October 09, 2008 10:09 am
—
By JIM AUSTIN
Cooperstown Crier
SPRINGFIELD — Madison Square Garden
Entertainment representatives told Springfield
residents they are interested in hearing their input
on a proposed three-day Arts and Music Festival
that is expected to attract 75,000 people to
a more than 1,000 acre site off Route 20.
The comments came during another public information
meeting hosted by MSG in the Springfield
Community Center Tuesday evening.
Unlike many projects which come for review
after planning has been completed, MSG’s proposal
came to the town while is was still in its
very early stages of development, said Dan Ruzow,
an environmental consultant for the project
with the law firm Whiteman Osterman and
Hanna in Albany.
It allowed project developers to invoke the
State Environmental Quality Review process
early in the process and involve the public in the
planning, he said..
MSG has submitted the draft scoping document,
which will help determine what will be addressed
in an environmental impact statement
that must be prepared for
the project.
The draft, Ruzow said,
contains what MSG
thought should be in the
environmental impact
statement and now the
public’s input is needed so
that all concerns about the
project are included and
mitigation measures may
be formulated.
MSG Vice-President
Don Simpson made a presentation
to the audience
about the revised site plan
submitted to the planning
during its meeting less
than a week earlier.
But before getting to the
project details, he took the
time to better explain his
comments about a heli-pad
he made during the planning
board presentation.
Simpson had said last
Thursday the heli-pad was
not included in the drawings,
but they planned to
have one.
The comment prompted
a question from Harry
Levine, of the Advocates
for Springfield, who asked
what else was planned, but
left off the drawings.
Simpson explained
Tuesday that New York
State has very stringent
rules and regulations governing
heli-pads and that
any helicopter could use
the pad anytime of year.
A permanent pad was
not our intent, but a threeday
medi-vac pad was,
Simpson said. The site will
be cordoned off and used
only during the festival.
``There is nothing else
we are not telling you,’’
Simpson said.
He reiterated much of
his presentation made earlier
to the planning board
before opening up to questions.
Concerns were expressed
about how sewage
would be handled and Ruzow
said they are currently
studying options to avoid
as much as possible the use
of porta-jons. The permanent
restrooms being proposed
would be more sanitary
than porta-jons, he
said.
Pete Wilder, who lives
nearby at the head of Otsego
Lake asked about the
number of people who may
leave the site to go swimming
or explore the area.
Simpson said they have
been working with the Otsego
County sheriff’s office
and the state police as well
as their own security on
how best to handle that.
He said most people who
come to a festival and pay
$200 or more for a ticket
want to be on site for the
music. There will be no inand-
out privileges so once
a person leaves the site,
they will not be able to return.
MSG will have to have a
security plan in place that
is approved by state and local
law enforcement officials.
A Department of Health
mass gathering permit requires
a security plan that
is blessed by the state police,
Ruzow said.
``I can’t tell you today
what that will be, but we’re
going through the process,’’
he said.
The cost of deputies and
troopers working on security
will be paid for by
MSG.
``Safety and security are
our number one priorities,’’
Simpson said.
Residents were also concerned
about drug use at
the festival and Simpson
said the sheriff and state
police intend to enforce the
laws of New York State.
Police will be on the festival
grounds and ``if you get
caught, you will be arrested.’’
Preparations for the festival
and clean up afterwards,
particularly after
the first year, will happen
quickly. Simpson estimated
it would take 10 to 15
days for set up and a little
less than a week to close up
the grounds when the festival
is over.
Simpson said financial
benefits the town would
see include jobs, sales and
property taxes and an as
yet undetermined benefit
package. He said they plan
to provide some benefits to
the community and they
would be included in the
draft environmental impact
statement.
``That’s when people will
see the proof is in the pudding,’’
he said.
He was asked again
about providing some type
of guarantee there would
be only one festival each
year and that it would not
grow to more.
``I’ve said over and over
it’s one three-day festival
with 75,000 people maximum,’’
Simpson said. ``As
we go through the process,
we will find ways to satisfy
people.’’
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