40 years ago: Traveling carnival has narrow escape from local zoning rules

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for July 8, 1972:

A carnival, in town for a week at the Malls Shopping Center, had recently experienced a close shave with local zoning laws. Although the Novelty Exposition Shows carnival had used the Malls’ parking lot space for three previous years and had been issued a $50 carnival permit this week, carnival manager Harold Anderson had been called back to city hall to be informed that a carnival was not legal in a “C-2” commercial area. Chief city building inspector Ken Jorgensen said that he had learned that the complaints of a few neighbors the previous year had led to the discovery that although carnivals were permitted in C-3, C-4, and C-5 districts, their presence in C-2 areas was not, in fact, legal. However, the show had been granted a reprieve. “I can’t see where it is really [Anderson’s] responsibility to know the zoning law of every city he goes into,” said Assistant City Manager Dennis Kallsen, adding that the merchants’ association at the Malls Shopping Center should have been responsible for informing the show’s manager. Besides, Kallsen added, the carnival was dropped in town by a truck fleet which then departed, and he could not justify closing it down when the carnival workers would be stranded. “If it runs within reasonable hours and doesn’t cause any problems, we will permit it this year,” Kallsen said. Going forward, the carnival would not be permitted to set up in that space unless an ordinance change was made.