Is my event right for the park?

One of the functions of a Park Advisory Council is to provide a single community input (e.g. consensus) to the park district when considering to grant a permit for an event. On some occasions, it also provides similar input to the Alderman’s office. As it is not practical for us to convene a general (or even board) meeting to discuss every permit application, on October 23rd, 2017 (and ammended on June 1, 2021) we passed a resolution for general guidelines for the park district to follow. These rules were democratically gathered from our constituents at the time, refined, and agreed upon by the voting members.

They are:

• Events should not take up the entire park or preclude other uses of the park including the jogging path and tot lot.
• No amplified sound after 10 pm. Amplified sound prior to 10 pm must be of reasonable volume taking into account the residential character of the neighborhood.
• Events with alcohol must have a purpose beyond alcohol sales. Suggest alcohol be allowed for events that have an entertainment, educational or cultural aspect, especially if family oriented, regardless of the sponsor. The PAC should be able to evaluate an alcohol-serving event prior to permitting.
• Encourage private parking in neighborhood churches or school lots. Street parking spots should be limited to loading/unloading. Allow reservation of parking spots for food trucks, dumpsters, port-a-potties, etc. Do not require events to supply off street parking for guests.
• The PAC remains involved with the Park District and Alderman’s office in the permitting process.
• Commercial events (where selling is a main focus) should be small scale, non-recurring, and optimally represent local merchants/talent/artists/etc.