Don Vaccaro’s proposal to add a concert venue to his company’s property and portfolio has residents noticeably concerned about the effect it will have on Vernon , especially in the neighborhoods close to the site .

At the third Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing last Thursday , close to 200 residents packed the upstairs at the Vernon Senior Center , to voice their concerns . Vaccaro’s Ticket-Network , LLC , presentation about the venue ( to be known as TicketNetwork Forest ) , as was expected , took the bulk of the evening , delaying the public comment portion of the proceedings to either a Feb . 3 special meeting scheduled just for this specific application , or as part of the PZC’s meeting Feb . 4 .

Not willing to wait to have a say , many residents are taking to the Internet to air their opinions . Two anti-venue sites have been launched , and two Facebook pages ( one for , and one against ) are constantly bombarded with user comments .

Vaccaro , also a Vernon resident , said he actually wants to hear the concerns of his neighbors , even though it is not required that he do so .

He said he wants to know what the complaints are , so adjustments can be made to make as many people comfortable with the 1 , 900-seat concert venue .

“ I feel an obligation to try to address every concern , and make everyone happy , ” he said . “ That’s what I have to shoot for , [ although ] I know some people are never going to be happy , no matter what . ”

One problem , which Vaccaro’s attorney Dorian Reiser Famiglietti tried to shed light on , is the large amount of misinformation being distributed .

For example , one Facebook user claimed that musical acts are already being booked for the site , jumping the gun and assuming a go-ahead for the site is on the horizon .

Vaccaro said the process of choosing acts is in a more developmental research stage , wherein TicketNetwork is monitoring the types of tickets purchased within cetain distances of Vernon , and then corolating that data with what acts are touring .

“ We really can’t book until [ the venue ] is approved , ” he said , in an interview with the ReminderNews prior to Thursday’s hearing .

Jon Roe , a resident not far from the site on South Frontage Road , has become something of a de facto spearhead of the anit-venue crowd .

Vaccaro quoted a posting by Roe , which read , “ ... one part UConn students on a hot summer night , one-part gang-bangers from the Hartford area , add alcohol sold on the site and throw in a dash of whatever else the patrons sneak in for recreational use ; then drop in yourhigh school son or daughter looking for a good time . ”

Vaccaro called that statement “ blatantly racist , ” and said he has received calls from Hartford about it .

Roe , who maintains the Web site , www . quixoteenterprises . com , said that statement was intended to present a worst-case scenario , and perhaps was exaggerated in order to bring attention to the concern that he and others have that a mix of concert-goers could present other difficulties and / or dangers .

Roe said there are some unanswered questions fueling the concerns . For example , discrepancies over when sound tests were done on the site , since some residents complained of noise even though TicketNetwork claims the tests showed noise levels to be low .

Roe agreed that many people in town are misinformed , and unconvinced that Vaccaro’s assurances will be enough , but that comes from the fact that there are , inarguably , uncertainties of what will happen , despite the best efforts of tests and simulations .

“ So much of this is unknown , ” Roe said . “ The problem is , if the traffic and noise and things do turn out to be loud , youcan’t go turn the clock back . ”

Vaccaro said the expectation is that the concerts will have a positive effect on the nearby restaurants , hotels and other businesses on show days , of which there will be a maximum of 20 per year, between May and October .

“ The biggest benefit [ to Vernon ] is that , if youadd in everything , it’s going to increase net property values , ” he said . “ This land is a perfect spot for large retail development , which will shift jobs from one area in town to another area in town . ”

He said that retail space , which would likely be the next option if the concert venue falls through , would hurt the already partially vacant retail spaces in other parts of town .

Vaccaro added that other towns have tried to attract his company , which currently employs approximately 250 , with tax rebates – something Vernon has not offered .

“ Giving us this would make it harder [ to leave ] , ” he said .