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Council approves Transcendence Theater’s 2026 Field of Dreams season with conditions after sound concerns
Summary
The City Council unanimously authorized temporary use of the city-owned Field of Dreams for Transcendence Theater Company’s proposed 2026 summer series, directing staff to finalize conditions addressing amplified-sound, rehearsals and neighbor notification.
The Sonoma City Council on Aug. 26 voted unanimously to allow Transcendence Theater Company to use the city-owned Field of Dreams for a temporary 2026 summer series, approving a resolution that authorizes staff to process a permit with conditions set by the city’s special-events committee.
Transcendence asked to return for a one-year season in 2026 with up to 26 performances; the company and staff revised the schedule and proposed mitigations to reduce amplified-sound impacts after complaints this year. City Manager Gruen and Transcendence’s executive director described the changes made during 2025 and additional steps planned to measure and limit sound spill.
"We don't want people to be, in any way possible, distracted or or upset by the noise that we are doing," Transcendence Executive Director Brad said during the meeting. He said the company has hired a sound engineer, relocated some rehearsals off site and is willing to consider stage-orientation changes.
The council and staff heard the strongest complaints from neighbors who live immediately north and northeast of the Field of Dreams; neighbors asked that the stage be moved or reoriented and requested clearer advance notification. Field of Dreams board members said the organization has a long-running partnership with Transcendence and that ticket revenues help fund local youth sports and field maintenance.
City staff said the special-events committee (fire, police, public works, planning and building) will work with Transcendence to finalize a conditional-use permit that includes sound monitoring, limits on weekend on-site rehearsals with amplified sound, a July programming blackout (no shows in July) and neighbor notification protocols. The staff report said no final permit will be issued until the council’s conditions and special-events recommendations are satisfied.
Votes at a glance: - Approval of the Aug. 26 meeting agenda — passed unanimously (roll call: Dean, Lowe, Gurney, Wallander, Mayor Farrah Rivas). - Approval of the consent calendar — passed unanimously (roll call recorded in meeting minutes). - Resolution approving temporary use of the Field of Dreams by Transcendence Theater Company for the 2026 season — passed unanimously (roll call: Dean Aye; Lowe Aye; Gurney Yes; Wallander Yes; Mayor Farrah Rivas Yes).
Why it matters: Transcendence brought roughly 16,000 attendees annually to the Field of Dreams in recent seasons and says ticket proceeds support local nonprofit work and field upkeep. Neighbors, however, reported that amplified performances and concurrent events (notably county-run baseball games) caused unacceptable sound spill in adjacent residential areas.
What’s next: City staff will gather further sound-monitoring data through the remainder of the 2025 season, work with Transcendence on stage orientation and speaker configuration options, and return finalized conditions to the council as part of the conditional-permit process. The council’s action authorizes staff to continue that work and issue a conditional permit if requirements are met.
Ending: The resolution passed unanimously; council members said they expect continued collaboration among Transcendence, the Field of Dreams board, neighbors and county partners to reduce sound impacts while keeping the performances in Sonoma.
