SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — The Town of Southampton has now weighed its concerns about traffic and safety issues surrounding the Palm Tree Music Festival, which is taking place at Shinnecock Nation this weekend.
The event will take place on Saturday, June 22.
Southampton City Code Compliance and Emergency Management Manager Ryan Murphy spoke with Patch about concerns.
“Anytime you try to put on an event that includes 10,000 people without allocating enough time to plan such an event, it's a safety concern,” he said. “While we recognize that the event is outside of our jurisdiction and hope that whatever occurs will result in a safe event, the city has serious concerns about the ability of this event to be carried out safely and efficiently on such a short notice. Add the lack of planning for some of the jurisdictional nuances of what happens on sovereign ground — and we're not looking at a recipe for success.”
Murphy said he hopes attendees “will respect the tribal land they'll be visiting, as well as the surrounding community. The land they'll be on is no longer an airport, and there are tribal people who live around the event site on the reservation as well, I hope to respect the residential areas through which they pass coming and going from the event”.
To residents, Murphy said to expect “congested conditions in and around the areas from late afternoon to late evening. I think it's safe to assume the worst traffic conditions will be between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. .again from about 10pm to 12am, peak arrival and departure times, I would avoid travel to the area at all costs.'
The Elks Club also has its own carnival on County Road 39, he said, with fireworks at 9:30 p.m. and the event ends at 11 p.m.
For those with noise complaints, Murphy asked residents to file them online, through the city's SOS system, “as opposed to overwhelming the police with complaints. That will record your complaint and send it directly to enforcement code in the field,” he said. “Police, fire, EMS, hospital and all other public safety entities will take steps and establish procedures to try to mitigate the impact of this incident on the surrounding areas as best as possible — and maintain continuity of all emergency response services.”
A spokesman for the Shinnecock Nation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The city's concerns were expressed in addition to those raised by Southampton Village officials.
According to Southampton Village officials, “heavy traffic conditions are expected in and around Southampton Village throughout the day and into the evening.”
The MTA Long Island Rail Road will be used to transport people to the Southampton LIRR station. Buses will be on hand to transport people to the Shinnecock Nation for the event, the village said.
MTA police and Southampton village police will have a presence at the Southampton train station for arrivals and departures, officials added.
“If you live in the Shinnecock Nation area, you will hear the music,” the village said. “If you call the Village of Southampton Police Department about loud music in the area and it is determined that the music is coming from the territory of the Shinnecock Nation, no action can be taken as it is not within our jurisdiction,” officials added.
The event is expected to take place from noon to 2am. The concert ends at 10:30 p.m., and heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic is expected, officials said.
Village of Southampton residents have been advised not to use Montauk Highway from Hill Street/Tuckahoe Lane westbound to Southampton College/Tuckahoe Road.
“It's going to be a dead end,” village officials said.
In addition, temporary “No Parking” signs will be placed along Hill Street from Tuckahoe to Bishops Lane to prevent any event-goers from parking on Hill Street, officials said.
