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LEHI — Lehi city officials are debating hours of operation for the park after residents voiced frustration with it being closed on Sundays, when multiple acts of vandalism have occurred.
The Lehi Family Park at 1999 N. 600 East is an "all-abilities" park with specialized areas for specific age groups and ability levels. The $17-million park has been years in the making.
The 85-acre park has an aviation-themed playground designed to be accessible for all children, including a splash pad, scenic walking routes, a theater and a sensory garden that is fully fenced with a single entrance to "ensure a safe and secure environment for all families," the city website states.
The park opened on Sept. 14 but was initially scheduled to be closed the next day — a Sunday — due to "staffing constraints," according to city officials. The park ended up being open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day, but the city said it would be closed on Sunday, Sept. 22.
Just two days after opening, the city posted on social media Sept. 16 that it was "thrilled" for the park to be open, but some details were still being finalized.
"Regrettably, some individuals disregarded the posted hours and rules, damaging the front gate by breaking into the park. Additionally, scooters were used on the splash pad, resulting in damage to the concrete," the city's post states.
In response to one of the comments on the post, the city said that on Sept. 22, another "unauthorized individual opened the gates." City officials in Tuesday's meeting said locks have been cut off the gates, the gates were taken off hinges and human feces have been found in the park.
The Sept. 16 post received almost 200 comments from people complaining about the park's hours, saying a public park should always be open. Other comments asked why it needs to be staffed to be open and contended the city wasn't clear enough on its hours when it first opened.
The city's post said safety, weather, maintenance and staffing will be factored into determining park hours, which were discussed at Tuesday's City Council meeting.
The City Council will be mulling staffing options to determine the official hours of the park, analyzing whether it should remain open year-round or have a seasonal closure and whether the park will be open on Sundays.
The cost of staffing the park on Sundays and park maintenance through the winter is the biggest hurdle, said Stephen Marchbanks, director of Lehi's parks and facilities. The preferred option would be to open the park seven days a week from 9 a.m. until sunset, with a seasonal closure from Dec. 1 to March 1.
The park requires a different operational process than other public parks because it is designed to support families with special needs, according to a presentation during Tuesday's meeting. As the first all-abilities park in the city, it has a fence to protect kids who may wander off and ensure safety for all guests.
The park is triple the size of any other Lehi park and has around 700 unique pieces of play equipment. Staff is needed at the park to monitor water levels at the splash pad, maintain cleanliness, perform minor maintenance tasks at the playground and landscaped areas, manage restrooms and pavilions and "assist visitors in understanding and adhering to the park's regulations," the city's presentation said.
"We have to keep it safe. Unfortunately, I've had to have police-escort people out (when it was closed)," Marchbanks said. "We didn't work this hard to keep it shut a minute after we opened it. We want this thing enjoyed."
Mayor Mark Johnson said the vandalism showed a "purposeful intent" to violate the posted hours by breaking into the locked park. He has been in discussion with the Spanish Fork mayor because that city has an all-abilities park that is staffed and fenced off and has experienced similar vandalism.
The mayor said the City Council will announce its final decision soon.
Before Tuesday's meeting, some citizens were frustrated by the park's hours after Google posted hours the park was open when it was not.
"Unfortunately, we don't run Google," Marchbanks said.
Marchbanks said the staff tried to correct the information on Google but was unsuccessful. He also said the intent has never been to have the park closed on Sundays, but the city needs to consider available resources.
"It's sad to me that something that should be a tremendous community celebration would come to this. I think it's tragic," City Councilman Paul Hancock said.
Residents expressed frustration during the meeting, asking for the park to be open on Sundays and throughout the winter.
"I can understand why people are upset because our tax dollars pay for the park," resident Lindsey Lewis said. "I think having it open for the same hours on Sunday as every other day, anywhere else in the nation, I feel like people would expect that of a public park."
Contributing: Shara Park, Shelby Lofton
