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Vineland rock-fest plans hit sour note

Some are making a concerted effort to keep the weekend blast out of their backyard in August.

Pete Steenland, his daughter, Joy Marion, and her children, near the entrance of the proposed festival site. They are among some of Vineland's vocal residents who oppose the concert.
Pete Steenland, his daughter, Joy Marion, and her children, near the entrance of the proposed festival site. They are among some of Vineland's vocal residents who oppose the concert.Read moreRICH KRENTS / For The Inquirer

A month and a half after officials in Vineland, N.J., proudly announced plans for a three-day rock festival, some residents are reacting as if they're getting red-hot chili peppers jammed down their throats.

Where city officials see fame and fortune for Vineland, with big-time bands headlining, opponents see nothing but late nights, loud music, jammed roads, and unappealing images of Woodstock.

"It's not that I'm against concerts. I love concerts. And I'm not an activist," said Joy Marion, 39, a mother of two children younger than 5, whose property abuts the 570-acre site. "It's where they are putting it."

For the most vocal opponents of the festival, tentatively scheduled for Aug. 8 to 10, their complaint boils down to the time-honored "not in my backyard."

In this case, the backyard is an undeveloped tract on the outskirts of town, owned by Elwyn New Jersey, a nonprofit company. Although the property is bordered by a two-lane road on one side and by woods on the other three sides, opponents argue the site is nonetheless too close to too many homes.

"If this was out in the middle of nowhere, I'd say, 'Have fun. Go for it,' " Marion said. "But there are neighborhoods on all four sides."

It's not as if the festival doesn't have supporters. It does, especially among young people and city officials.

"They put on world-class events, and they are invited back year after year," John Barretta, Vineland City Council president, said Friday, referring to concert promoters Festival Republic from England and C3 Presents from Austin, Texas.

Still, opponents worry about talk that the festival could go until 3 each morning; that many of the estimated 40,000 to 50,000 concertgoers will camp out, perhaps fueled by too much alcohol or worse; that the few, narrow access roads would be clogged; that Vineland's budding gang scene could cause trouble; that property values of homes near the site could suffer if the festival became an annual event; that Vineland's police, emergency services and hospitals could be overextended; and that taxpayers could somehow get left holding the bag financially.

If that's not enough, opponents also point out that the area already anticipates an influx of 10,000 to 20,000 people that weekend for the grand opening of a motor speedway, Thunderbolt Raceway, in nearby Millville.

To fight city hall and the festival, opponents have formed Neighbors Against the Rock Concert Site, and so far have held one anti-concert meeting. NARCS, whose unofficial head is Marion's father, Pete Steenland, a 63-year-old Vineland developer, has also vowed legal action if members don't get some answers from city officials.

Under New Jersey's open-records law, Steenland has filed a request for any and all documents and correspondence pertaining to the festival between Vineland Mayor Perry Barse and the concert promoters.

"They have seven days business days to provide the information," Steenland said last week. "If they don't, we will sue them."

Although it is not central to the issue, it is clear Steenland and some others in Vineland view Barse as something of an autocrat. They say that once negotiations broke down between the promoters and Fairmount Park officials in Philadelphia, where the festival originally was to be held, Barse jumped into talks without gauging the support of the City Council or area residents.

To hear Steenland tell it, by the time Vineland residents heard about the plans, Barse made it sound like a done deal.

Adam Goldstein, 42, a lifelong Vineland resident, agreed.

"They did it all behind closed doors," said Goldstein. "I'm not against the concert. I'm against the administration trying to ram it down our throats."

Barse concedes he made an "executive decision" to enter into exploratory talks in August, consulting the police and fire chiefs and other department heads to determine whether hosting the festival was feasible. And despite whatever impressions might exist, the festival is not a done deal.

"We don't have a contract," Barretta said . "It will become a done deal once City Council addresses the contract. That could be many weeks away."

Vineland officials spent much of Thursday in closed-door meetings with the festival promoters, ironing out details and searching for compromises to appease concerned residents.

"Many of the fears and misconceptions are going to be alleviated," Barretta said, revealing few specifics.

Barretta did say 3 a.m. endings were off the table, with midnight being the current focus. Barretta also said Vineland police, fire and emergency officials were confident they had sufficient plans in place.

As for capping the number of concertgoers, Barretta said the limit would likely fall between 40,000 and 50,000 per day.

He disputed the figure of 150,000 concertgoers over three days floated by opponents. More likely, said Barretta, the promoters will try to sell perhaps 35,000 three-day tickets. He said many of those ticket holders would camp out, leaving the daily influx of one-day concertgoers closer to 15,000.

As for fears that Vineland could get stuck with a hefty bill for police and fire overtime, Barretta said the city would get money up front from the promoters for those services.

"The way the meetings have been going with department heads, many of the fears and misconceptions are going to be alleviated," Barretta said. "Those meetings have been very productive."

Representatives from Festival Republic and C3 could not be reached, but Barretta defended both promoters, who have put on shows in Glastonbury and Reading, England, among other places.

"It seems the promoters are going to be reasonable so that a lot of the major concerns are going to be worked through," he said.