Arlington Hts. will ask nicely not to reserve parade spots

This summer Arlington Heights officials will ask Fourth of July parade-goers not to save spots along the route on the days leading up to the parade.

If that doesn't work, officials will change the village code to prohibit saving spots next year, meaning village officials will pick up and throw away items like blankets which people use to save spots.

Arlington Heights trustees talked about the parade route at a committee meeting on Monday. The board looked over several options including doing nothing, extending the parade route and prohibiting saving spots by changing the village code. However, most trustees backed the idea of simply asking people not to save spots until 7 p.m. the night before the parade via an "informational campaign."

"Publicity would remind persons that Arlington Heights is the 'the city of good neighbors,'" according to a village staff report. "If significant problems persists, it may be necessary to prohibit the reserving of space along a parade route per municipal code."

The message will also be broadcast on the village's local cable channel.

"I don't think anyone is surprised we're talking about this," said Village President Arlene Mulder on Monday. "This past year we saw an increasing number of people reserving space. It led to conflict as to whose blanket was there first."

Last summer Dunton Avenue was littered with folding chairs and blankets held down by rocks four days before the parade. Most of the blankets and chairs were put on lawn sections between the sidewalk and streets, which is village-owned property.

Residents who live along the parade route said they water and mow that area all year and should be able to watch the parade in front of their own homes. Others residents said they should share the public space.

Mary Ann Anderson lives on North Dunton and said the saving-spots situation has gotten a little out of hand. Anderson waits until the last possible moment before roping off parts of their yard for parade spots, she said.

Her husband, Mark, uses vacation days to stay home on the days leading up to the parade to "monitor the parade situation," Anderson said.

"It sounds goofy but I'll see people rip out my stakes," she said. "It's happened at 2 a.m., and I'll go outside in my pajamas and stick the stakes right back in. I know it sounds crazy."

Not to Katherine Mikkelson, who also lives on Dunton Avenue.

"People put bricks down and tarps and that leaves brown patches," Mikkelson said. "We can't mow our lawns and it's an eyesore."

Both Anderson and Mikkelson wanted the board to change the code to outright prohibit saving spots.

The board will formally vote on the issue on Monday.