Will the proposed Dee Amphitheater be a gem for Washington or become a burden for the city and taxpayers?
Many Washington residents have strong opinions about the project and more than 100 filled a banquet room at Five Points Washington on Monday for a Washington City Council committee of the whole meeting.
The council ultimately will decide the fate of the project.
Two agenda items about the amphitheater drew the crowd to the meeting, which lasted more than three hours with most of the discussion involving the amphitheater.
So what is the Dee Amphitheater?
The amphitheater is a dream of former Washington resident Jim Hengst.
He created the not-for-profit Hengst Foundation to build, maintain and operate the facility, named for his late wife Dee, another ex-Washington resident, and donated $12 million to build it.
The foundation would build the 5,000-seat amphitheater on about 47 acres -- including parking, landscaping and open space -- in the northeast portion of the city's "223" farmland property just south of U.S. Route 24 near Nofsinger Road.
The city's contribution to the project and future commercial growth on the property would be an estimated $3.5 million for infrastructure including an east-west road from Dallas Road, and maintenance of a detention basin constructed by the foundation on the southeast portion of the property.
If a redevelopment agreement with the foundation is approved this year by the council, the city expects the final design to be completed this year, construction would begin in 2026 and the facility would open in 2027.
The city will require the foundation to set aside enough funds to cover the cost of demolition should the amphitheater fail, Planning and Development Director Jon Oliphant said Monday.
Work won't begin on the infrastructure or amphitheater until that is done.
Mayor breaks tie on straw poll about delaying amphitheater votes until after the April 1 city election
The meeting Monday began with Alderperson Lilija Stevens asking for a straw poll of council members to see who would agree with postponing any vote or decision on the amphitheater until after the April 1 city election.
The result was 5-4 against, with Mayor Gary Manier breaking the tie.
Manier's wife Lada serves on the foundation's board. She is not paid. A legal opinion from the city's legal counsel requested by the council regarding a possible conflict of interest for the mayor has not been made public.
The alderpersons who said they didn't think the postponement was necessary and were concerned it would slow the council's due diligence on the project — Brett Adams, Mike Brownfield, Brian Butler and Bobby Martin III — all said they were not anywhere near ready to make a decision on the future of the amphitheater.
Alderpersons John Blundy, Mike McIntyre, Jamie Smith and Stevens said they approved the postponement.
Brownfield and Stevens are running for mayor. The winner will replace Manier, who is not running for re-election. A new alderperson will be elected in Ward 1, 2, and 3. McIntyre is running unopposed in Ward 4.
On another issue Monday, council agreed unanimously to ask foundation representatives to hold a town hall meeting as a forum to get community members' questions answered. It's the council's second request for a town hall meeting. The foundation held an open house Jan. 22 in response to the first request.
'There are better uses for the $12 million'
Six audience members spoke during public comment Monday.
Five expressed opposition to the amphitheater, citing concerns about its location, noise issues, concert-goers parking and walking through residential neighborhoods, and possible financial exposure for the city should the amphitheater close. Each speaker received applause from the audience.
A letter signed by 125 people asking for a 90-day hold on any council decisions on the amphitheater and a petition opposing the amphitheater signed by 656 were turned in.
Robin Hahn, who lives with her husband Brice on Wellington Road, about 2,000 feet away from the proposed location of the amphitheater, said sound from the venue is projected at between 70 and 90 decibels at her home, according to a study.
"We tested this at home with a decibel reader and our speakers. At that level, the sound is disruptive," she said. "I often take work conference calls from Asia from 7-10 p.m. This level of sound would negatively impact my ability to take these calls from my home office."
Other speakers suggested other appropriate uses for the $12 million donation by Jim Hengst such as enhancing music programs in Washington schools, creating a scholarship for music students, and helping Five Points Washington with its financial challenges, especially those involving the Caterpillar Performing Arts Center.
Re-naming the Performing Arts Center after Dee Hengst and even re-naming Five Points after her also were suggested.
"There are better uses for the $12 million," said Jackie Mason.
Mark Barra was the lone audience member who spoke in support of the amphitheater.
He praised Jim Hengst for his generous gift to the community and said others who favor the project don't want to comment on social media because "they'll get hammered."
Musician and composer Casey Doremus, who has been involved in the local music scene for many years, expressed concerns about the amphitheater's success and, quoting sources, said Nick LeRoy, the foundation's acting director of entertainment, does not have a good reputation in the concert promotion business.
During a presentation later in the meeting where he said the amphitheater would not hurt but help the Performing Arts Center, LeRoy questioned Doremus' credentials to comment on the amphitheater proposal.
That drew responses from Adams and McIntyre.
Adams criticized both men for their personal attacks. McIntyre directed his comments at LeRoy, saying it wasn't a good idea to denigrate a resident of the city where the foundation wants to build the amphitheater.
Foundation's letter of intent will 'formalize thoughts' and is non-binding
It's expected that the foundation will deliver a letter of intent concerning the amphitheater to the city this week.
Oliphant said Monday the non-binding letter will only lay out the foundation's and city's expected responsibilities for the amphitheater, and will not commit the city to anything.
City Attorney Derek Schryer agreed.
"I haven't put eyes on the letter, but I expect it will formalize thoughts so discussions between the foundation and city can continue in good faith," he said.
The contents of the letter of intent will be revealed at a future council meeting.
'Scary' sound issue concerns one alderperson
A memo issued Monday by city staff addressed residents' concerns about noise, parking and traffic flow at the amphitheater site.
In response, Blundy said he will not vote in favor of the amphitheater if it places any financial burden on taxpayers or its location causes any issues for neighboring residents.
He suggested building the amphitheater at a different location and said the city should sell the "223" property.
McIntyre said his major concern about the project is the sound from concerts potentially disrupting neighbors' lives. He called the sound issue "scary."
A letter from the Hengst Foundation board president
Washington attorney Bob Brown, who handles legal matters for the foundation, read a letter Monday from foundation board president R. Rennie Atterbury III.
Atterbury wrote that the foundation would build, manage and operate the amphitheater, with "no significant financial burden on the city," and raise money beyond the $12 million through an endowment fund.
