MELROSE, Fla. (WCJB) -Residents are split over a proposed three-day music festival at Wildflowers Music Park after organizers submitted their temporary use permit to county officials.
The Wildflowers Music Festival would take place in March on a 270-acre property, but neighbors have raised concerns about crowd size, traffic and the event’s impact on their community.
Resident Steve Lebel said the festival’s location troubles him and other neighbors.
“Fundamentally it’s the impact on the neighbors; they’ve selected a site that’s in the immediate neighborhood,” Lebel said. “People move to Melrose to find peace and quiet and a concert venue immediately adjacent to the village is going to impact that.”,
Lebel said traffic, emergency access and environmental risks top his list of concerns. He argued that because campers won’t need to leave the site, Melrose won’t see the economic boost some expect.
“It appears that the services that campers want will be provided on-site,” he said. “There is a little bit of retail but folks aren’t going to leave their camp site if they can buy whatever they want on site.”
Not all neighbors oppose the festival. Some residents say the event could bring new energy to Melrose and point to similar festivals around the country that have operated safely for years.
Larry Easton, who lives across the street from the proposed site, said the festival could provide cultural enrichment and help attract young families.
“It’s going to be a permanent green space, they have marvelous conservation plans, we love the idea of a music festival but I think it’s important for Melrose if we’re going to avoid the fade of Waldo and Hawthorne,” Easton said.
Easton said families have attended similar festivals for decades and the events have become important parts of their lives.
“I think it can provide some real cultural enrichment to our town and encourage young families to probably consider moving there,” he said.
He said opposition is driven by fears that don’t match what he’s seen at similar festivals.
Wildflower Music Festival officials sent TV20 a statement:
County officials said they will begin reviewing the temporary use permit next week.
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