Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

The Luke Bryan concert is one step closer to approval in Howell Township.

During Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting, the proposal was approved by a vote seven to zero. One member, Mike Newstead, recused himself from the vote. Newstead purchased tickets for the concert prior to the proposed change, but wanted to avoid any conflicts of interest.

The concert, part of Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour, was originally set to be held at the Kubiak Family Farms in Conway Township. The farm has hosted the concert for years, but organizers were unable to meet some of the Township’s requirements.

Dennis Freeman is with operations for the tour, and told WHMI prior to the meeting that one of the biggest issues was cell service. The original site doesn’t have great reception, he said, and adding thousands of people to the area makes it worse.

During the meeting, Freeman said he was trying to secure a temporary cell tower, but it didn’t seem likely that they would be able to secure it. He was in talks with Verizon, but they need fiber optics to connect, which would be difficult for a one-day event. First responders have access to First Net through portable cell towers designed for emergency services.

Concerns were voiced about cell reception, not just for concertgoers, but also for residents in the area. Both commission members and members of the public said residents could make calls through their WiFi if needed. Freeman said with the number of emergency personnel on site, concertgoers wouldn’t need to worry about calling 911.

Personnel from the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, Livingston County EMS, Howell Fire and doctors and nurses from University of Michigan Health will be on hand in case of any emergencies. Organizers also put up a field hospital to ensure many health problems can be addressed without needing to transport people via ambulance. There will also be private security officers along with other employees hired by the tour to make sure things run smoothly.

Board Representative Tim Boal raised concerns over a portion of the emergency plan submitted by Freeman that reportedly said all final decisions would be made by Luke Bryan’s management team. Freeman said that excluded issues that would be handled by law enforcement, such as an active shooter.

Cohoctah Township Supervisor Mark Fosdick also attended. He wanted to ensure there would be minimum impact to residents in the Township, especially regarding noise and traffic. Freeman said organizers work to minimize noise bleeding into surrounding areas. He said traffic would mostly utilize the routes laid out in the map he included in the packet, which can be found through the link below.

Parking for the concert, scheduled for Sept. 20, is scheduled to open at 2 p.m. The concert begins at 5 p.m. and wraps up at 11 p.m. Freeman said parking typically empties within two hours, with people beginning to trickle out around 10 p.m.

The Howell Township Board meets on Aug. 21 to vote on the proposal.