Luke Bryan Farm Tour passes planning commission, moves to township board for approval

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HOWELL TWP. — With just over a month until the show date, a Luke Bryan concert is getting closer to final approval in Howell Township.
The township planning commission held a public hearing Aug. 12 to approve a special land use request to hold a Farm Tour concert at Van Gilder Farm, on the southwest corner of West Marr Road and Fleming Road, on Sept. 20.
The concert was originally supposed to be held at Kubiak Family Farms in Conway Township, which has hosted the same event twice before, but officials raised concerns. The last time Bryan performed in Conway, the township's cell service couldn't handle the increased number of people and cell service was down for attendees and nearby neighbors.
More: Is Luke Bryan still coming to Livingston County? It depends on permits
According to organizer Dennis Freeman, the township wanted him to work with service providers to get temporary cell towers to improve reception, something Freeman is still struggling to get.
Freeman also told the planning commission that Conway Township wanted requirements that he was not able to fill. That included the township wanting written approval from the Livingston County Sheriff's Office and Livingston County EMS, which both entities declined to provide.
LCSO, Livingston County EMS, Howell Area Fire Department and Fowlerville Police will be involved in providing public safety services for the event. According to Freeman, Bryan will be paying for these services in addition to providing 110 private security officers.
The University of Michigan Medical Center will also be setting up a field hospital in the area to treat medical needs on site, so ambulances are available for medical emergencies.
The maximum size of the crowd will be 20,000 attendees. Parking for the event will open up at 2 p.m. Bryan will go on stage from 9:30-11 p.m.
Freeman and commissioners discussed proper lighting in the parking area, staff numbers, security protocols, unexpected weather, traffic control and dust control on the dirt roads.
The main concern from township board trustee Tim Boal was cell reception. Freeman said the Howell Township farm had significantly better service than Kubiak Family Farms, so the risk of losing service completely was lower.
He also said that first responders will have access to FirstNet, a communications platform that prioritizes first responders calls and texts.
Freeman shared his efforts to get a portable cell tower from the three major cell carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. AT&T and T-Mobile were unable to provide what Freeman needed. Verizon has portable towers, but they require fiber. Freeman is still working with Verizon to try and provide towers.
A few members of the public pointed out that the surrounding neighbors have wi-fi in their homes, which isn't accessible to the public, so residents will still have use of their phones during the concert.
After over an hour of discussion, the planning commission unanimously voted to recommend approval to the township board. Commissioner Mike Newstead recused himself from the vote as he had purchased tickets to the concert several months ago.
The township board will hold a public hearing to approve or reject the special land use application at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 21 at Howell Township Hall.
Bryan is a five-time Entertainer of the Year, according to the Academy of Country Music Awards and Country Music Association Awards. Some of Bryan's hit songs include 'Country Girl (Shake It for Me),' 'That's My Kind of Night' and 'Drunk on You.'
The proposed date for Bryan's concert falls on the same weekend as Destination Stars Hollow in Brighton.
— Contact reporter Tess Ware at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Luke Bryan Farm Tour stop in Howell Township takes step toward approval
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