Playgrounds, skateparks, fitness stations reopen in Goleta with COVID-19 guidelines

GOLETA, Calif. - The City of Goleta announced that playgrounds, skateparks and fitness stations are reopened to community use citywide starting Friday.

The recreational sites were closed to guests earlier in the year in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through common contact surfaces.

Now that Santa Barbara County has moved up to the state's "red" tier of reopening, the city said it is now allowed to reopen these facilities.

“We know the community has been eagerly awaiting the reopening of the City’s many great playgrounds, beloved skate park, and outdoor fitness stations. It has been a long six months without public access to these facilities, and we appreciate your patience. We encourage our community members to abide by the rules so that we can keep them open for our residents to enjoy,” said Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte.

Parks will be open during normal hours, sunset to sunrise seven days per week.

While parks are reopened for public use, some COVID-19 guidelines are still in place and must be followed during the pandemic. These include:

• Everyone two years old and older must wear a face covering that goes over their mouth and nose.
• Maintain physical distance of six feet between individuals from different households and prevent crowding of children.
  • Do not use the playground, skate park, or fitness stations when different households are unable to maintain a physical distance of 6 feet on play structures, swings, and other playground equipment.
• No food or drink are permitted on the playground, skate park, or fitness stations.
• Wash or sanitize your hands before and after your visit.
• Visit a playground at different times or days to avoid crowds and waits (peak hours tend to be weekday afternoons and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
  • To avoid crowding and allow everyone to use this space, please limit your visit to 30 minutes when others are waiting.
• Elderly individuals and people with underlying medical conditions should avoid playgrounds when others are present.
• Organized group activities that include people outside of your household are not permittedand should not use the playground.
• Users of the skate park at Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park must comply with all of the new guidelines and the safety guidelines that were in affect prior to COVID-19, which include wearing a helmet and safety pads.

Playgrounds will not be staffed, so the city said it is the community's responsibility to protect each other and abide by the guidelines above.

Playgrounds will also be cleaned three times per week. Because more frequent cleaning is not possible, those who use playgrounds or fitness equipment are urged to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before and after each visit.