FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EFFECTIVE SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2020
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP CONTROLLED
PARKS AND TRAILS/DOG PARK/ORGANIC GARDENS &
COMMUNITY PARK GARDENS
RE-OPENING
On April 29, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued Executive Order #133, which updated and altered the restrictions on state, county, and municipal parks and golf courses.
Effective 6:00am on Saturday, May 2, 2020, all Montville Township Parks and Trails, Dog Park, and Organic Gardens with the exception of Community Park Gardens which are scheduled to re-open at 6:00am on Saturday, May 9, 2020,will be open only for passive recreational activities in which social distancing can be readily achieved, including hiking or walking, and running or jogging.
The following areas shall remain closed to the public: a) picnic areas; b) playgrounds; c) exercise stations and equipment; d) pavilions; e) turf and grass fields; f) basketball courts; g) baseball fields; h) volleyball court; i) bocce court; j) amphitheater; and k) public restrooms/port-a-johns.
To continue to have access to the use of parks, trails, and open spaces, we request that the following recommendations be adhered to for everyone’s safety and well-being:
o Consistent with Paragraph 3 of Executive Order No. 107 (2020), visitors must practice social distancing and stay six feet apart whenever practicable, excluding immediate family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners; and
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o Visitors should wear cloth face coverings in settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, except where doing so would inhibit that individual’s health or where the individual is under two years of age; and
o No picnicking shall be allowed, including on picnic blankets in signed picnic areas, and no picnic blankets, chairs, coolers, and other such personal property shall be carried into parks; and
o No organized or contact activities or sports shall be allowed; and
o Consistent with Paragraph 5 of Executive Order No. 107 (2020), gatherings of individuals, including in parks, are prohibited.
The Dog Park will re-open on Saturday, May 2 at 6:00am, and will be limited to four (4) persons per section (small section and large section) at any given time. All others should stay in their vehicle in the parking lot and wait for availability. Dog Park hours of sunrise to sunset remain in effect but are subject to change, if warranted.
The Organic Gardens shall open on Saturday, May 2 at 6:00am for pre-registered participants only (space is closed to new participants).
The Community Park Gardens are scheduled to open on Saturday, May 9 at 6:00am for pre-registered participants only. This date is contingent upon our staff being able to plow and stake individual plots (i.e., weather permitting).
Plots are for Montville Township Residents only. If interested in obtaining a garden plot, please request a Garden Request Form at: www.montvillenj.org/recflyers.
The Montville Township Pet Adoption Program will have a limited controlled re-open adoption process for the adoption of cats and dogs. For further details, please see the Montville Township Health Department website (under Animal Control) at www.montvillenj.org.
PLEASE NOTE that all visitors are reminded to properly dispose of their personal protective equipment and dog waste in the trash receptacles located throughout our facilities.
While we have this controlled re-opening, we would like to remind the public that Montville Township’s buildings and facilities shall remain closed to the public until further notice.