Wauconda might require permits for horse-drawn bar crawls
Plans for a pub crawl through Wauconda that would have taken revelers from bar to bar in a horse-drawn wagon have prompted village officials to consider drafting new regulations.
Uncle D's Bar and Grille held the charity event, which collected edible items for the Wauconda Island Lake Food Pantry, in November. Village and police officials were concerned a horse-drawn wagon would create safety problems, especially along Route 176 where traffic can move fast, Village Administrator Doug Maxeiner said.
Event organizers ultimately used a pickup truck instead of horses to haul about 20 people in a wagon, bar manager Lisa Simpson said. They visited five bars and had no problems.
"Everybody had a great time," Simpson said.
Even so, Wauconda's village services committee on Tuesday said officials should require organizers of similar horse-drawn activities in the future to get special-use permits from village hall.
That would allow the town to ensure wagons are illuminated, horses have sanitary equipment and organizers have insurance, Maxeiner said. It also would allow village hall to control routes and hours of operation.
The goal, Maxeiner said, "is to make sure we've covered our bases from a safety perspective."
Wauconda can't ban horse-drawn wagons or carriages on its roads because they're allowed under Illinois vehicle codes, Maxeiner said.
The committee members favored amending village ordinances to require organizers of such events to get permits. Trustee Tim Howe noted that the village wouldn't be able to regulate a pub crawl if the participants were inside a trolley or bus.
"The only difference is, this is a horse so it would go slower," Howe said.
Howe and the other committee members noted such activities likely would be rare in town.
"But we do need some way to make sure it's not disruptive," Howe said.
The full board will review the issue at a future meeting.