Staff recommends Washington Boulevard for Cherry Days parade; safety, chair-placement policy draw public concern

City staff recommended holding the 2025 Cherry Days parade on Washington Boulevard, describing traffic-control plans, drop-off zones and staging to reduce congestion and make room for larger floats. Staff also urged clearer public communication about chair placement because enforcement has become contentious.

The nut graf: staff emphasized operational safety — including barricades, specific drop-off zones, and an end-point change to reduce vehicle congestion — and asked the council whether it wanted staff to enforce chair-placement rules or instead post guidance and warnings to the public.

John, a city staff member, summarized the operational rationale: officers and public works staff prefer Washington Boulevard because staff “thought it'd be easier to funnel people in for safety, and we wouldn't have to worry about those that were longer floats or longer vehicles that were involved in the parade that wouldn't be so tight.” He described plans to close specific road segments, use snowplow trucks as barricades and relocate the drop-off zone to 450 North at 2700 West near the park to keep floats and pedestrian traffic separated.

Staff reported that they have already submitted a UDOT permit request to start the state permitting process for any route that requires state highway closure. John also told the council staff had applied for aviation paperwork for a potential flyover but cautioned there is “a very good chance with all the federal cuts that there's a chance that nobody gets a flyover.”

Chair placement and enforcement was a recurring point of debate. Staff described repeated conflicts in the mornings before the parade, when people place chairs on public rights-of-way days in advance. John said the historical approach “was to ask people to not put it out until this time frame” but that enforcement created confrontations and risk to city employees when staff attempted to physically remove chairs. “There's so many people down there that it becomes a little overwhelming for my staff,” John said. He recommended providing clear public messaging and asked council members to volunteer to observe the morning operations before next year.

Council members discussed options ranging from a bright-line prohibition and active enforcement to posting a respectful-use message and a warning that “your personal property, once you put it out there, is at risk.” One council member suggested the city encourage a 24-hour pre-parade placement window; staff said a 24-hour suggestion would still result in some people putting out chairs earlier but could reduce the problem.

During public comment, Susan Kilborn, a North Ogden citizen, urged the council to consider the safety of children and said long-time volunteers who organize the children’s parade feel the Washington route is less safe than 3100 North for that specific element. Phillip Swanson, a resident, proposed a specific traffic layout idea: “What if we took the southbound lane and we put barricades down that lane and kept the parade in the northbound lane only and allowed the crowd to fill the southbound lane?”

Staff also addressed other Cherry Days details: fireworks at the amphitheater with coordination by the fire marshal, a multi-day lineup of events (car show Monday, luau Tuesday, Flick and Float Wednesday, parade Friday, volunteer cleanup Saturday), and a tentative event budget in the $50,000 range pending final budget approval and sponsorship revenue targets.

Ending: No formal council vote was recorded in the work session. Staff said it would proceed on operational planning for Washington Boulevard but noted it could pivot to 3100 North if the council directs; staff also committed to clearer messaging on chair placement and to seek volunteer council observers for morning enforcement if the council prefers active involvement.

Quotes used in this article come from meeting remarks by John (staff member), Susan Kilborn (citizen), and Phillip Swanson (resident).