Update: Woodstock promoters blame “political forces” for the permit denial and vow to appeal.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- The troubled Woodstock 50 festival suffered another blow today as the town of Vernon denied an application to hold the festival at Vernon Downs in mid August.

The application for a temporary event permit was filed too late and is “dramatically incomplete,” said town attorney Vincent Rossi.

Woodstock or Vernon Downs can file an appeal with the town planning board within five days, Rossi said.

The denial comes a day after a raucous Vernon town board meeting attended by about 100 people. About a dozen residents spoke, all opposing the festival because it would bring noise, traffic and vandalism to the rural town.

Public officials said the festival was being rushed, and they didn’t have enough time to plan and prepare.

"Any emergency management director will say there isn’t enough time to do this properly,” said Kevin Revere, the emergency management director for Oneida County.

The denial letter, signed by town Code Enforcement Officer Jody Thieme, said he had received one-page applications from Vernon Downs on June 18 asking to hold a three-day festival Aug. 16 to 18.

“No other details of the nature of the event were provided,” Thieme wrote. “Nothing purporting to comply with the requirements of town code 139-31 were submitted.”

Town law requires an applicant for a temporary event permit to file plans for traffic, parking, sanitation, water supplies, security, lighting and first aid, among other things.

Woodstock promoters filed three, one-page applications on July 3, Thieme wrote, “but these three applications were also unsupported by documents.” Promoters filed more plans Tuesday, but it was too little, too late, Thieme said.

The applications were also filed too late, Thieme said. Vernon town codes require applications for temporary event permits to be filed at least 120 days in advance.

Susan Cronin, the Woodstock promoter who filed the applications and who spoke at Monday’s board meeting, did not immediately reply to a phone call and email.

Woodstock 50 is scheduled for Aug. 16-18 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival in 1969.

Woodstock’s principal investor, Dentsu, pulled out in April, slamming the “incompetence” of Woodstock 50 organizers. Promoters lost a court battle to get Dentsu to return $18.9 million. The festival was supposed to be held at Watkins Glen International race track, but the track canceled the contract after Woodstock 50 missed a $150,000 payment, according to news reports.

Rossi said Woodstock 50 or Vernon Downs have five days to file an appeal with the planning board. The board then has up to 30 days to hold a hearing to rule on the appeal, but Rossi said the board would try to act quickly.

If the board upheld the denial, Woodstock 50 could go to court, Rossi said.

Woodstock 50 says dozens of popular artists are contracted for the festival, including Jay-Z, Santana, Miley Cyrus, The Killers, Chance the Rapper, John Fogerty, Janelle Monae, Dead & Company, Imagine Dragons, and Halsey. It’s not clear, though, if those artists are still contractually obligated to play a concert at Vernon Downs or anywhere else.