BRENTWOOD — Two decades after it was first proposed, a regional amphitheater and event center project in southern Brentwood is on hold, with a smaller, outdoor community-oriented performance venue now planned.
With costs having skyrocketed from $8 to $14.5 million in the first phase of The Vineyards at Marsh Creek amphitheater/event center, the City Council at a special meeting on Tuesday was asked by staff whether to continue, pause or revisit the scope of the project in south Brentwood.
In January, the City Council directed staff to move forward with a subsequent environmental review and examine scaling and phasing options to cut costs and serve as alternatives for the 30-acre site nestled within the Trilogy at the Vineyards community.
Originally envisioned in 2004 as the site of a regional event center, a 1,000-seat amphitheater and winery, the project was part of the Trilogy at Vineyards housing development plan. Subsequent development agreements over the years, though, have altered the plans into a smaller venue with no vineyards, according to Allen Baquillar, city director of engineering.
Baquillar said the $9.4 million budgeted for the project included $4 million from the developers of Trilogy at the Vineyards, $5 million from the city’s development impact fee program and $360,000 from interest earned over the years, but with $700,000 already spent on initial architectural designs and more for the project, only $8.7 million is left. And that, he said, won’t pay for the estimated $14 million for the first phase with a 750-seat amphitheater. The second phase would add another 250 seats to the amphitheater and a 10,000- square-foot event center, none of which is funded.
Bruce Muldur, director of parks and recreation, suggested another alternative their consultants have designed — a small, community amphitheater for 200 costing about $9 million.
“This would allow a really nice activated space,” Muldur said. “And if it’s designed correctly, we’ll create a real inviting location where we can have food trucks come and we can have music, and we can have entertainment, and it’ll also be an area that I think will be received well.”
The third option from DLR Group architects was a $4 million trailhead park with a barn and food truck area, leaving space for the amphitheater/event center in the future if money is available.
Community members, however, were not impressed with the options.
“This is a little bit disappointing,” Rod Flohr said. “I’ve been promised the amphitheater since I moved to Brentwood in 2011. And it was originally gonna be much larger and it just keeps getting smaller and smaller and smaller. It’s just kind of the amazing, disappearing amphitheater.”
Joe Young, president of the Vineyards at Marsh Creek Homeowners Association, which operates several enterprises in the development, said the project would impact safety, noise, lighting, crime, parking, air quality, wildlife, homelessness and sanitation in the area.
“Regarding the proposed options for the vineyard at Marsh Creek Event Center, we believe it is not prudent to enter into a project that is not fully funded,” he said.
Councilmember Jovita Mendoza said the Vineyards at Marsh Creek development, also known as Trilogy, has a great event center and restaurant but it would not compete with the city’s project because it’s private.
“This would be a public space and we have to answer to the overall public of the city and what we’ve been promising them, but I don’t think that it’ll be a threat to your event center,” she said.
She also noted that the city’s arts fund could perhaps be used for the venue, and asked staff to look into the possibilities of moving dollars to the project.
Councilwoman Pa’Tanisha Pierson, meanwhile, created her own renderings, which include a food truck venue, an event venue with a stage, picnic tables, and leaving space for the original amphitheater/event center to be built later.
“The size of the small amphitheater (in the proposed second option) would be a waste,” she added. “…I prefer a stage (with lighting) similar to what we have a city park…It still provides opportunity for bands to play and performing arts.”
Councilman Tony Oerlemans said he liked Pierson’s option but wanted to be sure to include some kind of seating.
“We have to leave the opportunity for us to finish that large amphitheater if we come up with the money later on,” he said.
Vice Mayor Susannah Meyer also liked Pierson’s design but cautioned that locating a performing arts venue close to homes might result in noise and light impacts.
“The idea of bringing that small stage up to the same level as homes, when lighting and sound have been such a concern for people, doesn’t make any sense to me because there’s not an effort to outweigh the potential negative impact on the neighbors,” she said.
More than three hours into the discussion, the council unanimously agreed to leave space at the 30-acre site for a future amphitheater, but in the meantime create an outdoor space with a stage that could be used for performances, food trucks, farmers markets, all within the projects’ current budget limits.
Council members also directed staff to work with consultants to analyze noise and lighting impacts and evaluate parking.