Forest Hills Stadium 'moving forward' with summer concerts despite noise permit fight
NYPD denies safety permits for Forest Hills Stadium
Forest Hills Stadium in Queens says the summer concert season will continue as planned—despite being denied safety permits by the NYPD following a surge in neighborhood noise complaints. Residents of Forest Hills Gardens say the once-harmonious events have become overwhelming post-pandemic, citing late-night shows, increased traffic, and violations of noise limits. FOX 5’s Lisa Evers reports from Forest Hills with the details.
NEW YORK - Forest Hills Stadium in Queens faces the potential cancelation of its summer concert series amid escalating noise complaints from nearby residents, according to a New York Post report.
Yet the stadium insists that the shows will go on.
The open-air venue has 12 concerts on the docket from May until October, including Phish, Alabama Shakes and The Black Keys.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 29: Atmosphere as GOOSE performs at Forest Hills Stadium on June 29, 2024 in Queens, New York. (Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images)
Why Forest Hills Stadium may not host its summer concert series
What we know:
The stadium's location, tucked among residential homes in a typically quiet neighborhood, has led to resident complaints over noise, trash and crowds.
According to the Post, an NYPD Legal Bureau letter of notice shows that the stadium's sound amplification permits were revoked last week.
The permits were denied after the Forest Hills Garden Corporation blocked access to a series of private roads surrounding the venue, meaning the NYPD would not be able to manage public safety during these events, according to the report.
Despite the reported permit withdrawal, the West Side Tennis Club, which owns the stadium, claims it has not received any communication from police regarding the matter.
The stadium tweeted late Sunday that it's "moving forward with our 2025 concert schedule as planned and our permitting timeline is on its standard schedule."
"As happens every season, the vocal NIMBY minority of Forest Hills Gardens are attempting to roadblock yet another enjoyable season of music," the tweet read.
The backstory:
The 13,000-capacity stadium, built in the 1920s, was designed to host the U.S. Open tennis tournament but began booking concerts in the 1960s, hosting the likes of The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and The Rolling Stones.
Yet in recent years, residents have reported excessively loud shows causing damage to walls and affecting children's schoolwork. Others reported streets littered with trash after shows.
"I live 3-4 blocks away … I can't even hear the TV because I'm listening to the stadium music. Is that fair as a resident who pays taxes here?" John Clauss, a longtime Forest Hills resident, told FOX 5 NY last spring.
A lawsuit filed by homeowners in 2023 led to a judge ordering the venue to control noise levels.
The stadium was slapped with 11 violations last summer, according to another Post report, as several events exceeded the 68-decibel noise limit set after the lawsuit.
Judge orders Forest Hills Stadium to turn it down
A ruling from a New York State Supreme Court Judge is ordering Forest Hills Stadium to keep the noise generated by the concerts there must be kept to a reasonable level. FOX 5 NY's Stephanie Bertini has the story.
What's next:
With permits reportedly pulled and no concerts planned, the stadium and residents must navigate the ongoing dispute over noise levels and community impact. The situation highlights the challenges of balancing entertainment events with neighborhood tranquility.
"We remain committed to working with all stakeholders to find a balanced solution that addresses concert impacts while respecting our community," FHGC president Anthony Oprisiu said in a statement.
"It is our hope that the West Side Tennis Club and FHGC come together and reach a solution to this issue so that the NYPD may resume issuance of sound amplification permits," Legal Bureau Inspector William Gallagher wrote in his letter.
The Source: This article uses reporting from the New York Post, the Forest Hills Stadium website and previous on-the-ground interviews from FOX 5 NY reporters.