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Residents say Nixon Park events left neighbors without required notice and parking options
Summary
Residents near Nixon Park told the Village of Hartland board they did not receive the two-week neighborhood notices required under village special-event rules, cited blocked driveways and parking on lawns during events, and urged clearer alternate parking and emergency access plans.
At a Village of Hartland board meeting, residents urged the board to enforce its own special-event rules after saying they received no mailed notice about an upcoming bike race that will close East Park Avenue.
"I've lived here for 19 years and I have never received a notice about any event going on at Nixon Park," Camille Pierce, who said she lives at 192 East Park Avenue, told trustees during the public-comment period. She said her home is within the 500-foot notification radius required by the village ordinance and described repeated problems during events, including people parking on the grass, blocking driveways and leaving trash.
"We don't want to stop the race," Carolyn Horn Motz, who said she lives at 176 East Park Avenue, told the board. "We just want to point out that there are events going on on Wednesday that prevent us from having an emergency route in and out of our yard, our driveway." She said the carnival setup — which will close the park starting Monday of event week — leaves nearby residents with no easy exit in an emergency unless alternate parking arrangements are communicated and provided.
The speakers cited two specific rules in the village code: a mailed notice to residents within 500 feet two weeks prior to the board meeting at which a special-event permit is considered, and a requirement that 75% of a street’s residents approve a street closure. "Based on my understanding, they're supposed to have a lot of that sorted out already to let residents know," Pierce said.
The president said the village would follow up. He told residents he would contact department heads and staff and advised them to contact municipal staff ("ask for Ryan") for information about municipal lots and parking arrangements. Trustees cautioned that some municipal lots and portions of the park will be closed during the hometown carnival and that organizers and the Business Improvement District are working on parking plans.
The comments prompted no formal action at the meeting, but the board committed to investigating notice procedures and coordinating with event organizers and police on alternate parking and emergency access.
The issue may return to a future agenda if residents or trustees request further review.
