Invite Only Meeting Reassures Watkins Glen Residents About Phish Festival

Schuyler County Sheriff William Yessman said Friday that's what he assured neighbors of Watkins Glen International on Thursday at a meeting designed to answer questions about the upcoming three-day music festival at the track.

In July 1973, Summer Jam drew more than 600,000 people to the track to hear The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers and The Band, earning the event a place in Guinness World Records as the largest outdoor concert ever held in the U.S.

On July 1-3, the band Phish will present Super Ball IX at WGI. Phish will be the sole performer at the three-day event.

Thursday's invitation-only meeting, attended by about 24 people, was important, Yessman said, to let the track's neighbors know how much is being done to make the Phish festival successful and safe for everyone.

Yessman said he told residents, uneasy due to experiences 38 years ago, that he, too, was not pleased when the idea of a music festival at WGI was brought up a year ago.

"Since then, we've done more planning on this event than any other event I've been involved with in my 26 years on the job," Yessman said Friday.

That planning included attending the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., last year to observe security operations and going to monthly meetings that brought together representatives of emergency services, law enforcement, WGI and the Phish promoters.



"I am extremely comfortable with this event. It's a good thing for the community. It's going to give us an economic impact that's positive," Yessman said.

Traffic flow is one of the top concerns among people living near the track.

With the exception of Kuhl-Winner Way, which goes through WGI property and affects no residents, all roads will remain open to two-way traffic.

Yessman said staging areas will be established to keep local traffic moving when vehicles are backed up to get onto the track property.

"If anyone's going to wait in traffic, it's going to be the people going to the festival. My obligation is not to WGI or to Phish. My obligation is to the local people," he said.

Ticket sales have been capped at 60,000.

"If we are able to get the 60,000, it's less than NASCAR," WGI President Michael Printup said Friday, noting that WGI is well-experienced in handling large crowds. Junta

Printup said he thought the meeting with neighbors went well and said more meetings may be held.

Mike Bilinski of Townsend said he appreciated the opportunity to learn about the planning that has gone into the Phish festival and to ask questions.Farmhouse

He said he likes knowing that a high number of security people, including undercover officers, will be on duty around-the-clock.

Safety issues are being stressed, too, with bans on campfires and grills and with limits on outside alcohol, Bilinski said.

"It sounds like they have it very well organized. I was pleased," said Bilinski, who won't be attending the festival, but does support it.

"The more money we can get into Schuyler County, the better. Everybody's going to benefit from this," he said.

Printup said the track continues to work on all of the necessary permitting processes for the event.

Last month, the Schuyler County Legislature agreed to be the lead agency in the required environmental reviews associated with the Phish festival, as well as the Finger Lakes Wine Festival and the NASCAR race in August at WGI.

The document filed by WGI contained about 400 pages, county officials said.

Tickets start at $200 and include admission for the entire weekend, as well as onsite camping. Some camping options are already sold out.

For festival ticket details, visit www.superballix.com.