New 'Gridlock', Safety Concerns Sparked By Palm Tree Music Festival

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Southampton Town has now weighed in with their concerns regarding traffic and safety issues surrounding the Palm Tree Music Festival, which takes place at the Shinnecock Nation this weekend.

The event takes place on Saturday, June 22.

Southampton Town Town Code Compliance and Emergency Management Administrator Ryan Murphy spoke with Patch about concerns.

"Any time you attempt to have an event involving 10,000 people without allocating sufficient time to plan for such an event, it invites concern for safety," he said. "Although we recognize that the event is outside our jurisdiction and hope that whatever occurs will end up being a safe event, the town does have serious concerns about the ability of this event to occur safely and effectively on such short notice. Add to the lack of planning some of the jurisdictional nuances of the event occurring in sovereign territory — and we are not looking at a recipe for success."

Murphy said he hopes attendees "respect the tribal land that they will be visiting, as well as the surrounding community. The land that they will be on is not an airport any longer, and there are tribal residents that live there surrounding the event site on the reservation. I also hope that they are respectful of the residential areas they pass through coming and going from the event."

To residents, Murphy said to expect "gridlock conditions in and around the areas from late afternoon through late evening. I think it is safe to assume the worst traffic conditions will be in the 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. hours, and again from about 10 p.m. to 12 a.m., times with the highest expected arrival and departure times. I would avoid travel in the area at all cost."

The Elks Club also has its carnival taking place on County Road 39 at the same, he said, with fireworks at 9:30 p.m. and the event ending at 11 p.m.

For those with noise complaints, Murphy asked that residents submit those online, via the town's SOS system, "as opposed to overwhelming police dispatch with the complaints. This will record your complaint and will send it directly to code enforcement in the field," he said. "Police, fire departments, EMS, the hospital and all other public safety entities will be taking actions and enacting procedures to try to mitigate the impact of this event to the surrounding areas as best as possible — and to preserve continuity of all emergency response services."

A representative for the Shinnecock Nation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The town's concerns were voiced in addition to those detailed by Southampton Village officials.

According to Southampton Village officials, "heavy traffic conditions in and around Southampton Village throughout the day and evening" are expected.

The MTA Long Island Rail Road will be utilized to transport people to the Southampton LIRR station; shuttle buses will be on standby to transport individuals 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 vicinity of the Shinnecock Nation, you will hear the music," the village said. "If you do call the Southampton Village Police Department for loud music in the area, and it is determined the music is coming from the Shinnecock Nation’s territory, no action can be taken as it does not fall under our jurisdiction," officials added.

The event is expected to take place from noon through 2 a.m.; the concert ends at 10:30 p.m. and heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic is expected, officials said.

Southampton Village residents have been told not utilize Montauk Highway from Hill Street/Tuckahoe Lane westbound to Southampton College/Tuckahoe Road.

"It will be gridlocked," village officials said.

In addition, temporary "No Parking" signs will be placed along both Hill Street from Tuckahoe to Bishops Lane, to prevent any event-goers from parking on Hill Street, officials said.