Now that the May First Friday has come and gone, I would like to remind everyone that as of February of this year we have a few new rules for block parties (if you are thinking of hosting one). All the following rules were passed in the February council business meeting and are now in effect:
While not all of these rules are entirely new, the formalization of these rules, by adding them to the code, reenforces the spirit of the block party permit.
One of the truly “new” additions to this list is the requirement asking residents to “obtain the signatures of at least 75% of the residents on the block.” Block parties, as the name suggests, are there for residents to come together and celebrate their tight knit community as a group. By encouraging residents to petition their neighbors to support the shutting down of a street for a celebration, the whole community is buying into the event and supporting it, making it truly a block/neighbor commitment.
In addition, in the hopes of limiting the stretching of police and public works resources too far, block parties cannot occur on the same day as borough approved special events. Special events (First Fridays, parades, Bike Night, Car Show, etc.) require the dedication of both police and the public works department to help manage. Co-managing block parties alongside these major events stretches the limits of our resources. If a block party is requested for the day of a special event, police will work with the residents to find a better date that might still work for the community.
Finally, the price of block parties has increased. This is due to the requirements of our insurance provider that demands shutting down a street with proper safety equipment/barriers that meet or exceed certain speed stopping capabilities. The borough has acquired barriers that meet these expectations and can deploy public works vehicles to assist with their deployment and/or shut down portions of the road (as they also meet the requirements). Under both instances, public works staff and police are required to be nearby to help move the vehicles and/or the barriers if needed. Obviously, staffing requirements come at a cost and the $200 per block party helps cover some of those expenses.
None of these rules are intended to stop block parties from occurring and instead look to ensure block parties are a welcomed event by the community and can continue to be executed in a safe way for everyone to enjoy Lansdale as a great place to call home.
(Mayoral Musings is a weekly op-ed column submitted to North Penn Now, courtesy of Lansdale Borough Mayor Garry Herbert. The views expressed are his own and not representative of North Penn Now or Lansdale Borough.)
See also:
Mayoral Musings: Lansdale’s 2023 Events Season is Upon Us
Mayoral Musings: Two-Way Conversion of Courtland and Susquehanna
Mayoral Musings: Local Scouts Prove to be Assets to Our Community
Mayoral Musings: Revenue Per Acre May Be a Better Metric for Borough Management
Mayoral Musings: Municipal 5G Could Provide Revenue to Repair Lansdale’s Deteriorating Sewer System
