The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
TEMPORARILY CLOSED
Officials shut down Delphi Falls Park in Madison County due to public negligence
NEW WOODSTOCK, N.Y. » Delphi Falls Park, a beloved recreational area in Madison County, was closed by officials Monday due to patrons breaking the park rules.
Since opening in August of 2018, the county park has become well-known for its gorgeous waterfall views, accessibility, and picnicking areas.
The county reported that the public has violated several rules, including climbing the falls, swimming, not social distancing, leaving trash at the park, consuming alcohol, and in some cases, treating others rudely when confronted about inappropriate behaviors.
Madison County Chairman John Becker explained that on Sunday, the county’s insurance carrier gave the park a visit. It was a hot, busy weekend, he said, and the carrier stopped in to see how things were going.
“As the insurance carrier was standing there watch
“As the insurance carrier was standing there watching, there were kids climbing up the falls and doing back-flips off the rocks into the water below,” — Madison County Chairman John Becker
ing, there were kids climbing up the falls and doing back-flips off the rocks into the water below,” the chairman revealed.
The county has been “gracious” to let people swim, reasonably, and let kids wade in the shallow waters, Becker said. But the excessive and reckless behavior is what pushed the county over the edge.
The chairman added that “trash strewn all over” has also been a constant issue, not just a recent development.
“Just like the Adirondacks, you don’t go up there with a whole five days worth of garbage and throw it out over the bank someplace when you’re at a campsite. If you take it in, you take it out,” he remarked, adding that this county park shouldn’t be treated any differently.
On top of these violations, Becker said that complaints have come in about patrons speeding along the road that leads to the park and shouting profanities at neighbors who asked that they slow down. What’s more, is that there was alleged drug use occurring in the parking lot, he said.
As temperatures rise and the public looks to enjoy the summer weather, Becker said that increased activity at the falls can start to get out of hand. That’s likely what happened this weekend, he said.
The park currently is set to reopen Monday, July 20, but that doesn’t mean another closure can’t or won’t happen. “...until patrons show they can follow the rules and treat our park and neighbors with respect, we may have to continue to close the park including closing it for the rest of the summer,” Becker said.
For the time being, the park will be closed just for the week. “We felt we should close the park for a week to clean up everything, get things back in order, and let some of these folks reflect on their behavior,” Becker explained.
He continued, “I apologize that we have to do this, but we felt that we needed to send the message to the ones that are not behaving that hey, you’re going to behave or you’re not going to be able to enjoy this gem that Madison County has.”
The county’s Facebook announcement about the park closing was highly engaged with online, with over 1,000 shares and 400 comments.
One commenter stated that she and her father-inlaw recently visited for his birthday. The beauty of the area and the ease to use his wheelchair are what brought them in, she said, but soon after, the behavior of others pushed them out.
“We only stayed for a few minutes because of all the not social distancing going on, smoking, drinking, kids running around and swimming unsupervised, definitely not staying 6 feet away from us,” she said.
One commenter challenged the county’s decision to close the park, stating, “How does a government close a park in punishment to the people as a whole, based on the actions of a few?” Others commented that it was unfair to close the park as it’s funded by public tax dollars, and the closure will be ineffective in deterring those who perform the bad behavior.
Any violations or damages that occur at the park take tax dollars to fix. Becker explained that taxes cover regular maintenance at the park, but it also has to cover excessive garbage clean up.
“I understand that 98% of the people that go there understand that it’s a beautiful place and they behave, but it’s that 2% that ruin it for everybody,” Becker said.
There are no guards or regular form of county supervision at the park, Becker explained, and posting a sheriff in the area would cost roughly $270,000, he added.
“We don’t want to do that. We want people to just be responsible for themselves and go and enjoy the park that was donated by Harold Jones and his wife,” Becker stated. The couple gave the county taxpayers $750,000 towards purchasing that piece of property, the chairman explained, adding, “We want it to stay pristine.”
The future of the park is currently under review by the Recreation Department, who is conducting a public survey to determine how residents want to use the property. Hiking trails have been a popular item, Becker said, and he hopes that any trails that become available will be respected.
The top of the falls should never be accessed by the public, and if hiking trails lead to the top, hikers better stay in the designated areas, he said. “We don’t want anybody to get hurt.”
An official list of the park’s rules can be found on the Madison County website.