Published: October 09, 2008 10:08 am         

MSG says it can be ready for 2010 music fest

By JIM AUSTIN
Cooperstown Crier

SPRINGFIELD — While its proposal continues to weave its way through a lengthy review process, Madison Square Garden Entertainment says it can be ready to play host to 75,000 people for the inaugural, three-day Springfield Arts and Music Festival planned for 2010.

MSG Senior Vice-President Don Simpson said last Thursday following a presentation at the Springfield town planning board meeting that ``we’re still on track.’’

Attorney Daniel Ruzow, an environmental consultant with the law firm of Whiteman, Osterman and Hanna, echoed Simpson’s belief that there is time to complete an environmental impact study, the site plan review process and, if approved, be ready for the first festival in less than two years.

``We hope so, that’s our plan,’’ he said.

Ruzow said he doesn’t have a ``keen sense’’ right now of how long it will take to compile the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), but that they have already been working on parts of it. MSG said from the beginning that it anticipated the planning board’s State Environmental Quality Review would lead to a positive declaration and trigger an environmental impact statement. Rather than wait and hold up approval of the proposal, MSG started work on the environmental impact statement early in the review process.

Simpson said Thursday night the cultural resources, or archeological study, of the more than 1,000 acre site is already underway.

During the meeting, the planning board accepted the draft scoping document from MSG and now has until Dec. 5 to complete the final scoping document which will outline the issues to be addressed in the draft environmental impact statement.

Before completion of the DEIS, the board will solicit comment from the public. On Wed., Oct. 15, the planning board will hold a public input meeting at the Community Center at 7 p.m. where the public may offer comments about the proposal.

Members of the public may also submit written comments to the board until Oct. 27.

Simpson presented the board with a revised site plan for the festival project and, with maps and an overlay, reviewed how the site would appear before and during the festival and highlighted some changes. The plan will preserve more than 290 acres of wetlands, buffer areas and woodland and all existing buildings in the main festival area will be maintained. Simpson said permanent structures will be required on the site for security and health reasons and will be built to resemble the style of local barns and dairy sheds and will be located away from Route 20.

``They will look like barns, be painted like barns; everything about them will be barns,’’ he said.

Many of the bathroom facilities, once intended to be port-jons, have been changed to permanent buildings.

The perimeter road around the festival site will be dirt and gravel — not paved — and will allow access for security and medical personnel. Simpson said they will be able to get around the site without going through the crowd and if there is a medical emergency; personnel will be able to get there quickly. During the festival, the entire site will be fenced and MSG is currently researching different types of material which would not be as visible and may be erected and taken down again each year.

There are plans to construct a pedestrian culvert under Route 20 so no one will have to cross the highway. During a brief question and answer period, planning board member Willard Harman asked if there was some way MSG could offer assurances there would be only one event per year.

One of the best ways, Harman said, would be through a conservation easement that guarantees there won’t be changes over time — that MSG won’t be squeezed by investors to have additional events. Simpson said the issue would be addressed in the EIS.

One thing which did not appear on the overlay, but will be included is a helipad for medical evacuation.

``We didn’t put it on because we didn’t want people to think we would be flying in people from all over the world,’’ he said.

There were also concerns about the one cell tower in the town being overloaded during the festival.

Residents interested in submitting written comment concerning the scoping document may send them to: Springfield Planning Board, PO Box 235, Springfield Center, NY 13468.

Copies of the draft scoping document are available at the town library or the town clerk’s office.