 2026
Regarding: Future Rules Governing the Use of the Irvine Bowl Laguna Beach Mayor Orgill, Councilmembers, Laguna Beach Community Development Staff, and the Irvine Bowl Policy Committee,
The Coastal Greenbelt Authority (CGA) is the cooperative management authority for Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park. The CGA members represent the park’s landowners – County of Orange, Cities of Laguna Beach, and Laguna Woods, as well as local environmental organizations, and Laguna Canyon Homeowners (CANDO) who were part of the negotiations for the purchase of the Laguna Laurel Development land for parkland. The guiding documents for the CGA oversight are the General Development (GDP) and Resource Management (RMP) Plans for Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and the Resource Management Plan for Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park.
CGA has received very little information over the years about the Irvine Bowl issue, despite our March 2025 letter of concern specifically requesting such information and updates. Recently CGA received information of the 2025 and 2026 Irvine Bowl Committee meetings which advocated raising the sound level to 75 decibels and development of additional dates for concerts during the weeks and weekends outside the Festival of Arts time period.
On May 6, 2026 the Laguna Beach Administrative Community Director Meeting included an agenda item with the following Recommendation:
Adopt the Community Director Determination 26-0831 approving Coastal Development Permit 26-0831 for a change of the intensity of use of land as it relates to an update to the Irvine Bowl Sound Policy to allow for an increase in the sound limit at the Neighborhood Sound Boundary at and around the Irvine Bowl located at 650 Laguna Canyon Road and finding said action exempt from CEQA under Sections 15304 and 15323.
The May 6, 2026 agenda item was continued with no Public Participation or explanation of why it was continued.
Once again, CGA did not directly receive an announcement of this meeting nor advance receipt of the Staff Report, though our membership includes stakeholders and landowners whose property is immediately adjacent to the Irvine Bowl.
CGA’s concerns about this Recommended Action involving a Coastal Development Permit and exemption from CEQA include these points:
• Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and the City of Laguna Beach Open Space are adjacent to the Irvine Bowl. These coastal sage areas are environmentally sensitive habitats and scenic resources and are mapped and identified as such. • These coastal sage areas provide habitat for the Coastal California Gnatcatcher, listed as Federally Threatened and designated as a Bird Species of Special Concern by the State of California.
• The area adjacent to the Irvine Bowl is a known Gnatcatcher nesting site. The area is also part of the Natural Communities Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) program coordinated by the nonprofit, Natural Communities Coalition. • CGA requests more information about the findings used for recommendations regarding the Coastal Development Permit and exemption from CEQA. • Concert-related cumulative noise and activity from the Bowl within a narrow canyon may result in adverse impacts to sensitive coastal birds (e.g., California Gnatcatchers) and small mammals with the proposed increased sound decibels and cumulative number of concerts.
• A biologist familiar with these environmentally sensitive lands should be included in the review of any proposed changes and identified in any resultant report. • Timely notifications of any further meetings about the proposed changes of off-season concerts and increased sound levels need to include the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife, Natural Communities Coalition, OC Parks as well as the Coastal Greenbelt Authority which meets bi-monthly.
In order to address CGA concerns it is imperative that all adjacent landowners are included in the decision process and receive meeting notifications and staff reports. Before any decisions can be made regarding the Sound Policy and additional concerts, the landowners and managers of the open space land adjacent to the Irvine Bowl must have an opportunity to present their concerns and if necessary, request further studies.
CGA Members approved this letter at their May 13, 2026 meeting.
Thank you for considering our points of concern.
Mary Fegraus
Mary Fegraus, Chair Coastal Greenbelt Authority
cc: Coastal Greenbelt Authority Members
OC Parks Director Pam Passow
County of Orange Fifth District Supervisor Foley
For the City Council Members: Ann Marie McKay, City Clerk, City of Laguna Beach, [email protected]
Dave Kiff, Laguna Beach City Manager [email protected] Matt Schneider, LB Community Development Director [email protected] Shaveta Sharma, LB Community Development Department [email protected] Irvine Bowl Committee
Jim Sulentich, Natural Communities Coalition [email protected]
COASTAL GREENBELT AUTHORITY
13042 Old Myford Road
Irvine, CA 92602
September 20, 2026
Re: Council Agenda September 22, 2026 Irvine Bowl Sound Levels, Consent Calendar Item C. 24.
Mayor Orgill and Members of the City Council
Please note the previous letters of May 15, 2026 and March 25, 2025 regarding this issue.
Concerns with the proposed city actions:
• Rincon Consultants did not perform an adequate job with the past sound measurement and analysis.
• CEQA can not be exempted from this issue.
• Adjacent landowners/managers (OC Parks – Laguna Coast Wilderness Park) were not notified and involved in this process.
This Irvine Bowl issue was on the September 9, 2026 Coastal Greenbelt Authority meeting agenda. There was a report of the Community Meeting sponsored by Coast Films. CGA members agreed that it best to work with Coast Films to make sure the sound measurement and analysis is done properly this time. There has been another Community Meeting sponsored by Coast Films since September 9th. Key points at that meeting included working with OC Parks staff to determine the best testing locations, using Modern Illuminations Productions working with a Community Sound Group of William Nash, Mark Christy, Dan McInerney and Mike Gonzalez.
Please make sure this sound measurement and analysis is done properly and involves all adjacent landowners, managers and CGA. Again please note the attached letters.
Mary Fegraus
Mary Fegraus, Chair Coastal Greenbelt Authority
cc: Coastal Greenbelt Authority Members
OC Parks Director Pam Passow
County of Orange Fifth District Supervisor Foley
For the City Council Members: Ann Marie McKay, City Clerk, City of Laguna Beach, [email protected]
Dave Kiff, Laguna Beach City Manager [email protected] Matt Schneider, LB Community Development Director [email protected] Shaveta Sharma, LB Community Development Department [email protected] Irvine Bowl Committee
To the City of Laguna Beach and Coast Film representatives. 9/21/2026
The city staff report regarding the sound level analysis of the November 7 through November 9 concerts in 2025 is fundamentally misleading, inaccurate and after spending approximately $12,000 of tax payer money , embarrassing.
The staff report concluded stating “ THE SOUND WAS LARGLY WITHIN THE SOUND POLICY” This statement is simply not true
CURRENT SOUND POLICY LIMIT IS 70db at Neighborhood Sound Boundary .
Critical locations up hill directly behind the Irvine Bowl measured the highest sound decibel levels from last years November concerts and are referenced in the Rincon data report specifically as M2,M3,M4. These measurements show consistent excessive sound decibel levels that were UNQUESTIONABLY NOT WITHIN the sound policy. What is important to remember is that the neighborhood sound boundary is a large and irregular boundary encompassing open space, and neighborhoods who receive major and minor impact of excessive noise from the Irvine Bowl due to their locations on the NSB. Taking DB levels of the entire NSB and forming an average LEQ is misrepresentative and dilutes the findings because specific areas directly behind the bowl are severly impacted verses areas to the sides.
M2 -Eastern end of Linden Street adjacent to 545 Poplar St., 535 Poplar St., and 516 Linden St. and 508 Linden St.
100% of the concert was above 75 DBA
99% of the concert was above 85 DBA
93% of the concert was above 90 DBA
45% of the concert was above 95 DBA
5.7% of the concert was above 100 DBA
M3-to the east of Poplar Street on the hill nearest to the Irvine bowl adjacent to 545 Poplar St. and directly below 303 Harold Dr.
100% of the concert was above 80DBA
95% of the concert was above 85 DBA
74% of the concert was above 90 DBA
33.57% of the concert was above 85 DBA
22% of the concert was above 100 DBA
M4-to the east of Poplar Street further up the hill in the city lot.
Adjacent to 302 Harold Dr., 303 Harold Dr. & 580 Poplar St., directly below 310 Lookout Dr. and 336 Lookout Dr.
100% of the concert was above 75 DBA
92% of the concert was above 80DBA
56.7% was above 85 DBA
7.69% was above 90 DBA
As one can see from the accurate analysis of Rincon’s minute by minute, peak data of the 11/8 2025 Jack Johnson event, the entire concert was over the 70 DBA sound policy maximum in the surrounding neighborhoods reaching far beyond the neighborhood sound boundary.
Using this data , If the city had shown any concern for the surrounding neighborhoods quality of life they would’ve already arrived with a sensible way to effectively control the sound levels in compliance with their own policies by hiring an official certified acoustic engineering team such as George Ausberger Acoustics who have worked with the Hollywood bowl or one of the many consultants at Meyer Sound (Berkeley ) who have extensive knowledge and a proven track record for tuning and optimizing the outdoor concert venue experience that could maximize the potential of the Irvine bowl while having the least negative impact on the surrounding neighborhood and the state protected wildlife habitat .
What we are getting instead is an abuse of the CEQA exemption 15306 as a loophole to allow the city to continue having these concerts labeled as “special events “ which should not have been approved in the first place without having to obtain a new CDP to allow for a legal change in use in both frequency and intensity.
Julie Padach