Parade Route May Again Be Redrawn

City Council members appeared headed for a compromise Tuesday when they voted 3 to 2 to look into redrawing the Heritage Festival Parade route to include the north and south parts of Placentia.

Council members were faced with a recommendation from the Heritage Festival Committee to keep the parade at its new location at Tri City Park, where it was moved last year to accommodate more people. But several residents spoke out against the move, saying the celebration of Placentia’s past should be held where it has been for more than 30 years: at Kraemer Memorial Park near Old Town Placentia.

With about 35 speakers taking sides Tuesday, council members formed a subcommittee to look at ways the parade can be started south of Yorba Linda Boulevard and march north to Tri City Park to include both neighborhoods. The subcommittee will report back to the council Feb. 6.

Councilman Norman Z. Eckenrode said he was disappointed with the revised route of the parade, which he said had sparse areas of attendance along Bastanchury Road. Councilwoman Constance Underhill, a participant in 10 of the last 12 parades, said she liked the new route and saw no drop in attendance. Underhill and Councilwoman Judy Dickinson voted against forming the subcommittee, wanting to go along with the Heritage Festival Committee’s recommendation to keep the event at Tri City Park.