City officials won't allow an annual community reunion event to be held in Recreation Park on the West Side this summer.

Mayor Richard David said the AllSiders event can be held at another park on the South Side.

Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, the mayor attributed the Rec Park ban to "some issues that have arisen in the past several years." He said the parks department "wanted to move it to another venue."

David said among the problems were "excessive urination" and "excessive alcohol" in the park. He also said there was an issue with "the event continuing after its approved time."

The mayor said "Rec Park is a park in the middle of a neighborhood." He said the city "did receive some complaints from neighbors but I don't think it's fair to say that that's the primary reason" for the decision.

David said he didn't observe any problems when he visited the AllSiders event last August. He said he was there briefly early in the event and he believed most of the reported issues occurred later.

The mayor said the AllSiders Reunion can be held at Sandy Beach Park, a smaller facility next to the Susquehanna River near the Conklin town line.

Dean De Falco, the founder of the AllSiders event, could not be reached Tuesday afternoon to discuss the city's decision. But on a Facebook post, De Falco wrote he hoped to announce a new location - on private property - for this summer's event.

Sandy Beach Park is located along the Susquehanna River near the Binghamton-Conklin border. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
Sandy Beach Park is located along the Susquehanna River near the Binghamton-Conklin border. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

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