New entrance, but no Woodstock festival at Fine Line

There may have been a lot of rolling around in the mud at the famed Woodstock festival of 1969, but little, if any of it, resulted in the creation of fine pottery or ceramics.

Yet debate about a would-be land acquisition for the Fine Line Creative Arts Center Tuesday focused on just how rowdy things might get at the unincorporated St. Charles Township property if growth occurred.

The center wants to add enough acreage to provide better parking and access to Bolcum Road for a new entrance. Visitors must currently use a private drive that takes them close to nearby residents. That’s generated some noise in the past not every local homeowner is happy about.

Some vague wording in the center’s plans sparked fears for Kane County Development Committee members that the decibels may increase with the expansion. Specifically, the center’s application refers to sales and events customary to an arts center.

“Right now, I don’t know what that means,” said committee member Cathy Hurlbut. “As far as I know, that could be Woodstock.”

Staff and an attorney for the center assured the committee it has neither the intention, nor the ability to host a Woodstock-type event. However, Hurlbut said even with specific limits on the number of students who can be at the center at any one time it wouldn’t prevent, say, 10,000 guests from showing up for a party.

The center eventually wooed the committee by pointing to both its history of never having Woodstock-type events and the intention of the expansion. The idea of the new access drive is to reduce or eliminate the noise generated by the comings and goings of visitors to the center who previously used the private drive.

Committee Member Drew Frasz said he was willing to take the center’s oral promises as enough proof. The committee also added a stipulation that there can be no outdoor music at the center later than 10:30 p.m.