Pokemon go needs permit in Miluwaukee
MILWAUKEE, WI -- The developer behind GPS-enabled augmented games like Pokemon GO and Ingress will now be required to obtain a permit from the county before they can use county parks for their smartphone-enabled games.
This news comes after a six-month battle after players of Pokemon GO literally overran Milwaukee's Lake Park. The Milwaukee County Board approved the new ordinance this week, requiring the permit for such things as portals, pokestops and gyms on county park lands.
In August, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele insisted that Milwaukee was not trying to shut down Pokemon GO in county parks after it sent a letter to the game's developer - urging it to comply with county "virtual geocache" guidelines.
"... I was discouraged by recent reports that created some confusion around the County’s position on Pokémon GO," he said in a written statement this week. "We’ve enjoyed watching the Pokémon GO phenomenon take off in our County parks. Pokémon GO has brought thousands of new users into our parks at events like our Poke-nic in Mitchell Park and just by visiting Pokestops all throughout the County."
Pokestops Start Vanishing
After the first wave of orders from county officials, local media reports indicated that the developers of Pokemon Go, Niantic, started removing Pokestops from Lake Park after players started noticing that they were vanishing.
Battle Starts in August
Officials from the Milwaukee County Parks system reportedly began the process to shut down the popular game Pokemon GO in Historic Lake Park.
In addition, the county issued their first demand that the creators of Pokemon GO remove all Pokemon GO sites from all county parks in order to comply with area ordinances and permitting.
The County has sent a letter to Niantic, the creators of Pokemon GO, demanding they shut down the game in Lake Park, and re-apply to put Pokestops and Gyms back in the park under the county's "Virtual Geocache" guidelines.
Historic Lake Park, located on Milwaukee's near north side just south of Shorewood, has become a Pokemon Go hotbed, with players flocking to the area. The county calls it one of the most active Pokemon Go areas in the entire midwest.
Its popularity, according to the county, has created a variety of issues, including:
Daily traffic congestion
parking issues
littering
compacted and damaged turn
risks to sensitive flora and fauna habitats
noncompliance with park system operation hours.
The Letter
"The Pokemon phenomenon has introduced hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals to our park system and has resulted in many new positive experiences...However there have been other unanticipated and negative consequences from Pokemon-related activities which have caused significant disruption within Lake Park and in adjacent neighborhoods., wrote Chris Abele, Milwaukee County Executive and John Dargle, Jr. Director of Parks Recreation and Culture.
Although the county is welcoming the creators of Pokemon Go to re-apply for their Pokemon GO sites, the county makes it clear that it's not necessarily a sure thing, and is subjecting the game's creators to physical monitoring requirements if they clear the approval process.
"As noted, should Niantic, Inc., be granted permission to place Pokemon GO sites within any Milwaukee County park, it will thereafter be responsible for regularly monitoring each cache (4 times per year is recommended) and reporting vandalism or deterioration of property."
After all this commotion at Miluwaukee, players are worried that the rest of the world might want to do the same.
This news comes after a six-month battle after players of Pokemon GO literally overran Milwaukee's Lake Park. The Milwaukee County Board approved the new ordinance this week, requiring the permit for such things as portals, pokestops and gyms on county park lands.
In August, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele insisted that Milwaukee was not trying to shut down Pokemon GO in county parks after it sent a letter to the game's developer - urging it to comply with county "virtual geocache" guidelines.
"... I was discouraged by recent reports that created some confusion around the County’s position on Pokémon GO," he said in a written statement this week. "We’ve enjoyed watching the Pokémon GO phenomenon take off in our County parks. Pokémon GO has brought thousands of new users into our parks at events like our Poke-nic in Mitchell Park and just by visiting Pokestops all throughout the County."
Pokestops Start Vanishing
After the first wave of orders from county officials, local media reports indicated that the developers of Pokemon Go, Niantic, started removing Pokestops from Lake Park after players started noticing that they were vanishing.
Battle Starts in August
Officials from the Milwaukee County Parks system reportedly began the process to shut down the popular game Pokemon GO in Historic Lake Park.
In addition, the county issued their first demand that the creators of Pokemon GO remove all Pokemon GO sites from all county parks in order to comply with area ordinances and permitting.
The County has sent a letter to Niantic, the creators of Pokemon GO, demanding they shut down the game in Lake Park, and re-apply to put Pokestops and Gyms back in the park under the county's "Virtual Geocache" guidelines.
Historic Lake Park, located on Milwaukee's near north side just south of Shorewood, has become a Pokemon Go hotbed, with players flocking to the area. The county calls it one of the most active Pokemon Go areas in the entire midwest.
Its popularity, according to the county, has created a variety of issues, including:
Daily traffic congestion
parking issues
littering
compacted and damaged turn
risks to sensitive flora and fauna habitats
noncompliance with park system operation hours.
The Letter
"The Pokemon phenomenon has introduced hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals to our park system and has resulted in many new positive experiences...However there have been other unanticipated and negative consequences from Pokemon-related activities which have caused significant disruption within Lake Park and in adjacent neighborhoods., wrote Chris Abele, Milwaukee County Executive and John Dargle, Jr. Director of Parks Recreation and Culture.
Although the county is welcoming the creators of Pokemon Go to re-apply for their Pokemon GO sites, the county makes it clear that it's not necessarily a sure thing, and is subjecting the game's creators to physical monitoring requirements if they clear the approval process.
"As noted, should Niantic, Inc., be granted permission to place Pokemon GO sites within any Milwaukee County park, it will thereafter be responsible for regularly monitoring each cache (4 times per year is recommended) and reporting vandalism or deterioration of property."
After all this commotion at Miluwaukee, players are worried that the rest of the world might want to do the same.
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