MIDLAND, Texas — The Tailgate in Midland has been bringing music and entertainment to the community since it started in 2021, but their growth has caused some issues.
The venue is out of compliance with city requirements, and while their operations roll on with Mike Jones coming on Saturday, conversations continue to try and get them in compliance.
“We are not wanting to be in this situation," said Sean Elphick in front of the Midland City Council on Tuesday.
Elphick owns The Tailgate and admitted to being at fault over non-compliance with city ordinances, but not due to a lack of effort.
“We’re trying to do as much as we can," Elphick said to city council.
While asphalt milling has taken place, the city says much more is needed to meet adequate parking.
“What happens is that people park on the dirt, and as they’re driving over that dirt, it kicks up dust which blows," said Elizabeth Triggs, Planning and Development Officer for the City of Midland. "It’s both a nuisance issue for surrounding property owners who then receive all that dirt on their property, but probably more important it’s a safety issue – when you have the dirt kick up, it’s hard to have the visibility as you’re driving so it’s hard to see people walking through that unpaved parking lot.”
Midland Mayor Lori Blong shared some of those safety concerns for a venue located right off Loop 250 and Big Spring St.
“I have personally observed people walking across Big Spring [St.] in the dark with large clouds of dust that are stirred up there from the dirt parking areas, and so there are significant safety concerns with people walking across a major highway in the middle of the night and various other things and we need to make sure that we’re providing a safe environment for our community," Mayor Blong said.
With three more events of artists already booked this year, Elphick says they have to stay open; money is a big factor.
“If I had to pay for the entire thing that’s another 10 to 15 acres of paving which is at least half a million dollars... and that’s the cheapest possible way to do it… you know it was hard to pay $40,000 for it," Elphick said to city council.
The Tailgate has paid thousands of dollars in citations so far issued by the city for non-compliance.
While Midland City Council members made it clear they are business-friendly and want The Tailgate to be successful, more work is needed to do it correctly.
“The conclusion of our dialogue today was that we would continue to work with them to bring them into compliance and ensure safety at that location while also helping them to potentially find a new location that would be to their benefit in the future, and also continuing to issue citations where we see violations and safety concerns," Mayor Blong said.