Newport council denies large Gardner Park music‑festival permit as written; encourages scaled revision

President Kevin Charbonneau opened discussion of a special permit requested by musician and promoter Markel Webster to stage a two‑day music festival in Gardner Park over Labor Day weekend. Webster told council he expects 3,500–4,000 attendees, would hire outside security, host a 3-on-3 basketball tournament and use food trucks and local vendors.

Department heads who met with Webster — including Public Works and the police and fire chiefs — raised logistical concerns. Charbonneau summarized the staff feedback: difficulty containing an open park, limited on‑site parking, the challenge of controlling overnight camping, and police staffing needs on a holiday weekend. Tom Bernier, Public Works, also warned that use of the park’s fields for an event of that size could damage turf, especially if heavy rain turns the site to mud.

Council members asked detailed questions about crowd control, porta‑toilet servicing, volunteer and public‑works staffing, and off‑site parking or shuttle options. Resident speakers referenced prior large events in the region and stressed both opportunity and precedent; Jennifer Bierling and others raised concerns about traffic and gridlock during recent large gatherings.

Council Member Andrew Touchette and others said they were receptive to the idea in principle but worried the proposal as submitted exceeded the city’s operational capacity for a first‑time event. Council Member Carter Finnegan moved to deny the permit "as written" based on department advice and logistics; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. President Charbonneau emphasized that the denial left the door open for Webster and staff to develop a smaller or more tightly controlled plan and return to council.