HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-12-01 City Council (16)City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT:CITY MANAGER’S
OFFICE
DATE:DECEMBER 1, 1997 CMR: 486:97
SUBJECT: 1997 SHORELINE CONCERT SEASON
The purpose of this report is to provide the Council with information regarding the 1997
Shoreline Concert Season. This is an information report and no Council action is required.
BACKGROUND
In June 1993, the City of Palo Alto and Bill Graham Presents (BGP) entered into a settlement
agreement with regard to Shoreline Amphitheatre. Under that agreement, BGP agreed to
operate Shoreline Amphitheatre subject to certain noise and hours restrictions. The City of
Palo Alto and BGP also agreed to meet at least twice a year to discuss Shoreline
Amphitheatre operations, with one meeting occurring before the season and another during
the season.
During the concert season, the Palo Alto Police Department is responsible for monitoring
complaints regarding noise from Shoreline concerts. According to the agreement with BGP,
if more than 4 Shoreline events in any year result in 45 or more complaints from different
Palo Alto residential addresses, Palo Alto and BGP will reopen discussions and negotiate in
good faith to identify mitigation measures to reduce noise impacts in Palo Alto. In addition
to Police Department monitoring of complaints, City of Palo Alto Public Works staff monitor
noise levels from Shoreline Amphitheatre concerts from a sound monitoring station at the
Palo Alto Main Library.
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DISCUSSION
The 1997 Shoreline season started on May 11, 1997, and ended on October 23. A total of
199 valid complaints were received by the Police Department. Only one concert, by a group
called Counting Crows, resulted in over 45 complaints. Below is a history of Shoreline
complaints since Palo Alto began accumulating information under the settlement agreement.
SHORELINE COMPLAINTS
NUMBER OF CONCERTS
CONCERT SEASON VALID COMPLAINTS OVER45 COMPLAINTS
1993 989 5
1994 872 10
1995 247 1
1996 1297 10
1997 199 1
Staff from the City of Mountain View indicated that there had not been any additional
mitigation efforts with BGP for the 1997 season, beyond those outlined in a November 1996
staff report to the Mountain View City Council. Mountain View staff has not been given
direction by its Council to make any additional efforts with BGP to pursue additional
mitigation. Mountain View registered 55 complaints during the 1997 season, compared to
306 in 1996.
RESOURCE IMPACT
The cost of maintaining sound monitoring at the Palo Alto Main Library is approximately
$7,700 per year. The Police Department did not accumulate cost data in 1997 for the cost
of phone lines and management time to analyze complaints; however, it will charge all such
costs to a specific project account in the 1998 Shoreline season.
PREPARED BY: Emily Harrison, Assistant City Manager
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
JUNE FLEMING ~.A. ~
City Manager
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