Freehold Twp Picnic Areas, Pavilions Closed Due To COVID Concerns

FREEHOLD, NJ - Pavilions and picnic areas in Freehold Township are closed until further notice, according to the township's parks and recreation department.

The announcement came in the form of a Wednesday social media post from the municipality, citing a “large increase” in park use, as well as an influx of complaints regarding crowding and non-socially distant activities as reason to shut the gathering sites.

“To aid in encouraging proper social distancing and spacing, we have temporarily closed the pavilions and picnic table areas in the parks, as these areas have been trouble spots for gatherings that have not respected safety guidelines,” the notice reads. “This action is to aid in the spreading of people throughout the facility and to avoid park-goers from gathering in large groups.”

Parks are still open in the township, save for the high-volume gathering spots. It was not immediately clear from the social media post whether the township would reopen the shuttered spots, but Freehold Township Parks and Recreation Superintendent Sue McGough tells Patch that she estimates a reopening of the service areas by next week.

“It was getting hard to control, people were not wearing face masks,” the superintendent stated. McGough cited an “extraordinary increase” in park visitors this week, in part due to school-age residents. “We are still encouraging people to wear masks and social distance.”

McGough says that Freehold Township parks undergo a daily sanitization process using four electrostatic disinfectant machines. Playgrounds, bathrooms and other frequently-touched areas are all disinfected using the recently-purchased cleaning technology.

“We are very confident that we are in good shape,” McGough adds.

Nearby Howell Township shuttered all of its local parks earlier this week, sparking dissent and debate from residents over the continuation of youth sports. Sports fields have since reopened to local teams following a sanitization process, but playgrounds and other “high-touch” areas remain closed until further notice. Read more: Howell Parks Will Reopen To Youth Sports, Playgrounds Stay Closed

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