Field Day Festival 2002 Not Permitted

Stop the Music
by Nancy A. Bock

June 4, 2003

Field Day Fesitval NOT Permitted

Suffolk County officials today announced that an injunction preventing this weekend’s Field Day Festival in Riverhead will prevent the concerts from taking place. The action by the County Attorney’s office was in response to concerns raised by acting Health Commissioner Linda Mermelstein and Suffolk County Police Commissioner John Gallagher.

The staging was already in place in anticipation of over 40,000 fans at the Calverton field when the final blows to promoter Andrew Dreskin’s plans were made public. Last night the Riverhead town board tabled two resolutions on the project and today announced that “due to the last minute withdrawal of the Suffolk County Police” the concert would not go on.

Riverhead Supervisor Robert F. Kozakiewicz said efforts to provide adequate police coverage were unsuccessful and the event should be cancelled. There was no representative of the promoters at the Riverhead press conference although their attorney, a former Riverhead councilman, Chris Kent, attended the conference held by S.C. Police Commissioner John Gallagher in Hauppauge this morning.

Gallagher indicated there was not sufficient time or planning to ensure the safety of concert goers, a theme echoed by Mermelstein. She cited concerns about on-site health facilities and lack of adequate ingress/egress. With one lane in and one lane out, county officials described the access as “a nightmare.”

County officials claim that the two lane road, blocked by vehicles attending the two day concert, would be inaccessible to fire and emergency vehicles. “Ridiculous,” was the response by Joey MacLellan, Executive Assistant to Kozakiewicz, “there is provision for the Manorville fire department to house vehicles [on-site] as well as ambulances and EMT services.”

MacLellan also disputed Gallagher’s claim that there was inadequate planning and insufficient time to arrange for Suffolk County Police to supplement Riverhead’s Police at the event. According to MacLellan the promoters first approached the town in February and a planning meeting took place in early March. “Suffolk County Police have been on board from the get-go,” he said, adding that EMS, fire and town traffic personnel also attended the meetings.

To supplement Riverhead’s 77 member police force, an estimated 200 additional officers were requested. S.C. Police officials noted that officers could not be “hired” by the concert promoter but could be requested by the Town. The estimated cost of the additional officers was put at “several million dollars,” and Riverhead would be billed at an overtime rate. Gallagher stated that there was no clear indication of who or how the County was going to be paid.

Riverhead council members tabled a resolution which would essentially have said that the promoters had done a complete SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act) review and met all criteria. “We believe they did,” MacLellan noted. The second resolution was to actually grant the “mass gathering” permit from the town.

Based on a comment from the promoter’s attorney at the Hauppauge press conference that the event may relocate to Giants’ stadium in the Meadowlands, some county officials speculated that that was the “backup” plan all along. As to why the concert, which Riverhead officials claim had so much pre-planning, failed to receive support on Long Island, others speculate that it appears there is room for only one concert promoter staging events on Long Island – and Dreskin couldn’t overcome the political hurdles.

As of yet there is no information on whether the concerts will be relocated or cancelled, nor how ticket holders would be refunded if alternate plans are not made.