Many Pokemon GO players could be expecting the augmented reality game to add more Pokestops and gyms, but this may not be the case for residents of the Arlington Heights Park District in Illinois. Due to traffic concerns, it seems that nearby residents are asking Niantic to remove the three Pokestops and gym located within Memorial Park.

Notably, churches and public parks are prime locations to play Pokemon GO, as they are typically safe locations for fans of the game. Thus far, a major incident has not occurred in Memorial Park as a result of the game, but the increased traffic around the park of individuals playing the game has upset the peaceful neighborhood.

The biggest complaint is that people have been driving around the park while using the app, which was revealed by park board President Maryfran Leno. Pokemon GO does have a reoccurring issue of individuals playing the game while driving despite the in-game warning, and it has resulted in players receiving fines.

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Concerns about the park and Pokemon GO began shortly after the game launched, with officials even consulting the local police department. For whatever reason, these complaints have recently resurfaced, with the park board electing to contact Niantic about its concerns and asking to be removed from the game. Leno went as far as to say, “We want to make sure people are following our rules and at the same time enjoying the outdoors, but this [park], because it’s such as tight location because of the houses, they’ve contacted us with safety concerns.”

With the game potentially ramping up to introduce gen 4 Pokemon, it doesn’t appear that Pokemon GO’s popularity will decline any time soon; in the meantime, Niantic will likely need to respond to the park president at some point. While it seems possible that Niantic would consent to remove the in-game locations from the park, but if so, it would set a worrisome precedent for fans of the game who enjoy going to their local park to play.

Pokemon GO is available now for Android and iOS devices.

Source: Daily Herald