AMHERST — Municipally run summer camps are being called off in Amherst, but the town’s first spray park is slated to open in July, and playgrounds, pools and Puffer’s Pond are all in the process of reopening.
Amherst officials on Tuesday unveiled plans for how recreational activities will look during the warm-weather months.
Town Manager Paul Bockelman said that the town is implementing protocols to minimize the spread of COVID-19, while allowing some normal activities to proceed.
“It will look different from how it has in the past,” he said.
Summer camps are not being run by Leisure Services and Supplemental Education due to the complexity of keeping campers and staff safe as required by orders from Gov. Charlie Baker. Bockelman said most area communities likely will be making the same decision.
But by not having these camps and other programs, LSSE staff, along with other municipal staff such as parking enforcement officers and senior services employees, will be reassigned to other activities. Bockelman said this will reduce the need for summer help, though some lifeguards are being hired.
Playgrounds are already back open. Children using these structures should wash their hands frequently and follow social distancing protocols, such as wearing masks and maintaining a six-foot distance from people with whom they do not live.
Bockelman said the town will not be sanitizing equipment and surfaces between uses, meaning there should be a “buyer beware” mentality for parents who visit playgrounds.
For the pools, the full-size War Memorial Pool and the full-size pool at Mill River Recreation Area, as well as the wading pool at Mill River, should open by July 3.
At both, hours will be limited, and swimmers will need to arrive already wearing bathing suits. The bathhouses will be restricted to bathroom use and social distancing will be enforced on the pool deck.
Puffer’s Pond will reopen for swimming, though the North Beach will be closed for the summer. The number of families and individuals allowed on the main beach at one time will be limited by attendants.
The splash pad under construction at Groff Park is slated for a mid-to-late July opening, and will be staffed. It is adjacent to a new playground that will also be opened there.
The town’s recreation fields will not be closed, but Bockelman said organized team sports are not being allowed on them.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
