A group of residents surrounding Petco Park are pressuring the city to enforce noise ordinances as there has been an uptick of concerts in the ballpark’s separate park called Gallagher Square.
This could complicate the Padres’ proposed $20 million overhaul plans to redo Gallagher Square where many of the concerts are held. The area has become a bigger concert venue in recent years, going from 14 concerts in 2021 to 21 last year.
Caroline Perry, chief operating officer for the San Diego Padres, argued it promised the city a year-round live sports and entertainment venue. She acknowledged some neighbors feel negatively affected by concerts, but many businesses feel they have benefited by all the use of the ballpark.
However, residents at The Legend, Diamond Terrace and Parkloft condo buildings complain of rattling windows, intrusive lights, sleepless nights, increased anxiety and issues with their pets. Many said they knew they were buying near the ballpark but didn’t expect a large increase in loud concerts.
Q: Should the Padres limit concerts because of neighbor noise complaints?
James Hamilton, UC San Diego
YES: We need to make sure that concerts do not violate existing noise and other ordinances. I would like to see good-faith negotiations between the Padres and the residence associations of neighboring buildings. Items up for discussion should include the fraction of resident association fees that are paid by the Padres, allowable number of concerts, and their beginning and ending times. There may also be steps that could mitigate the noise problems such as changing the location and orientation of speakers.
Austin Neudecker, Weave Growth
YES: East Village has evolved into a vibrant neighborhood in part due to the stadium. The associated events drive traffic to local businesses and visitors to hotels. That said, the area is largely residential. It seems reasonable to increase some restrictions on how late and loud venues run, adjusted for weekends, holidays, etc. Simply start concerts slightly earlier and lower the maximum decibels.
Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health
NO: I don’t necessarily think the Padres should have to limit the number of concerts at Petco Park’s adjacent Gallagher Square. Nearby residents who purchased their properties after Petco Park was built should have recognized that ballparks also host concerts and other events. Having said that, the Padres should by all means comply with city ordinances — even noise ordinances if they apply — and activities at the park should be in compliance with planning documents for the site.
Norm Miller, University of San Diego
NO: This is really a question of equity and reasonable negative externalities from noise that we know can affect property value. If the anticipated noise levels are no different than those present at the time most residents moved to surrounding properties, then the Padres have no reason to curtail what pre-existed. If the noise levels are higher and more frequent, then some sort of compromise should be reached with respect to how loud and how late concerts may last.
Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere
NO: Petco Park and the concerts at Gallagher Square are important economic contributors to downtown and East Village, bringing thousands of visitors to the area who stay, dine, shop, and support local businesses. The planned $20 million upgrade of Gallagher Square should benefit the community, by attracting more residents, increasing home values, and ultimately creating additional jobs. That said, the Padres and the city should ensure entertainment at Gallagher Square complies with city municipal code sound limits and have sound monitoring at concerts.
David Ely, San Diego State University
Not participating this week.
Ray Major, SANDAG
NO: The residents living in the affected buildings willingly moved there with full knowledge that Petco Park hosted ball games and concerts. Petco Park is a huge asset to downtown and noise comes with urban living. The complaints may be valid, but it’s like the people who move under the airport flight path and then decide to complain about airplane noise. To be a good neighbor, Petco could limit concerts to a more reasonable volume level.
Caroline Freund, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy
NO: Either the Padres should compensate neighbors for the noise or the neighbors should pay the Padres to reduce the volume. This is a perfect application of the so-called Coase Theorem, which posits that an efficient outcome will be reached through negotiation regardless of who holds the property rights. If the value of the concerts exceeds the costs of noise pollution to residents, then the efficient outcome is that concerts continue and the Padres compensate neighbors for the noise.
Haney Hong, San Diego County Taxpayers Assoc.
Not participating this week.
Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research
NO: Reasonable constraints on excessive noise levels should be enforced, while those choosing to live in the vicinity must consider noise issues as well as lights and congestion as part of living next to the ballpark. Petco Park opened in 2004 before most of the nearby buildings were built and residents moved in. Some compromise can be reached between sound levels emanating from the stage into the neighborhood and implementing structures that help mitigate sound levels.
Lynn Reaser, economist
YES: Homeowners bought their properties with the expectation that noise levels would be maintained at tolerable levels. The sound study prepared in conjunction with the CEQA report set that limit at 95 decibels at the soundboard for concerts. The city should conduct its own third party study to decide if sound mitigation measures are keeping noise at acceptable levels.
Phil Blair, Manpower
YES: We all need to be good neighbors to each other. When people move downtown they should expect some even of noise and congestion. But it has become unreasonable. There need to be controls on the hours and the level of decibels of the programs. The “Park on the Park” was designed to be a playground area not a concert venue. I doubt the Padres would encourage a loud electronic band concert to be playing during one of their ballgames.
Gary London, London Moeder Advisors
NO: The economic upside, coupled with the promise of Petco as an anchor to revitalization, must be the dominant consideration here. This sort of feels like residents next to the airport complaining about airplane noise. Which came first? While I’m sympathetic to noise complaints, residents of the Ballpark District live in prime real estate, and mostly benefit from this location premium. Perhaps a program to triple-pane windows is the better compromise.
Alan Gin, University of San Diego
YES: When people bought near Petco Park, they should have expected that there would be noise from the games in the ballpark and other events, including concerts. But they probably thought the latter would be concerts in the ballpark with the music directed at the stands, not in Gallagher Square with the noise going into the neighborhood. The Padres have been good to the downtown and a compromise should be reached, as the concerts bring people into the area and benefit the businesses nearby.
Bob Rauch, R.A. Rauch & Associates
YES: The city and Padres should negotiate a reasonable decibel level and appropriate language used at concerts as well as shutting it down at 10 p.m. Beyond that, Gallagher Square is part of the ballpark property managed by the Padres who are bound by the terms of a Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions agreement with adjacent parcel owners. The Padres are paying for all this and have been great neighbors. A reasonable agreement should be achievable.
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