Proposed mass gathering rules draw pushback at public hearing

Under proposed rule changes, more mass gatherings
would need a permit from the County.

SMITHFIELD — County Commissioners could decide on Aug. 17 whether to amend an ordinance on mass gatherings.

Among other things, staff has recommended that the County require a permit for gatherings of more than 2,500 people. That’s down from 4,000 in the current ordinance.

During a public hearing on Aug. 3, speaker after speaker found fault with the proposed changes and the rule in general, calling them onerous and an infringement of the right to assemble.

“The proposed revisions substantially expand the scope and regulatory burden of the ordinance,” said Eddie Rowe, a Princeton-area farmer. 

He listed some of them. “The proposed ordinance requires numerous written operational plans covering medical care, emergency response, sanitation, parking, lighting, security, food service, crowd control, temporary structures and many other operational details,” Rowe said.

He found fault too with an existing provision that requires mass gatherings to be at least 1,500 feet from the nearest neighbor. That’s onerous enough when 4,000 people require a permit and the rules that come with it. It’ll be more so when the trigger is 2,500, said Rowe, who wants to build a venue on his farmland.

Other venue owners have told him to plan something capable of accommodating 3,500 to 4,000 people. “Everybody’s telling me that’s where I need to be,” Rowe said.

That would be a lot easier if the threshold stayed where it is, he said. “I could be closer than 1,500 feet,” Rowe noted. 

Assistant County Attorney Marie Coates defended the ordinance and the proposed amendments. By requiring a permit and proper planning, County staff can help ensure a venue is suitable for the expected crowd, that adequate sanitation is available, and that emergency services can easily navigate the venue if needed.

“Those conversations can happen when folks come to the table,” Coates said. “But when they don’t or when the expectations aren’t clear, then it’s a free-for-all, and it’s unsafe.”

Leon Cobb told Commissioners that he loved the U.S. Constitution, which says Congress shall pass no law restricting the right to peaceably assemble. “And when you’re peacefully assembled, and nobody’s cutting up, 10,000 people ought to be all right,” he said. “If you’ve got 10,000 law-abiding citizens, that’s no problem.”

That struck a chord with Commissioner Ted Godwin. “That’s right,” he said. “I agree.”

“I find myself agreeing with a lot that was said tonight,” Godwin said. “In fact, I’m finding myself more and more leaning to let’s leave the thing alone, right where it is. Just enforce it.”

The proposed revisions, at least in part, are a response to a mass gathering last year near Princeton that required emergency response after people became ill or were injured. Had they been aware of the gathering, they could have ensured extra Emergency Services staff were on duty, County officials have said.

Commissioner Mike Rose hit on the crux of the debate. “We are tasked with making sure that we don’t restrict people’s freedoms,” he said, “but we keep them safe at the same time. Both of those have to be considered.”

The proposed revisions are on the agenda for the Commissioners’ 6 p.m. meeting on Aug. 17.