Manhattan Parks and Recreation is gearing up for their full reopening plan.
Director Eddie Eastes says all of the parks and trails in Manhattan are open, but some of the aspects within the parks are closed, such as playgrounds and bathrooms. Those facilities are expected to open this week, with many opening Wednesday and thereafter. The department wanted to make sure they had the proper signage and that they were comfortable the facilities were safe.
Eastes says he understand there are other playgrounds open across the state and admits they are lagging behind a little bit. The playgrounds are not areas staff disinfects, but do clean some aspects. Since there are children on the playgrounds throughout the entire day, they cannot disinfect them often. This is why the signage will play a major role in reopening.
“People need to understand; they need to continue themselves to practice their own personal hygiene and be cautious of touch points,” says Eastes.
The department is also coordinating with Riley County Parks and Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 on opening their playgrounds as well.
After those facilities open, the department hopes to open more in phases starting June 15. The next step would be to allow reservations to be made for sports fields, shelters, and even the Union Pacific Depot. With field reservations, the department hopes to have sports tournaments back on as well.
Larger indoor facilities, such as the Sunset Zoo, Douglas Center, and Discovery Center, are planning on opening towards the end of the month.
Parks and Recreation will continue to keep the pools closed for the summer. Social distancing issues in the pools is one of the major reasons they will remain closed. However, staff is looking into opening the splash park at City Park
