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While I believe that a music festival would be great for Portland, I feel that this specific proposal is not acceptable. Below are a few of my key reasons:

This important decision is being rushed. C3 apparently needs their application to be reviewed and approved by November 21 so they can secure the acts for the festival. While this may be the case, the City shouldn't have to rush into such an important decision without all the essential information. This is especially true because C3 is asking for a 10-year contract and they have apparently stated that they’re not interested in a 1-year contract, which is what they have in at least some other cities. This application and idea needs more time and consideration, regardless of if it is for a single event or many over 10 years.

C3's application lacks many essential details. In order for the Council/City to approve something this significant, we should have MUCH more information. C3 filled out the same application that is used for a small gathering in a public park (which is the only application the city has because large-scale for-profit events are not hosted in public parks, or haven’t been previously). The submitted application cannot suffice for an event/proposal of this scale. While the City of Portland’s application asks for maps and plans, it does not technically require them, and C3 has opted not to provide them. Instead they have promised to "work with the City,” which feels dangerously inadequate. If feel you need much more information in order to even consider this, including:

• A full map showing exact fence lines, entrances and exits, stages, VIP areas, porta potties, food & beverage vendors, sponsor areas, etc. 
• A clear understanding of how the park will be altered and especially what recreation areas will really be impacted, both temporarily and long term. Also a clear understanding of where heavy vehicles and build-outs will be (on grass vs. on cement).
• A full plan of how and when streets and trails will be blocked off, how the surrounding residential areas and properties will be protected, how trash will be collected both in the park and in surrounding neighborhoods, etc. 
• A full plan for transportation, parking, etc. which is a huge concern here having no public transportation or available parking lots anywhere nearby.
• A full staffing plan, including all City personnel that would be required (to ensure the City can even supply the personnel for a festival this large).   

July is bad timing. July is the height of tourism season in Maine. All of the hotels and short-term rentals are full, restaurants are completely booked and shops are thriving. It would be foolhardy to try to bring in 20,000-40,000 more people (many of the festival goers would not be local, especially at a $175+ ticket price/person/day). A better choice for a festival might be in late-to-mid-October.

Payson Park is the wrong venue. I want to be very clear that this is not a NIMBY (“Not in my Backyard”) situation. I live on Payson Park and I would frankly love to have incredible music playing in the park. I also think events and festivals in the triangle by Back Cove (which is where most larger events are held here) are amazing! But there are serious concerns with using the entirety of Payson Park specifically. 

• Payson is a major recreation park for the city, where users play tennis and basketball, attend work out, tai chi, dance and yoga classes, run and cycle, play frisbee, walk their dogs, sled, skate, etc. In the summer, it's used daily for recreation and sports leagues – football, soccer, flag football, dodgeball, softball, baseball, Little League, and even practices for Cheverus High School teams. 
• C3 states the park will be closed down for the festival itself (possibly fully shut down for 5 days) and parts of it will be closed for up to 10-13 days including setup/breakdown. But the impact will likely be MUCH longer according to what other cities experience with C3 festivals. 
• If the grass is damaged in any way, which it almost certainly will be, it will need to be replanted and then tended while it grows back, which could effectively close down the park for up to 6-8 weeks! 
• If the courts (basketball and tennis) are damaged, which they can be if used for porta-potties or VIP areas (which they often are because they are prime flat surfaces – in Atlanta and other cities, C3 removes the nets and the chain link around the courts to be able to use them), they would need to be resurfaced, which takes major time, money, and materials. C3 is proposing that the City would be responsible for all this work, which they would be compensated for by the insurance C3 would take out on the park. But this is substantial restoration work being asked of our City's Parks Department staff, who are already tending to the ever-expanding needs of the City's parks.
• There are concerning potential environmental impacts on Payson Park outside of the impact to recreation. There are pollinator gardens which would undoubtedly have to be cut down for the festival, destroying the pollinator ecosystem there. There are fragile trees in the arboretum, and a stormwater separation area. And the park is already experiencing drainage concerns.  
• The road running through Payson currently accommodates about 2,000 cars a day. Closing down or restricting access for up to 10-13 days is going to have a major impact on traffic, especially while Baxter Blvd. is still closed (which it is supposed to be through the proposed timeline). 
• There is no parking and no public transportation to the area. Why not use a venue or park with nearby or already designated parking or one that is on the peninsula so people can access it more easily and are closer to businesses that could benefit from the added patronage?
• I’m sure there are better locations for a festival of this scale, with better access to transportation and less impact on the lives of Portlanders. There are other parks that would fit that bill as well as other private properties. Other cities have successfully held large festivals in paved areas to avoid the inevitable damage to their green spaces. 
• Citizens and organizations are also raising important questions about private corporations using a public park for a for-profit event, which also was a concern in the City’s decision-making around Congress Square Park. 
• Is it legal to close a public park for a private event, according to the city’s definition of a public park and what the parks were specifically intended for. For more information on this, I have attached the Friends of Payson Park Position Paper to the City which addresses this in detail if it’s of interest.
• What will the future potential impact be here – is this Pandora's Box of large for-profit events? Wouldn’t it be smart for the city to make a decision on for-profit events in general in city parks or property (what size, how many, where, costs, full process) first before jumping into an approval of one.

Who does this really benefit and how? In general, I believe the City and its residents could benefit from hosting a large music festival. But we do not have nearly enough information to determine how and how much this will benefit the City, its residents, or C3. C3 provides very minimal financial information in their application, which only states that the City will receive $1 of every ticket price (apparently at least $175 a ticket, and possibly much more according to what other C3 festivals cost; C3 has not disclosed ticket prices in the application). C3 has chosen to partner with the Parks Conservancy, who can reportedly “expect to receive a 6-figure donation.” C3 will see that City services are paid for the work they do (Parks & Rec, fire, EMS, etc. – again, if there are even enough staff to perform the work, and it will be A LOT of work requiring A LOT of city staff). 

This is all rather vague. We need concrete information on costs and benefits–who is paying, who will benefit, and how–so that we can make an informed choice. Personally, I would love for an organizer to partner transparently with the City to build a festival that would truly benefit the City and its residents, and to do the genuine work to build trust and create buy-in BEFORE something like this is approved. And I would like for that to include a lot more concrete financial information.  

In Conclusion: I want to reiterate that I think a music festival in Portland is a great ideal. But what and how C3 is proposing is not the right solution. This application provides insufficient information and too many questions. I ask that the City Council NOT APPROVE this application and instead consider how to find the right solution. I propose that the City of Portland proactively put out an RFP (request for proposals) and review proposals from different festival organizers (ideally even local organizers), to find the best solution addressing these essential questions:

• Who is the right partner to work with? 
• What is the best size festival to have and why?
• What is the best timing?
• What is the best venue?
• Who will benefit from this and how?