Following intense debates and familiar drama in the city's cultural scene, Forest Hills Stadium has received official approval to host amplified events again this summer. As per reports by ABC7NY, New York City has given the venue a nod to resume hosting its popular concerts, amidst noise complaints and crowd control issues that were raising the hackles of nearby residents.
According to a recent New York Post story, the NYPD has granted “conditional approval” for the summer concert series, setting forth terms to mollify the ruffled neighbors. These include compliance with city noise codes and the presence of adequate security measures.
In a display of optimism, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards celebrated the arrangement, stating, "Forest Hills Stadium is a cultural crown jewel of our borough, bringing diverse crowds from all over the world to Queens every summer through the unifying power of music," according to the New York Post. Apart from crowd-pleasers like Phish, the Black Keys, and Mumford and Sons lined up for almost 20 shows, the venue has vowed to deploy blocker cars and barricades around the stadium to appease the locals – a few hours before and after each toe-tapping event.
Concerned citizens' group from the neighborhood, seeing the conditional approval as a slight, criticized the decision. They feared the thumbing of laws in favor of the stadium's agenda. “This isn’t about concerts. It’s about the rule of law in New York City. The stadium and the tennis club should have to follow the same rules as everybody else. They shouldn’t be allowed to violate noise and zoning codes and avoid reasonable restrictions, like no ten-hour events and no concerts on school nights,” the Concerned Citizens of Forest Hills remarked in a statement obtained by the New York Post.
Amidst the slew of opinions, one local voiced a concern for the chaotic nature of these musical rendezvous. "There needs to be someone corralling this, it’s chaotic. It wasn’t this chaotic before," she lamented to the New York Post.
