HAPPY TRAILS
Play restricted: Parks, playgrounds closed; pathways remain open Safe recreation: Running, biking, walking encouraged with ‘distance’
If you’re looking for a sign of the times, there’s one at Upper Gwynedd’s Parkside Place complex that may be fitting.
“PLAYGROUND CLOSED MARCH 13 THRU ____ 2020” reads a neon yellow sign leading up to the township’s playground complex, a sign that ties into a new way the township is communicating with residents, and stands just next to the township’s trail network that’s still open.
“The Upper Gwynedd board of commissioners and I just feel it’s really prudent to close our playground courts, pickleball courts, and tennis courts, just to promote the social distancing that’s really necessary during the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Township Manager Sandra Brookley Zadell.
“It’s kind of hard to do that if you’re playing basketball, or on a playground. We’re worried that we won’t be able to sanitize equipment, so because of those facts, we are going to be closing all neighborhood park playgrounds, courts, basketball courts, pickleball courts. What will remain open are our walking trails and open space areas,” she said.
Over the past week, Upper Gwynedd has closed the township offices, canceled several scheduled public meetings, and Zadell has posted Facebook Live messages to field questions from residents and give updates on the latest developments. The first of
those video messages was posted Sunday, March 15, and Zadell warned of the upcoming closures of basketball courts and other
parks facilities, while the township’s trail network would stay open so residents can pass through, just not congregate.
“We encourage you to use those areas, get out with your family, into the sunshine and the fresh air, but we really want you to maintain
that social distancing,” she said.
In the video, Zadell delivered her message in front of the Parkside place pavilion and basketball courts, which were still full of weekend athletes. By Tuesday, the courts and pavilion were encased in yellow caution tape, with orange barriers and signs posted at the playground entrances, but walkers and joggers kept up the pace along the trail network, past enclosed message boards full of fliers for now-postponed events.
“I saw a lot of people walking on our trails, which I will continue to encourage because we really want to keep them off of the courts,” Zadell said.
“No one is really asking about any trails or anything, mainly just complaining that I made them stop playing pickleball,” she said.
Earlier this month Zadell
announced as part of the board’s 2020 goals that she and staff would begin a series of regularly scheduled Facebook Live chats to field questions from residents with various department heads. Those plans were advanced due to the coronavirus closures, she said, to get the word out about the parks facility closures, and in subsequent videos she has also detailed how residents can continue to make their township tax payments and what services staff are providing while the doors to the township building remain closed.
As of Wednesday afternoon staff had posted additional updates about the cancellation of a planned commissioners meeting
on March 23 and a zoning hearing board meeting on March 24, a formal disaster declaration, and another message asking residents to scale back on shopping at supermarkets per federal guidelines. Another Facebook Live chat has been scheduled with commissioners President Liz McNaney for Thursday, March 19, at noon, and Zadell said she plans to keep giving video updates every few days as news develops.
“So far the residents do seem to like it,” she said.
For more information visit www.UpperGwynedd.org, search for “Upper Gwynedd Township” on Facebook or follow @UpperGwyneddTwp on Twitter.
“We encourage you to use those areas, get out with your family, into the sunshine and the fresh air, but we really want you to maintain that social distancing.”