Madison Square Garden Entertainment's proposal to host concerts in Springfield is moving through a review process, according to Mary Clarke, chairwoman of the town's planning board.
And next week, the board is scheduled to hold its first workshop session on the project.
The entertainment giant is proposing to hold annual music festivals in East Springfield on about 1,000 acres of land owned by Theodore Beckingham of Springfield and Paul Stitzel of Hamburg, Pa.
About 75,000 people would likely attend the three-day festivals, living in tents on the vast, verdant grounds near U.S. Route 20.
To make it happen, officials from MSGE need to prepare an environmental impact statement on how the project will affect life in Springfield and the area. They will have an unlimited period of time to complete the document, Clarke said.
The planning board is working on an outline of what the EIS must address, including effects on traffic and transportation, noise levels, municipal emergency services and water resources.
``We working on the final scoping document, and we're going to have a workshop session Nov. 18,'' she said.
At this session, which will start at 7 p.m., board members will review public comments they've received, Clarke said.
Opinions on this entertainment proposal are sharply divided, said Rep. Keith McCarty, a Republican who represents the town on the Otsego County Board of Representatives.
``Some people like the fact it will bring in business," he said, "and others are worried about the environment and having too much traffic.''
Town Clerk Jeanette Armstrong said the town has received 53 letters from people opposed to the project and 22 letters of support.
``It's in a flood plain, and there are 23 streams there,'' she said. ``They haven't picked a very good spot for what they want to do.''
MSGE's plans have found support from nearby Cooperstown, whose Chamber of Commerce hopes they come to fruition.
In a recent letter to The Daily Star, Marc Kingsley, Chamber president, wrote, ``The Cooperstown Chamber's Government Relations Committee has carefully researched other like venues. We found that Manchester, Tenn., and the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival closely matches MSGE's proposal.
``Manchester has a population of 10,000, and the Bonnaroo Festival brings in around 80,000 people annually. After several hours talking with Manchester Mayor Betty Superstein, Sheriff Ross Simmons, Manchester Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Susie McEacharm, the Coffee County Sheriff's office, and two of the local papers, The Manchester Times and The Saturday Independent, we found overwhelming community support for the Bonnaroo Festival."
The letter went on to note that Manchester faced similar quality-of-life concerns, and, Kingsley said, that after seven years of the festival, "their fears were mostly unfounded."
Clarke said the EIS will be reviewed; if accepted, MSGE would need to have its site plan reviewed and approved before construction could begin.
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Tom Grace can be reached at tgrace@thedailystar.com or 847-9806.
