Restoration appeal of the Wayspot "Fontaine en bois dans les buissons"

[nicoxx31]

Hello,

I am requesting the restoration of the Wayspot “Fontaine en bois dans les buissons”, which was recently removed from the game.

• Wayspot Title: Fontaine en bois dans les buissons
• Location (lat/lon): 46.522347, 6.829653
• City: Granges (Veveyse), FR
• Country: Switzerland

Please note that when this nomination was originally submitted, it was initially rejected by the automated system. However, after I submitted an official appeal, it was reviewed and approved by a human staff member, confirming its validity.

Screenshot of the successful appeal:

Here is the translation of the exact text of the successful appeal that led to its approval:

"Hello, This object perfectly meets Niantic’s eligibility criteria for the following reasons:

1. Unique cultural and historical value: This is a fully handcrafted wooden fountain featuring a hand-carved engraving. It is an official donation to the municipality, permanently installed on public property to enhance local heritage. It is by no means mass-produced or private garden furniture.

2. Pedestrian access and safety: Although this small residential road does not have a marked sidewalk (which likely misled the AI), it is officially designated as a marked walking and cycling tourist route. Vehicle traffic is nearly non-existent and restricted to local residents. Walkers, hikers, and cyclists use it daily in complete safety to reach the fountain and continue along their route.

3. A place for exploration and social gathering: As a public water point on a hiking trail, this fountain serves as a key resting and gathering spot for passing walkers.

Thank you in advance for processing my claim."

Do you need recents pictures to prove the existence of the Wayspot ? This Wayspot was created at the end of June so it is still very recent.

I strongly suspect this recent removal is the result of malicious and abusive reporting by a local player following Gym control disputes in the area.

Before its improper removal, this Wayspot had been promoted to a Gym in Pokémon GO. Could you please review the history and validity of this location, restore the Wayspot, and if possible, reinstate its status as a Gym as it previously was in Pokémon GO?

Thank you for your time and assistance.

[elijustrying]

Hello and welcome @nicoxx31

The standard request is for current geotagged photos of the object giving the context of where it is in its surroundings.

The Wayfarer Team will have received evidence to remove so counter evidence is needed to reinstate.

[cyndiepooh]

@nicoxx31

• 46.522347, 6.829653

Since the Mapview map is not updating immediately, this Wayspot is still visible there. This is the Wayspot photo.

Here is the street view

There is no safe place here to stand out of the roadway that I can see. I do not see how this could serve “as a key resting and gathering spot for passing walkers.” I would have reported this for removal if I saw it in game.

I am not staff to make a decision on restoration, just pointing out issues you will need to overcome. I am surprised this was accepted in appeal at this location.

[nicoxx31]

@elijustrying

Hello and welcome @nicoxx31

The standard request is for current geotagged photos of the object giving the context of where it is in its surroundings.

The Wayfarer Team will have received evidence to remove so counter evidence is needed to reinstate.

Hello @elijustrying

Thank you for your reply.

Please find attached the current geotagged photos of the fountain, including a photo showing its accessibility.

As you can see, the handcrafted wooden fountain is still permanently installed and accessible on public property.

Thank you for forwarding this counter-evidence to the Wayfarer Team for review.

[nicoxx31]

Hello @cyndiepooh

Thank you for taking the time to share your observations and contribution to this thread. I would like to provide some additional context regarding the points you raised:

1. Mapview status:

Indeed, the Wayspot is still visible on the Mapview map as it doesn’t update immediately, but I can confirm it has been completely removed from the live game.

2. Traffic & Pedestrian access:

This is a local-only residential road with no transit traffic; vehicle circulation is nearly non-existent. Furthermore, this route is part of an officially designated hiking and cycling network in Switzerland. Pedestrians use this quiet road daily in complete safety.

3. Pedestrian safety & Niantic/Scopely official criteria:

As outlined in the official Wayfarer Rejection Criteria, the “No Pedestrian Access” reason is meant for locations where pedestrians cannot safely stand or walk (such as expressways, highways, or middle-of-road roundabouts). Official Acceptance Criteria require safe pedestrian access, but do not mandate a raised urban sidewalk for quiet residential roads or designated hiking paths where pedestrians are legally permitted to walk.

4. Local context & historic heritage:

This fountain is located along a former alpine path historically used for cattle transhumance. The local community values such historical features, which remain fully accessible on these quiet, low-traffic rural roads.

5. Clarification on “resting & gathering”:

The phrase “resting and gathering spot” was a slightly broad translation from French. In this context, “halte” means a brief stop—such as hikers refilling their water bottles or pausing for a few moments to admire the handcrafted fountain—rather than staying for an extended period.

Thank you again for your feedback, and I hope this clarifies the local context for the Wayfarer Team’s review.

[Xenopus]

Salut et bienvenue! Si jamais, n’hésite pas à écrire avec tes propres mots dans ta langue, il y a un traducteur automatique, ce sera beaucoup plus lisible que les murs de texte IA, aussi car ces outils font beaucoup de suppositions incorrectes et font plus de mal à ton appel qu’ils ne l’aident.

Quelques points de clarification sur les suppositions en question:

• Personne ne peut “forwarder” à l’équipe - il suffit de poster ici et ils liront ton appel.

• Ça n’a pas d’importance que la fontaine soit près d’autres objets / endroits importants ou intéressants, ce ne sont pas les objets de ta proposition. Il n’y a donc pas besoin de les discuter. Il n’y a aussi pas besoin d’essayer de la faire passer dans tous les critères possibles (comme dit plus haut, le truc de la socialisation à la halte n’est pas très crédible) vu qu’un seul suffit.

• Je soupçonne comme d’autres plus haut que ta fontaine a été retirée pour cause de problème d’accès pédestre vu qu’il s’agit d’une route pour voitures. Il y a des règles assez strictes dessus, et il y a de fortes chances que la décision soit maintenue indépendamment du niveau de calme de la route. La Suisse n’est pas spéciale en ce sens et il n’y a pas de contexte local qui justifierait des exceptions pour certains pays.

• Je ne vois pas de “officially designated hiking path” marqué à cet endroit, il est ailleurs (en jaune). Si tu veux utiliser cet argument-là pour justifier l’accès pédestre, il faudra en apporter les preuves correspondantes. “On peut marcher ici” ne constitue pas un “sentier officiel”.

  

J’espère que ces quelques réflexions peuvent aider à voir quels points sont importants pour des propositions et des appels à l’avenir.

[ScopelyExpLC]

Thanks for the appeal, @nicoxx31! We have taken another look but stand by our decision to retire this Wayspot.