Hearing, decision on LIVEstock Music Festival to wait until July

Thursday, June 17, 2021

The fate of a Warren Township Music Festival will have to wait another month.

Already on the Putnam County Board of Zoning Appeals agenda twice, the decision on a requested special exception by Willer Timber Ridge to host LIVEstock music festival will not formally be heard until BZA meeting on Monday, July 12.

The BZA was ready to continue the hearing during its June meeting on Monday evening until problems were pointed out by an attorney representing neighbors objecting to the festival.

Brian Zager of the firm Krieg DeVault questioned the validity of Monday’s hearing based on the fact that word had gone out in the middle of the week prior that the exception would not be on the agenda.

The May hearing had already been problematic based on some problems regarding legal notification for the meeting.

After discussion by the five-member BZA and County Attorney Jim Ensley, who joined via telephone, the decision was made not only to wait until July but to start the hearing over again to avoid any questions about notification to those who might be for or against the exception.

The Willers actually hosted LIVEstock in 2019 and 2020, but complaints by neighbors about the noise level and long hours led to questions over whether such an event is an allowed use in the Agriculture 1 district in which the Willer farm sits.

Currently, the 2021 festival remains scheduled for Sept. 17-19.

The Monday, July 12 meeting is set for 7 p.m. on the east side of the Putnam County Fairgrounds Community Building.

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  • We live 4-5 miles away. We thought the music was coming from our backyard as we could hear it plainly from inside our home with the windows closed. I do not want this to be approved. We had no prior notification that this would be happening and were angry that we were forced to listen to this for hours and hours. The track in Putnamville makes less noise than this concert.

    -- Posted by agatha on Thu, Jun 17, 2021, at 4:13 PM
  • If you move into a place that has something like LIVEstock Music Festival that is one thing, but for the Willers to just start having this festival is plain wrong. Stated by "Agatha" they live 4-5 miles away and so loud they could here it inside with the windows closed. Factor in the fact that this goes on till the early morning hours. The promoters of this even don't seem to want to work with neighbors. Why not start at say 4pm and shut it down by midnight if they must have it. I hope the Commissioners listen to the neighbors and not the promoter and festival goers .

    -- Posted by Workingthesoil on Thu, Jun 17, 2021, at 4:57 PM
  • I understand the noise complaints BUT I also see the side of the Wilson’s. This is a weekend getaway for music lovers young and old. This gives our local youngsters (I know of 18 kids in the age range of 18-28 that attended the whole weekend). It gives our community something different to be able to enjoy. Putnam county allows Spiker to make money (some unaccounted for tax purposes) at the Lincoln Park, let these people have their festival.

    -- Posted by fedUPtaxpayer2 on Fri, Jun 18, 2021, at 5:58 AM
  • I hear guns blasting, fireworks going off, DPU fraternities music, downtown festival music, Buzzi explosions, etc regularly! Having a 1-weekend music festival for all to enjoy, other than a few uptight neighbors, is no reason to disallow it to continue! This festival will benefit local vendors, and attracts visitors from all around the state!

    Music is a beautiful thing, which is great for all of our spirits after going through the Virus, and being subjected to higher taxes, and greater costs of living these last 100 days! Loosen up people! You might enjoy yourselves!

    -- Posted by ValHalla84 on Fri, Jun 18, 2021, at 12:41 PM
  • Well said!

    -- Posted by beg on Fri, Jun 18, 2021, at 1:56 PM
  • If you are paying higher taxes the last hundred days, you need to find a new accountant immediately.

    -- Posted by Koios on Fri, Jun 18, 2021, at 8:01 PM
  • Seem to me both are right- rates aren’t higher but if prices of goods going up, then out of pocket for the sales tax would be higher.

    Fuel would be best example. The PPG is higher than 30 days ago. The tax rate is the same. The out of pocket is higher. So, I guess it depends on how you define higher taxes.

    On a different note, I wonder what a citizens position on taxes would be if we had to write a check for all taxes instead of having it part of purchase and removed from our checks.

    -- Posted by beg on Sat, Jun 19, 2021, at 7:47 AM
  • I live about a half a mile from the Willers and the music fest last year was so loud it felt like it was beating in my heart and it was such an uncomfortable feeling at first by the end of the weekend my whole body was hurting from the beat and no sleep, It was miserable to a lot of neighbors and our furry friends. I can’t imagine having to deal with kids and baby’s all weekend, we all know how cranky they can be when they are tired. I think they should move it to the city, maybe the fairgrounds, oh wait does the fairgrounds even hold the capacity of 4000 people like they said attended last year.I am also curious as to if they had enough security to keep these people, out of towers, not to mention alot of them were either drunk or high from the alcohol and drugs that go on over there, and we all know what that does to alot of people, it makes them do things they wouldn’t normally do, so how safe are the neighbors around Mr. Willer when this goes on.

    -- Posted by LIFE2019 on Sat, Jun 19, 2021, at 11:31 AM
  • ValHalla84. Maybe this could be moved to your neighborhood?? And LIFE2019 is right about the drug use. Perhaps when this gets moved out to ValHalla84’s neighborhood they will get the police to patrol and put a stop to the drug use in the county at this festival.

    -- Posted by agatha on Sat, Jun 19, 2021, at 9:47 PM
  • If you think canceling a festival will reduce drug use in this county, you don’t know much about drug use in this county.

    -- Posted by techphcy on Mon, Jun 21, 2021, at 11:32 AM
  • Agatha; I would love this to be in my neighborhood for a weekend! But, I wouldn't want to place a minor, temporary inconvenience on hundreds or thousands of people, instead of a few dozen, at most. As for the drug problem in this county, those people don't work, so therefore, can't afford a ticket to this music fest! Why don't you just plan a small vacation on that weekend to avoid any conflict with people enjoying life!

    -- Posted by ValHalla84 on Mon, Jun 21, 2021, at 11:50 AM
  • I think the issue being presented by those that are being represented by an attorney are questioning whether this is even allowed in an Agriculture 1 district as well as the annoyance of the noise. I am saying move this into a neighborhood where the neighbors would love to have it (such as yours) instead of where the neighbors do not want it. If you think it affects only a few dozen people you are being just simply ridiculous. Also, if you think those that use pot in this county are only the unemployed you are willfully ignorant.

    -- Posted by agatha on Mon, Jun 21, 2021, at 1:03 PM
  • Those of us highly educated, gainfully employed citizens who on occasion smoke marijuana, are not who I referenced. The ones who are abusing drugs (meth,Rx drugs, opiates, heroin, cocaine)are the ones with a "drug problem".

    -- Posted by ValHalla84 on Mon, Jun 21, 2021, at 2:19 PM
  • *

    Why not just compromise?

    Let the festival go on... special exception granted.

    However, make the festival responsible for adequate security and responsible for damages to the surrounding neighbors property.

    How about a bond? That way the money is guaranteed.

    Neighbors, its one weekend. I know it sucks. Once in a while my neighbors throw parties.

    But they don't invade my property or my life.

    And we get along pretty well.

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Tue, Jun 22, 2021, at 7:20 PM
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