[ad_1]
Billy Strings will perform two nights at the 2023 Renewal Music Festival at The Meadows in Chaffee County, Colorado Event photo courtesy of Fireside Entertainment.
After a generally friendly review and strong support from the community, the Chaffee County Board of Commissioners unanimously and conditionally approved Bonfire Entertainment to proceed with the 2023 Labor Weekend Update at The Meadows on the edge of Buena Vista. Their approval points to promoters’ and entertainers’ fit with communities and venues, as well as the county’s growing need to preserve valuable open space.
The approval is contingent on a list of tasks outlined in a resolution that will be reviewed for approval at the BoCC meeting on April 4.
“This has been the easiest year we’ve had and the applications are pretty much the same as last year. We’ll be working with CCCF again and the attendance is the same as last year at 7,500. We’ve only had a few comments from the sheriff’s office and all of them Has been addressed in the updated application – campsite labeling and siting and lighting. We do have a new special event permit code this year under the reviewed points system…it has met or exceeded the BoCC reviewed The five-point threshold – this applies only to events in 2023,” the assistant said. County Attorney Miles Cottom.
“They’ve dialed in the way they’ve structured the sound. The application does question the nonprofit sound exemption. …. We’re not concerned about their ability to meet the requirements of the land use code and state regulations. Staff recommends approval… One issue I’ve noticed has to do with cell phone service. They can’t get a “battery on wheels” (called COW) to add service…the only after-action report last year was ‘let’s fix this,'” Cottom said.
Organizer Scotty Stoughton, CEO of Bonfire Entertainment in Steamboat Springs, reviewed the general setup. “I’ve been producing here for seven years – Campout for the Cause and Renewal concerts…. We’re a family friendly festival. For 15 years I’ve been evangelizing to this crowd – we welcome kids and have a A great family event,” Stoughton explained. “Through our nonprofit relationship, there is more purpose and less gathering. We have no capacity issues, and on the same day, the same number of days, we have an agreement with the Chaffee County Community Foundation (CCCF). We donated to it last year $30,000, we think we’ll give $50,000 this year.
Visuals for the 2022 Renewal Festival at The Meadows. Presented by Campfire Entertainment.
Some stats:
- 7,500 tickets were sold last year, 1,500 of which were local sales
- Sold 500 tickets within 25 miles
- Their ticket focus is to get them in the hands of locals – “It’s a community event…we target postcodes to get local tickets”
- In terms of age, participants in past events ranged in age from 1 to 75 years. Last year 600 children participated, and children under 12 can attend for free.
- They’ve embarked on a $20,000 greening initiative that this year hopes to divert 62 percent of the waste generated in local landfills.
“Our satisfaction ranking as an activity is 79 percent, compared to about 40 percent for the industry as a whole,” Stoughton said. “Our clients think it’s a 100% turn-off. If you approve this license, we’d like to have sales around Bill Strings’ Red Rocks show in May.”
The county’s economic impact in 2021 and 2022 is just under $2 million in direct and indirect revenue, Stoughton said. He cites several improvements, including better marking of road lanes, spraying of pedestrian lanes, and they’re using 3-D CAD maps to map every car parking spot, campsite spacing, and more.
Stought said his team is improving their security with a professional security team of ex-military and ex-law enforcement personnel to integrate with local law enforcement, and they are testing their contingency plans. “We’re proposing testing here, we’re also testing in Winter Wonderland in Routt County.”
Other improvements include shower carts, a larger kids’ area, and better IT from a national company called Echo Technologies. “They’re focused on big music events—they’ve got high-density connections in Austin City and Lalapalossa, and they know what they’re doing.”
He added, “Frankly, the landowner is trying to build a cell tower and they find out that you have a moratorium on building new cell towers in Chaffee County.”
“We’ve just seen some challenges and we’re asking for conditional approval today so we can sign the contract … I’m a small business owner. We’re essentially a brick and mortar store doing business in your county,” Stoughton said. “If we don’t understand our costs, we risk the challenge of running this event – I have 15 vendors waiting for your approval with deposits in the hundreds of thousands of dollars…We ask for conditional approval.”
“The easiest thing for me would be to ask you for more capacity, but I wouldn’t do that,” he added. “I wanted to do it at 7,500 people, run it perfectly, not increase the size – Bill Strings realized that to make concerts affordable for fans … we did a lot of work to make sure this was accessible. Watch Looking at county costs, we were 300% higher last year. As you may have heard, I’m being sued now for not being allowed to attend an event that should have been allowed. In Steamboat I was next to open space for a long time and then We’ve had five years of construction next to us and now it’s apartments and hotels … we think the majority of people in the town and the county support that.”
“I’m interested in all the concerns and trying to find a balance to protect Meadows Farm. I love the place and the grass,” Stoughton added. “But it’s a great place for a massive subdivision. If we could somehow put a couple of concerts there, we could turn it into a grassy field and that would preserve it. I’ve been to a neighborhood where It’s gone there.”
Stoughton added that Bonfire Entertainment just held the 10th anniversary of Winter Wondergrass on Steamboat. “We have 15,000 people and we haven’t had a single issue – we have a great relationship. Next week I’m flying to Lake Tahoe for the seventh anniversary of Winter Grass there. Then it’s on the river for River Wondergrass, then Renewal, We hope this is our third anniversary.”
“I have a question for staff about the suspension of the tower – have we inadvertently created a situation that we need to address?” Ask Commissioner Keith Baker
“It is my understanding that someone asked about cell towers that required a limited impact review, and we suspended the limited impact review,” Cottom responded. “We later found out that it came from The Meadows as a way of addressing security concerns related to this incident, which was also linked to substandard communications capabilities in other parts of the county. It was a metaphorical wires crossing thing. We Perhaps an exception can be created for public safety.”
Public comments largely positive
“This is a thoughtful and engaged community partner — not someone who slips into town and leaves,” said Wendy Hall, who represents CCCF. “What he leaves behind is a financial gift to the community … I urge you to approve this license and consider extending it for years to come.”
“As a business owner who has run a business here for 12 years, I’ve found that all music events are good for business,” Scott Johnson said… “I applaud the Selby family for buying the grass and keeping it green…they’re protecting these waters right.”
“As a citizen, I would love to support that,” said Buenavista Mayor Libby Fay. “I can hear it from my house, which is good.”
“As the COO of South Main and the wife of a rancher who put his Highland cows out to pasture after the event, I can say that there has been great support from local businesses and students,” said Sarah Anderson.
“The question is how to ameliorate the incident at Scotty to minimize the impact on neighbours,” Commissioner Greg Felt said. Anderson responded that thinking long-term about the region’s future can provide community solutions.
“Culturally, the community live music here is really special, and I haven’t seen it anywhere else in the country,” says Lariat co-owner Zack Alexander. “…it’s been a real pleasure to work with Scotty, and he’s offered to get people to buy Lariat renewal tickets from us – I’d like to see five-year or at least three-year licenses.”
Deliberated by China Banking Regulatory Commission
“This time last year, I had a conversation with Sheriff Spezze,” Felt said. “As the guy in charge of public safety, he felt vulnerable and understaffed … but in talking to him after the fact, he felt like he did.” He added that he liked the idea of doing public safety drills ahead of time, Stowe said. Don said he wouldn’t mind adding more security measures. “
“When you mention the grid of the venue, are you talking about rows of seats or something, so if there’s a medical emergency, they can go on the radio and say the problem is with G7?” Baker asked.
“Yes,” Stoughton replied. “…clear lane layout, making it safer and a better user experience.”
The BoCC got clarification on better event signage, discussed Stoughton’s weather-based end-of-stage concert schedule, and confirmed Thursday’s camper van entrance was to address Friday’s traffic issues. Bonfire Entertainment plans to close the main stage at 10:00pm, but asks to close at 11:00 stgae if required due to weather delays.
“I think it’s an event that tries really hard to be integrated with the community, and they do what they’re told with minimal disruption to the neighbors,” Wood said. “…in my opinion, it’s a way to monetize the space so that they don’t feel compelled to develop it. We know the value that the people who live here place on these open spaces…this part of our county It’s special and needs protection.”
“Scotty works hard to address community issues and that sets you apart from other groups. We appreciate that,” Felt said. “I think there’s a trade-off in this valley, there’s a lot of pressure to grow and develop, and real estate serves a lot of important functions. It’s worth protecting and protecting.”
“It was a good public hearing, as did my colleagues, I am an avid music fan, this has no direct bearing on the decision-making process, but we should acknowledge that musicians as talented as Billy Strings are in the world position,” Baker said.
Commissioner Wood floated the idea of conditionally approving the 2023 renewal, directing staff to prepare a resolution for consideration at the April 4 BoCC meeting. He added that he encouraged Bonfire Entertainment to consider future multi-year contracts. The motion was seconded by Felt and passed unanimously.
“It feels really good to be appreciated and welcomed by the community,” Stoughton concluded.
[ad_2]
Source link