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Mar 14, 2008 7:16 pm US/Central
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Changes Coming To St. Patrick's Party In Dallas
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
The annual St. Patrick's Day Block Party in Lower Greenville is less than 24 hours away. The event brings thousands of people to the area, but local homeowners are not happy about the crowds and have demanded changes.
While the bars geared up for the Saturday event, resident April McGowen was preparing for a party of her own. "Anywhere from 500 to 1500 at my house, in my front yard," she said.
Every year, the St. Patrick's Day Block Party turns into a sea of people dressed in green and guzzling beers and cocktails. It's the biggest party of the year for Lower Greenville, but it sits in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
According to homeowners in the area, the party has simply overwhemled the community.
"It has a great impact on our neighborhoods," said resident Patricia Carr. She was one of the neighbors who argued for more police presence and block after block of parking restrictions for the Saturday event. "If the people who come to the party respect our neighborhoods," she began. "We live here. We are not wanting to be trashed."
But residents do not want the annual event to come to an end. "Pretty much the majority of the community wants the party," said Deputy Chief Vince Golbeck with the Dallas Police Department.
Police plan to add extra patrols, use tow truck drivers and focus more on the party perimeter. "That's what the community has said in the last several months that we've met with them, is that they want to see more police, said Golbeck. "And we've done that."
New restrictions and added police presence aside, April McGowen assured, "If you drive through here on Saturday, you will see everybody that lives down here out in their front yard enjoying it."
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