WildFlowers Music Park will be a venue for music, dance, arts, education, and enjoyment of the outdoors. The property is approximately 270 acres just south of Melrose, Florida. The community of Melrose is at the corner of four counties, and has a long history of agriculture, the creative arts, and relaxed lakefront living. As a nature park, it will have a 2.5 mile loop trail through five distinct Florida ecosystems that will be open to the public. The land is a gently rolling mosaic of upland meadows, mixed hardwood forests, and wetlands that range from small sinkholes to bottomland swamps to a 10-acre ephemeral sandhill lake. WildFlowers is more than a name – many species of native wildflowers will be actively propagated on the site as a seed-source for other ecological restoration projects. Wildflowers is also the title of an album and song by local musical legend Tom Petty, and is an inspiration that resonates with our place and purpose:

You belong among the wildflowers

You belong somewhere close to me

Far away from your trouble and worry

You belong somewhere you feel free

The property will initially be owned by WildFlowers Music Park Finance, LLC. This group is made up of members who have loaned private funds for the purchase of the property. The land will be conveyed to WildFlowers Music Park Inc., a Florida non-profit organization that was incorporated on November 26, 2024 and which will operate the park and manage the land.

The festivals will be similar to “GrassRoots” festivals in Trumansburg, NY and Pittsboro, NC, which were both co-founded by Jordan Puryear, the principal founder of WildFlowers. The festivals will have music and activities for people of all ages. The musical styles vary from folk, blues, bluegrass, jazz, funk, reggae, world music, etc. Some performers will be nationally and internationally known and others are regional or local talent.

A Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance is a community-driven celebration of music, arts, culture, and togetherness that emphasizes diversity, creativity, and local engagement. Unlike large, for-profit festivals, Grassroots Festivals are smaller in scale and foster a welcoming, laid-back atmosphere. These events typically feature an eclectic mix of music genres, ranging from folk, blues, and bluegrass to reggae, funk, and world music, performed by both well-known artists and emerging local talents. Beyond the music, Grassroots Festivals include visual arts, crafts, dance, performance, storytelling, and activities for all ages, creating a vibrant and inclusive experience that appeals to families, friends, and solo adventurers alike.

Grassroots Festivals foster a sense of connection – with others and with the environment. At events like the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance and the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance, the community participation and spirit are palpable. These festivals are organized by passionate volunteers who embrace the notion that our society needs more places and times for people to interact in person rather than virtually. Attendees are encouraged to camp on-site, wander between stages, and engage in spontaneous jam sessions or conversations with strangers-turned-friends. It’s not just about enjoying performances; it’s about being part of something larger – a celebration of shared humanity, creativity, and the simple joy of gathering together.

Melrose is a unique location with a multi-faceted local community of artists, farmers, entrepreneurs and musicians. It is also within Alachua County which is home to the University of Florida and the City of Gainesville which offer a multi-generational population who will enjoy a multi-cultural, multi-day festival celebrating the arts, education and health. The two long-term GrassRoots festivals are also set in rural areas outside larger communities known for their thriving culture of performing and visual arts. The New York site, in the upstate Finger Lakes region near Ithaca, hosts their GrassRoots festival in Summer (July). The North Carolina site, in the piedmont’s Triangle region, hosts their GrassRoots festivals in Spring and also in Fall (May and October). The Melrose site would hold its festival in Winter (February or March).

There are no festival sites with on-site camping in Alachua, Putnam, Clay, or Bradford counties. The 270-acre site near Melrose has a balance of forested and open land sufficient for performance space, vendors, camping, nature areas, and parking, while also being large enough to buffer adjacent neighbors.

Grassroots Festivals are three or four days, and approximately half of the attendees are onsite campers. It is anticipated that the first few festivals will bring in 1500-3000 paying attendees. Another 500-900 people will attend who are performers, vendors, contractors, volunteers, sponsors, etc. Once established, Grassroots festivals can bring in 5000+ ticketed attendees, with another 1000-2000 volunteers and other participating attendees.

Each vehicle traveling to the festival carries an average of two people. About half of the attendees will camp on-site, while the remainder are daily visitors. Daily visitors include ticketed customers as well as performers, vendors, and volunteers who hold passes – though not all of them attend every day. For a festival with 5000 ticketed attendees, there may be up to 2000 additional non-paying participants, such as volunteers and performers.

The traffic impact is mitigated by the nature of this type of festival, which spreads out arrival and departure times. Many campers arrive days early or leave late, while one-day visitors come and go at different times depending on their schedules, duties, or performance times.

Shakori Hills, a North Carolina venue hosting two annual festivals with up to 7,500 attendees, offers a comparable traffic scenario. Access to Shakori Hills is via a two-lane paved rural road that connects to a ¾-mile unpaved lane. This approach is very similar to Wildflowers Music Park, where CR 219A provides a paved approach to NE 35th Avenue, an unpaved, county-maintained road ¾ of a mile in length.

At Shakori Hills, the increase in traffic is minimal and has been measured at approximately 500 cars per hour during peak times. This suggests that traffic impacts at Wildflowers Music Park, would likely be similar.

CR 219A currently handles an Average Daily Traffic (ADT) volume of 2600 trips (1300 in each direction). Under typical conditions, the road operates at Level of Service (LOS) A, meaning there is no reduction in average speeds. Without reducing the LOS A, County Road 219A can accommodate up to 3600 trips per day, leaving sufficient capacity to absorb the additional traffic generated by festival events without significantly affecting traffic flow or speeds.

Quail Street in Melrose is currently a narrow limerock neighborhood road (but will be paved in late 2024) that connects SR 26 to NE 255th Street (which fronts the Wildflower’s Music Park property). Wildflowers Music Park will work with Alachua County Public Works and neighbors to minimize traffic on Quail Street. For events that would generate traffic over a minimal threshold, the Wildflowers Music Park could close a gate at the southern end of Quail Street, and place a sign at the northern end with the message: “Local Access Only; No Access to Festival.” Emergency responders and any neighbors will have a key to the gate. Online navigation companies will be notified of temporary road closures, and will be provided directions to the site via the CR 219A and NE 35th Avenue approach. All publicity and local signage will provide a map or directions indicating that CR219A is the approach.

Grassroots Festivals feature musicians and sound engineers who are experienced with folk and roots music events that have a much lower volume level than large rock concerts. The stages will be directionally oriented away from adjacent properties. The Festival site is large; the closest the front of a mainstage speaker system will be to a home is approximately 3000 feet, with forested areas and terrain intervening. One purpose for 5 keeping the sound levels low is to not compete with the festival site’s smaller stages, which are a few hundred feet away. The smaller stages will be practically inaudible off-site. Sound from the main stage may be audible offsite under some conditions, but at the property boundaries of the WildfFlowers Music Park, sounds will be substantially lower than any noise ordinances or local standards.

WildFlowers is in the Alachua County zoning category called AG, in which Alachua County Codes Section 404.14.5 permits a use called “rural event center”. There are regulations for what activities are allowed, the type of buffers, and other details.

Wildflowers Music Park will seek community input on a site plan that will be reviewed by Alachua County. “Special exceptions” or “special use permits” are likely to be required; this process will include community meetings, County Plan Board meetings, and County Commission meetings. The small portion of WildFlowers’ land in Putnam County will all be in conservation/restoration usage, and will likely only have nature trails and land management activities which are already compatible with Putnam County regulations.

– The Florida Department of Health regulates and inspects food and water. The on-site well water will need to be filtered and treated to meet public water supply standards. They also regulate septic tanks. In the initial years, porta-potties or self-contained toilets in trailers will be used.

– The St. Johns River Water Management District will be the permitting authority for any wells to be drilled on site for potable water or agricultural/land management use. The usability of two existing wells on site has not been determined.

– Florida Wildlife Commission regulations apply to gopher tortoises or other species of animals on site.

– Florida Forest Service has jurisdiction over prescribed fires.

The land has been used for hay cutting and hunting for the past few decades. A homestead was removed more than a decade ago. While there is some agricultural equipment remaining, it has been several decades since any crops other than hay were planted on the site, and the pastures show no signs of improvement.

Uses of the land will be divided into:

– areas for festival activities and camping

– areas for ecological restoration and conservation land management

– areas for seed source propagation of native wildflowers and grasses

– area for equipment and materials storage

Festival areas will be mowed, burned periodically, and managed to reduce non-native or nuisance plants. Initially, there will be few buildings, however in the future there may be a permanent dance pavilion, a caretaker residence, a small office, and pole barns for storage of equipment, materials, and supplies (such as stage parts, tents, etc.). Land management equipment that has been or will be acquired includes: tractor capable of pulling large mower, bush-hog and fire-lane discs; zero-turn mower for trails and tight areas; motor grader (already obtained); brush-truck (for prescribed burns and fire-fighting); tanker truck (for fire-fighting, irrigation, and road-water for dust control); all-terrain vehicles, including stretcher carrier, pickup truck, numerous utility trailers, etc.

Natural areas will primarily require control of non-native, invasive plants and animals. A cursory survey shows infestations of Camphor trees; Coral Ardisia; Australian Beardgrass; Skunk vine; Air Potato; and Caesar Weed. Undesirable species, such as weak-wooded trees, certain vines, and rampant invaders will be removed from some locations.

Prescribed fire will be re-introduced to the landscape. Burning has ecological benefits for our many fire-adapted plants and animals. Prescribed burning also reduces the risk of wildfire, which is essential for safety in areas where people are camping and vehicles may be driven in dry grass. Certified burn bosses and qualified crews with ample equipment will be engaged. Firelines will be plowed or disc’ed. Alachua Conservation Trust, located in eastern Alachua County, has a large, well-equipped professional crew to participate in prescribed burns. WildFlowers will assist any adjacent landowners to develop a coordinated landscape level burn plan.

To survey the property for the presence of gopher tortoises, a trained biologist or environmental consultant will conduct a thorough assessment of the land, identifying active burrows and suitable habitats. If gopher tortoises or their burrows are found, the site development plan will include avoidance strategies, such as preserving habitat areas and establishing protective buffer zones. If relocation is necessary, it will be done by a certified professional under permits issued by state wildlife agencies, ensuring the tortoises are moved to approved recipient sites. During site operation, measures like fencing and signage will protect gopher tortoise habitats, and ongoing monitoring will ensure compliance with state and county regulations.

Any areas that have nesting raptors such as eagles or hawks will have trails routed away. Armadillos and fire ants will be controlled to protect ground-nesting birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

An initial sampling of the lake shows excellent water quality, and consistent with its ephemeral nature, no fish that are live-bearers. Species of darters, top-minnows, and perch were caught in nets in the vegetated shallow areas. Surprisingly, there appear to be no snails and no crustaceans.

The previous owner reported to us that he had been trying to sell this land to farmers for many years, with no takers, and told us he did not seek or consider offers from developers. He contracted to sell his property in early 2024 to Wildflowers Music Park Finance, LLC because he believed the future use as a festival site would conserve the land’s natural character. He supported this project to the extent that he agreed to owner-finance nearly one-third of the purchase price. The owner passed away before the real estate closing, and his heir(s) agreed to assume the purchase and sale agreement. The property is in the process of being probated to clear the title, which as of early December 2024 has yet to be completed. The earliest that a real estate closing can occur is January 2025.

In eastern Alachua County, recent large land sales and the continued marketing of farm and forestry land has been to real estate developers, or for uses that are side-effects of development such as sod-farming, solar-farms, or biomass harvesting. Efforts to retain farming as a land use has broad community and Alachua County support.

CFNCF is a foundation with charitable funds established for many purposes, including land conservation, mental health, animal welfare, medical research, etc. Their newly established Arts & Culture Fund has a $1 million endowment that they are investing in a real estate mortgage with Wildflowers Music Park Finance, LLC. As the mortgage is repaid over the next 20 years to the Arts & Culture Fund, it will donate or lend these funds to local non-profit organizations and causes. With this unique arrangement, ticket sales from GrassRoot’s Festivals will ultimately result in a minimum of $1.7 million to support local music, dance, and arts organizations.

Eli Collins

Guy Forchion

Andy Kane

Kenneth Metzker

Jordan Puryear

Stacia SmithBahamondes

Creating a festival with several dozen acts is complicated. Our festival will attempt to appeal to a wide audience in age and musical tastes. We will have a few headliners, some up-and-coming acts, and local and regional favorites. Some performers are represented by agents, and they begin putting together tour schedules a year before the concert dates. Many venues have “radius clauses” which can prevent a performer from appearing at our festival if they are performing within a specified geographic area for a set period of time before and after the gig. WildFlowers’ radius clause will be five miles or five hours.

We will begin soliciting for local performers approximately six months before the festival with a general call on social media. Information that prospective performers should submit includes a description of the band, their genres and repertoire, website link, social media pages, and a YouTube performance. A talent committee whose identities are top secret will meet in an undisclosed location under cover of darkness to review and rank the submissions. Performers will be paid a negotiated sum, with a retainer paid approximately 30 days in advance and the remainder at the conclusion of their performance.

Each festival will bring back some performers from the previous year, but we aim to have about half of the performers change from one year to the next. We encourage festival attendees to suggest acts for us to invite.

Categories of vendors are handled differently:

– First, there are vendors that provide basic infrastructure and services, such as sound, lighting, stages and tents, porta-potties, security, medical, etc. Contracts with these providers will be negotiated and finalized months before the festival. Whenever feasible, local contractors will be sought, and when a provider does a good job, multi-year agreements will be entered into.

– Second, there will be food and beverage vendors. We aim to have a variety of food types, including those for attendees with dietary needs. Current Health Department licenses must be up-to-date. The “food court” area on the festival grounds will be spacious and laid out well, with lots of tables and chairs. The goal is to have enough electricity and water to accommodate all of them to avoid the use of generators, but that may not be completed for a couple of years.

– The third type of vendors are artisans and retail sellers. Festivals are particularly good places to sell jewelry, clothing, smaller art pieces, packaged food items, books, etc. We will accept as many of these vendors as space permits.

– A fourth vendor category is the broad range of the community’s non-profit organizations 9 whose mission is consistent with our values. Many will be provided with space for a display and table.

The fee schedule for vendors has not been finalized. In some cases, they will include a base price for setting up, and a percentage of sales receipts.

There are a number of scholarly articles on the economics of festivals. Several are online and accessible under the search term: “Music Festival Economic Impact.” The following link has useful information and many references:

https://reicenter.org/upload/documents/colearning/elarts2015_report_noa11y.pdf

There are several online indexes and sources of information about festivals, such as:

– Music Festival Wizard: This platform offers an extensive database of music festivals worldwide, including the U.S. Users can explore festivals by location, genre, and dates, with up-to-date details on lineups and ticket availability.

– Songkick: Known for tracking live music events, Songkick provides a dedicated section for U.S. music festivals, featuring dates, lineups, and ticket purchasing options. Users can also track favorite artists to receive notifications about their festival appearances.

– JamBase: Focusing on live music and festivals, JamBase offers a comprehensive list of U.S. music festivals, complete with schedules, lineups, and ticket links. The site allows users to search for festivals by location and genre.

– Time Out: Time Out provides curated lists of top music festivals in the U.S., offering insights into festival highlights, dates, and locations. Their guides are useful for discovering prominent festivals and planning attendance.

The Music Park will be available for other public events, and for a limited number of private events. Initially, the public events will be limited to what can be hosted primarily outdoors during the cooler months; these could include concerts, dances, festivals, and some athletics. Private events could include weddings and other celebrations. It is important for these events to be compatible with the site and the community, and as a non-profit, we will endeavor not to compete with for-profit entities that host events. Melrose, Gainesville, and other nearby communities have thriving music and dance venues, and it is NOT the intent for the WildFlowers Music Park to divert any of the current activities from venues such as 10 Heartwood, Melrose Center, Chiappini’s, Mossman Hall, or others. The consensus among operators of these venues is that the shared goal of invigorating the live music scene and in-person dances needs a full range of opportunities, and that our collective competition is not each other, but rather “The Couch.

The 270-acres of land is sufficient to allow agricultural pursuits.

We will entertain proposals from farmers who wish to lease a plot of land for food production or farming education, especially if they are growing it to serve an on-site event.

An important regional need is the shortage of native wildflower seeds and native grass seeds. WildFlowers is in conversation with specialists in propagation of native plants to determine if there is interest in creating a nursery for seeds to assist in restoring regional conservation lands.

The property has been used for hay-cutting in the past, but the market demand is for highquality hay that has been fertilized, and nitrogen fertilization is not compatible with our goal of minimizing groundwater impacts.

An ephemeral lake of about 10-acres is near the middle of the property; along the edges of the property are wetlands and floodplains comprised of bottomland forest and hydric hammock. There are at least two sinkholes.

There will be no development of roads, buildings, or other infrastructure within any of these wetlands or regulated buffer zones. There will likely be narrow trails that are mowed through wetland areas that will be used for land management (mostly to search for invasive exotic plants) and available for recreation. Parking areas will have swales to slow any runoff. The use of lime-rock, recycled concrete, and other road substrates will be limited, but may be required for emergency vehicle access and site management in sandy, hightraffic areas. The organization will acquire a tanker truck to sprinkle roads (including nearby public roads) to reduce dust. There is an existing 7000 gallon above-ground water tank on the property now.

The St. Johns River Water Management District permits wells. It is anticipated that two wells will be needed; it has not been determined yet if the two old wells on site can be reused. The size and capacity of the wells has not been determined. It is likely that at least 11 one well will be required to comply with “public water supply” standards, which include a degree of filtration and chlorination. For efficiently filling a tanker truck, a water tank of a few thousand gallons will be slightly elevated.

Wastewater falls into two categories: “gray water” from showers and kitchens, and “black water” from toilets. The Florida Department of Health and the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department have roles in regulating these. For the initial events, porta-potties will be used. Eventually, septic tanks will be used for gray water treatment and disposal. Black water may require a package treatment plant, or may be collected and transported off-site. Alternatives such as composting toilets, anaerobic digesters, and other technologies will be explored.

As a point of comparison, more than 250 residential septic tanks could be permitted on this property without a zoning change, and that nearby farming and forestry operations are likely fertilizing, which add to nutrients in the groundwater.

Grassroots Festivals employ contractors who specialize in event medical care. These paramedics and nurses are trained in CPR, defibrillation, treating anaphylactic or diabetic episodes, substance abuse and mental health issues, and first aid for wounds. Festivals must submit an event plan which coordinates with Sheriffs and Fire/Rescue Departments. Interior access lanes are stabilized for emergency vehicle access. An area designated for helicopter ambulance landings will be marked and managed.

Alachua County is the first county in the nation to have all of its public employees certified in “Mental Health First Aid”, which teaches individuals how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges. It equips participants with the skills to provide initial support to someone experiencing a mental health crisis and guides them towards appropriate professional help.

The Florida Outdoor Learning Collective (FOLC) is located in eastern Alachua County. It specializes in teaching SOLO Wilderness First Aid, which is a hands-on training program to teach participants how to respond to medical emergencies in remote or outdoor settings where professional help may be delayed. It covers essential skills like assessing injuries, providing basic life support, and managing environmental illnesses, empowering individuals to handle emergencies with confidence.

Employees and volunteers of WildFlowers Music Park will be incentivized to take these courses, which will benefit festival attendees and the entire community.

In 2024, the property tax bills for the 270-acre property were: $1630 in Alachua County and $169 in Putnam County. The land has a combination of agricultural exemptions for hay, pasture, and timber and low valuation for swampland. If the property remains in agricultural use, the tax receipts will rise a small amount due to re-valuation triggered by the sale. If the property is recognized for its ownership and use by a non-profit for its charitable purposes, the property taxes would be low or zero.

Local tourist taxes are collected on motel rooms, AirBnB, VRBO, and other short-term rentals. A query about the applicability of the tourist tax for overnight campers at festivals has been made to the Alachua County Tax Collector’s office.

Sales tax for purchases made at the festival will be the responsibility of individual vendors to collect and remit. Festivals generate substantial off-site sales tax and gas tax revenues from travel-related expenses such as fuel, food, lodging, and other costs.

There are two directions that the Music Park could affect property values.

First, a publicly accessible park like WildFlowers will likely increase local property values. In numerous economic studies from around the nation (and including a large one in Alachua County), the presence of a nearby or adjacent park can substantially increase property values. In the Alachua County study, the removal of land from the tax rolls by a park purchase was more than offset by a corresponding increase in the value of surrounding land, as confirmed by comparative real estate sales data.

The second way a park which hosts festivals can impact neighbors is if inadequate management of events create a nuisance. While this effect has not been demonstrated in studies that we could find, it’s clear that other temporary nuisances can impact the value of nearby properties.

WildFlowers pledges to work with neighbors and agencies to minimize the nuisances of sound, light, traffic, and other issues with substantial buffers, thoughtful placement of facilities, management of events, and open channels of communication before, during, and after festivals.

https://www.1000friendsofflorida.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/FL-EconomicBenefits-fact-sheet_highres.pdf

A conservation easement is a voluntary agreement in which a landowner transfers certain development rights to a land trust or government agency. Conservation easements may be donated or purchased. In Alachua County, many properties like WildFlowers have conservation easements in place, either through donation or purchase. The recipients of these easements – such as Water Management Districts, county governments, or charitable land trusts – assume an ongoing, often perpetual, legal responsibility to enforce the conservation purposes of the agreement.

Land encumbered by a mortgage cannot be included in a conservation easement without the mortgage holder’s consent. Typically, mortgage holders are reluctant to participate in a conservation easement until any loans or liens are paid off, as land with an easement has reduced market value. While it is possible for Alachua County Forever or Alachua Conservation Trust, Inc. to purchase a conservation easement, neither organization has been approached with such a proposal.

The private financing for WildFlowers Music Park was sourced primarily from local supporters. This reflects a “slow money” investment philosophy, which prioritizes sustainable, local, and community-focused initiatives, particularly in agriculture, small businesses, and the arts. Inspired by the “slow food” movement, slow money emphasizes patient capital, ecological resilience, and fostering connections between investors and entrepreneurs to build vibrant local economies. The benefits of slow money include promoting environmental sustainability, revitalizing communities, and offering a more human-centered alternative to traditional, growth-driven financial models. Investors in slow money see tangible impacts, such as healthier ecosystems, stronger local economies, and more equitable outcomes from businesses.

The first group of investors are ten individuals or families who have loaned $50,000 each with a promise to be repaid at the end of five years. The second tier of investment is the Community Foundation of North Central Florida’s loan, which will be repaid in annual installments for twenty years. The third investor is the land’s seller, who has agreed to owner-finance $1.1 million with annual repayments over 15 years. There are no public funds or governmental involvement in the acquisition of the property.

The park will have a 2.5 mile public trail system that will be developed and maintained by volunteers. Donors and sponsors will be sought to contribute to the costs of stages, buildings, equipment, and infrastructure. After three to five years, the venue should be selfsustaining with ticket sales to an annual multi-day festival and a few smaller single-day events each year.

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