ALPINE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The Alpine Township Board of Trustees decided concerts at a popular Kent County farm can continue this summer.
That decision comes with some stipulations, however.
In a unanimous vote, the Board said Ed Dunneback & Girls Fruit Farm may hold three additional concerts, but only if the owners continue to work with the township on other perceived zoning and ordinance violations.
Should they not do that, the resolution passed says trustees reserve the right to prohibit the final two concerts.
But Stephanie Ginsberg, one of the farm’s co-owners says they plan to meet with the Board and accommodate any requests.
This all started last month when Ed Dunneback & Girls originally tried to get permission for four concerts held at their farm once a month during the summer.
At the time, trustees conveyed concerns about the noise made after they received a handful of complaints from neighbors.
Ginsberg explained members of her family, who live next to the farm too, cannot hear any music — and the performances end no later than 9 p.m.
The Board ultimately decided to sign off on the first and consider whether to approve the rest at a later date.
READ MORE: Future of concerts at popular Kent County farm in question due to noise concerns
During Monday night’s meeting, trustees still seemed worried about the noise levels as well as issues created during separate events on the farm, like not enough parking in the fall.
However, since no one against the concerts spoke up, they acknowledged it’s likely too small of a concern not to allow them.
The Board hopes to address those other problems through the talks.
Ginsberg says the future of Ed Dunneback & Girls relies on “agrotainment” like this.
“I think the biggest thing that I’ve come to the conclusion with is everybody tells me it’s not about these concerts; it’s about everything else that we’re doing, and for me, that’s difficult for me to understand because our whole farm has been about bringing people to the farm,” says Ginsberg. “Cars in the parking lot mean that we’re surviving. An empty parking lot means we’re not surviving.”
