CARNATION, Wash. — A group of concerned citizens in Carnation are voicing their frustration over a new concert series coming to the popular Remlinger Farms next month.
"It's an issue of how fragile these two lane country roads are and we're a one stop light town, said Carnation resident Jules Hughes.
One of her biggest concerns is traffic. Putting Carnation into Google Maps takes you almost right to Remlinger Farms, meaning there's not many ways from Seattle to get there.
Hughes is one of three members of the Carnation Community Alliance, which started in December, in opposition to the concert series run by the Seattle Theater Group and coming to Remlinger Farms, a popular destination for berry picking in the summer and pumpkin picking in the fall.
Steve Foster, who is also on the alliance, as has lived in Carnation for 65 years, said those two activities alone already bring in traffic.
"It can be backed up from that intersection all the way to the bridge at the base of Tolt Hill," said Foster.
The main issue is the size of the concerts which will bring in 6,000 people during a 3.5 hour time frame. Current permits allow for up to 34 events a year in addition to other family activities Remlinger puts on.
"Like all these cars coming in 34 times a year, parking with that many and all the pollution and degradation of soils and farm land," said Hughes.
Remlinger Farms did not return requests for comment.
Traffic aside, the alliance says environmental and noise pollution are big concerns too and they're wondering why the city and county allowed permits to go through without proper research.
Carnation is part of unincorporated King County, but part of the farm sits on city owned land meaning both the city and King County needed to approve separate permits.
"Our concerns were what they (the alliance) had and I think the what Remlinger put in place with traffic mitigation and noise mitigation. I'm not going to say there's not going to be any traffic and its not going to be painful at times, but I don't think it's going to be as bad as people are making it out to be," said Carnation Mayor Jim Ribail.
Ribail said Remlinger has hosted concerts of this size before, learned from their mistakes and are better prepared to tackle issues like traffic.
He also said he was involved in the permitting process and claims they went through legally and with extensive research and public comment.
That is enough for Hughes and Foster and who say they want more transparency on the permit approval process.
"I want to be clear this isn't anti-Remlinger, this isn't anti-STG," Hughes said. "This is pro-Snoqualmie Valley and its protections."