WATERVILLE, Ohio — The debate continues over whether an amphitheater will be built in Waterville.
Waterville City Council held a special meeting Monday night for the second of three readings, and like previous meetings on the subject, a full crowd was in attendance.
A vote won't take place on the music venue for another couple of weeks, but the special planning commission voted 3-2 on Sept. 12 in favor of building the amphitheater.
Waterville residents with opinions on the development are still making their voices heard. Some people see it as a positive for the area, and others believe it's just not the right fit for the community.
Opposed residents are concerned about noise, traffic and safety, among other issues.
"As soon as I heard that alcohol will be served, this isn't part of what Waterville is about. This isn't like our community. This isn't what I want for our kids," Waterville resident Julie Ryan said.
Meanwhile, other residents are excited about all the potential it could bring.
"Other developments, like retail, have their own risks," Waterville resident Kyle Jazwiecki said. "10 years from now a retail center might be dying just like a lot of them in the area already are. I see entertainment as something that's sustainable, something that's in high demand into the future."
Waterville is continuing to grow and some residents see the plot of land inevitably being filled eventually.
Some residents who live in the subdivision behind the proposed space said they are not against having something there, nor are they against Waterville's growth. But they are against an amphitheater that could potentially hold more people than the Huntington Center.
From the planning commission's approval of the permit, there are multiple conditions that the project developers, Hunter Brucks, Chris Campbell and John Henry, have to abide by for the project to move forward before the vote on Oct. 10:
- Max capacity of 9,300 people
- General hours of operation with financial penalty for going over those times
- Management of flow of traffic
- Detailed site plan
- Additional lane of traffic to accommodate increased traffic
- Developers' public safety plan needs approval
- Set admission tax
- Limit on number of events
There were also 10 more conditions added at Monday's meeting that require approval from the developers before they can be shared publicly.
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