Summerlin Council Park Use Permit Program
By Scott Wingfield
Summerlin Council parks have occasionally experienced individuals or organizations inviting extremely large groups of people to a park for “their” special activity. While the Summerlin Council certainly understands and appreciates the community spirit and intent in which these large gatherings or events were conceived, the reality is that such activities can quickly overwhelm certain parks and make it very difficult, if not impossible, for other residents to also enjoy the community amenity. Quite simply, each of our Summerlin Parks has its own design characteristics and proper capacity limitations; therefore, not all parks are well-suited for handling especially large crowds or special events.
Experience has shown us that these inappropriately sized gatherings in smaller venues often lead to unsafe traffic patterns, unsafe parking and pedestrian conditions, highly inadequate levels of restroom facilities for all visitors, extreme trash and noise issues and highly justified frustration of fellow residents or park neighbors attempting to use the park for their own peaceful enjoyment.
To avoid this issue and the various challenges it can bring, please be reminded that The Summerlin Council has developed and adopted a park use permit program. Any group of more than 100 people is required to apply for and secure a Park Use Permit from The Summerlin Council to stage their activity in a Summerlin Park. We have found that this approach allows our park staff to better assist residents and organizations by helping them align their large group with the appropriate size park for their specific gathering. In addition, this helps our park patrol/monitors better prepare for large gatherings of people in advance. I should also note that due to constant demand, not all large group activities can or will be accommodated. Our goal remains to try to make things a little better every day for our residents and, as always, your continued understanding and cooperation is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your help and hope you have a great Spring!
