At a private meeting with Watkins Glen residents near the festival site, Schuyler County Sheriff William Yessman and WGI racetrack President Michael Printup told neighbors that the festival organizers and local officials were prepared to deal with the crowds and traffic efficiently, according to an article in the (Elmira NY) Star-Gazette.

The Sheriff told the neighbors "not to expect another 1973", referring to the "Summer Jam" that year with the Dead, Allman Brothers and the Band and the estimated 600,000, mostly ticketless, who showed up. As a result, large outdoor concerts were banned in Schuyler County until last year. Sheriff Yessman said that he's "done more planning on this event than any other event I've been involved with in my 26 years on the job". The planning included attending Coachella last year to observe security operations and to monthly meetings that brought together representatives of emergency services, law enforcement, WGI and the Phish promoters.

Printup noted that the 60,000 cap was less than the NASCAR events at the track and that the WGI is experienced in handling large crowds and traffiic. The article also stated that WGI had filed a 400 page Environmental Impact Statement regarding potential impacts and mitigation of the Phish and other festivals WGI plans to host at the racetrack.

It would appear that, easy access wise, Superball IX will be more like Festival Eight at the Coachella site in Indio than the hours backup-ed, traffic-clogged festival gates at Limestone, ME, The Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, and the "Newport State Airport" in Coventry, VT. Sounds like good news to me!

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BETHEL — The Town of Bethel has imposed a fee on property owners who plan to allow campers on their property this summer as it braces for thousands at the three-day Phish concert on the Memorial Day weekend.

The Town Board recently passed a $50 fee for a temporary camping permit.

Supervisor Dan Sturm said the town has no plans to amend its camping or noise ordinances but will have town code enforcement officers inspecting known camping sites during the weekend to ensure that property owners are complying with the pre-existing laws.

The camping permit was also passed to help the town keep tabs on the camping sites that weekend.

"We are not looking to fine people, but we do have an obligation to protect neighbors and property owners, and to enforce our code," he said.

Bethel law restricts the number of campsites to four per parcel. "

From an article "Fee imposed for Phish camping" by Victor Whitman in the (Middletown, NY) Times Herald-Record (5/8/11)