The Kane County Forest Preserve Commission voted unanimously to turn down St. Charles music entrepreneur Ron Onesti’s request to hold a July big-name music concert on forest preserve land right behind the Kane County Government Center, a member of the commission reports.

Onesti had hoped to put together a live-music event similar to events he has organized in downtown Elgin. The Geneva event was scheduled from Friday, July 17, to Sunday, July 19, 2015, and Onesti had hoped to bring a battery of well-known performers, including The Commodores and headliner Whitesnake.

Onesti and Geneva Alderman Tom Simonian appeared two weeks ago before the Kane County Administrative Committee with a request for a preliminary OK for an event called “MIGFEST,” so named because of the “Music in Geneva” acronym.

The city of Geneva subsequently gave the OK, but did not grant Onesti’s request for $10,700 in in-kind police traffic control, according to an article in the Kane County Chronicle.

On Thursday, Kane County Forest Preserve Commissioners said they were concerned about wetland issues at the Gunnar Anderson Forest Preserve, as well as crowd control and timing of the event.

The plan called for reserved seating of 2,500 to 4,000 people per day, according to the request submitted by Onesti Entertainment to the Kane County Facilities Division. You can see a copy of the request in the Administration Committee agenda packet.

Whitesnake is the legendary rock’n’roll band founded and formed by Deep Purple singer David Coverdale.

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