Rockland County Parks to Reopen 5/1 | The Rockland County Times

New City, NY, – County Executive Ed Day and the Rockland County Division of Environmental Resources announce the re-opening of County Parks effective 6:00 AM, Friday, May 1, 2020, with the exception of H. Pierson Mapes Flat Rock Park in Hillburn which will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

Parks will be open for walking only; social distancing and walking directional signs will be posted throughout the parks. Amenities and facilities such as restrooms, playgrounds, pavilions, picnic tables, all lawn areas, park benches, fishing piers and dog runs will be restricted for public use and will remain closed. Parking will only be permitted in designated parking lots and reductions in the number of parking spaces will be instituted in some parks. Side street parking will also be restricted.

It is recommended that those who visit the parks wear a mask or face covering.

“We closed our Parks three weeks ago to get through what public health experts were calling a critical time to slow down the spread of COVID-19. Thankfully we have seen steadily declining hospitalizations due to this disease but we want to take a thoughtful and unified approach to any reopening actions,” said County Executive Day. “I want to acknowledge Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco; we have been working towards a regional approach to this reopening and I was pleased to see NJ Gov. Murphy take action on this today. Additionally, I want to thank Governor Cuomo for his attention to this situation. County Executive Tedesco and I are urging our respective residents to patronize the parks only within their home County. The use of County Parks is intended for County residents only.”

Additionally, after a discussion with Rockland’s Town Supervisors and Village Mayors, Town and Village parks which are not already open will be opening this weekend.

“It is now time to give people the opportunity to get out of the house and go for a walk. The Supervisors and Mayors we spoke with agreed and will be following up by re-opening their parks. If we give people more options, there will be more room for everyone to spread out and enjoy the outdoors while still practicing proper social distancing,” said County Executive Day.

The Division of Environmental Resources will not accept any new park permit requests for the foreseeable future.Residents can visit http://rocklandgov.com/departments/environmental-resources/ and the County social media pages for County Park updates.

Division staff will monitor the parks and report any violations of social distancing or gatherings to the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office. Park openings will be reevaluated if the public fails to adhere to proper social distancing guidelines.

Rockland County Parks to Reopen 5/1 added by rctadmin on April 30, 2020
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