2.22.040 Permits – Assemblies, entertainment, etc.
Any person who conducts or participates in any organized entertainment, demonstration, or public gathering in any park shall obtain a permit from the director. The procedure for application and consideration of permits for this purpose is as follows:
A. Any person seeking to obtain a permit shall file a written application with the director no later than one month prior to the date of the proposed use. The application shall state the purpose for which the park would be used, the date and time of the proposed use, the name of the park and the area thereof that would be used, the anticipated number of persons who would be present, and such other information reasonably relating to the contemplated use as the director may require; provided, however, that said director may, for good cause shown, waive the one-month requirement for filing said application.
B. When the proposed use is an exercise of rights protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, or Article I, Section 3, 4, 5, or 11 of the Washington Constitution, the application shall be processed promptly, without charging a fee for political or religious activities other than a fee based on the cost of processing the application, or imposing terms or conditions that infringe constitutional freedoms, and in a manner that respects the liberties of applicants and the public.
C. In reviewing an application under this section, the director shall consider the following conditions and standards:
1. The size of the park and any specialized purpose for which it is normally used or for which specialized facilities have been provided;
2. The location of the park, its aesthetic character and physical characteristics, and the character of the area surrounding it;
3. The anticipated size of the proposed use and assemblage, and activities associated with the event, including but not limited to the extent of commercial activity, such as the sales of food, goods, and services; product advertising or promotion, or other business participation in the event; the use or application of any funds raised;
4. Policing problems that may arise from the intended use;
5. The effect of the intended use, including consideration of the noise to be expected, upon the adjacent area and its occupants; and
6. Other activities scheduled for the parks at the anticipated time and place.
D. If, under the conditions set forth in subsection C of this section, the director finds after an investigation that the safety, comfort, and convenience of the public in the use of the parks, or in the usage of the area adjacent to the park, would be unduly disturbed, they may deny the application, may impose restrictions upon the permit, or may issue a permit for a different date, time, park, or park area so as to alleviate such burden. The director may issue a permit for use of the park during hours when the park is closed if they approve the application. (Ord. 6465 § 1, 2013.)