Group Questions Pacific Shed Plan

A southern California preservation group is trying to get a court order to stop the Orange County Fair Board from starting the Pacific Amphitheatre remodel without clearing up some details.

The lawsuit filed by the Orange County Fairgrounds Preservation Society Jan. 20 in Orange County accuses Fair Board members of pushing through the project by approving it in phases, which is allegedly sidestepping limitations outlined in the fairgrounds’ 2003 master plan and the shed’s environmental impact report.

Preservation group spokesman Greg Ridge told the Daily Pilot the group is not against the remodel itself, but is concerned about procedure and the potential noise problem for nearby homeowners.

Board members deny the claim, saying that approving the project in phases spreads out the overall cost, the paper said.

Last September the board approved the multiyear, $18 million renovation for the Costa Mesa venue with plans to begin in August. The initial $4.5 million phase includes cutting through the outdoor venue’s berm area, moving the Memorial Gardens building to another location and building some planned additions.