‘Doesn’t make sense’: Bluffton neighbors petition town to reopen public playgrounds
As a group of Bluffton neighbors call on the town to reopen public playgrounds, town officials remain steadfast in their decision to keep them closed.
The town says it’s too early.
In just two days, over 1,500 people have signed a Change.org petition demanding the town reopen its three public playgrounds “immediately.” The petition cites mental health concerns for children who are stuck at home and can’t socialize with their peers.
Playgrounds in Bluffton — at DuBois Park, Oscar Frazier Park and Buckwalter Place Commerce Park — have been closed since April 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic. In June, the town reopened all public parks, but held off on opening playgrounds.
Many residents were confused by the decision.
Bluffton resident Briana Tucker, who started the petition on Monday, said her three kids have been going stir crazy at home without access to playgrounds in the area.
She has to avoid driving by the parks in Old Town because her 4-year-old daughter gets upset, she said.
“It’s mostly just tough having the kids and dealing with their emotions and not being able to interact with others kids,” she said.
Tucker said she’s had to drive to Hilton Head and Beaufort so her kids can use the playgrounds there. Hilton Head reopened its playgrounds in June. Beaufort, which also reopened its playgrounds in June, just opened a new playground at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.
“It just doesn’t make sense,” she said. “If we’re outside and socially distancing at a park, I think there’s no problem with that.”
Called about the petition on Tuesday, Town Manager Marc Orlando said the town doesn’t have the staff to properly clean the playgrounds.
“I don’t know the right answer, but I know the [coronavirus case] numbers are still at an uncomfortable level,” he said. “I just don’t feel like today is the right day to open playgrounds. Especially knowing there remains an abundance of open space available.”
Orlando said he understands that the “optics” of keeping playgrounds closed while parks and private businesses are open are “off,” but feels he’s made the right decision “for now at least.”
He cited the guidelines laid out in the Accelerate SC reopening plan, which allow playgrounds to be reopened, but recommend routine cleaning schedules and signage notifying residents of potential safety risks.
He quoted a line in the guidelines that states, “the CDC does not recommend the use of playgrounds at this time.”
“I’ll keep monitoring it monthly,” he said. “I know there will come a time when it’s practical and feasible. I’m going to err on the side of protecting the health and safety of the community.”
Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka, who said she hadn’t seen the petition, said she “feels the pain” of parents who have to work at home with young kids. But she said the town doesn’t “have the budget to keep [playgrounds] clean like we want it clean.” She also cited the town’s high number of coronavirus cases.
Tucker said she hasn’t gotten a response to the petition from town officials, but the feedback she’s received from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.
Many residents have responded to the petition, with most citing the mental health of their children as a reason for signing.
“Find it kind of ridiculous that we need a petition to open up playgrounds when every single business and restaurant are open to the public,” Harrison Figueroa wrote on the petition. “Let’s get our kids lives back and give them a childhood where they’re not traumatized by the wonder of when they’ll be able to go to the park again.”
COVID-19 cases in Bluffton
The S.C. Department of Health and Environemental Control announced 30 new coronavirus cases in Beaufort County on Tuesday. Since March, 4,766 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the county. Twenty-five probable cases have also been identified.
Beaufort County’s seven-day average of new daily cases was 25.1 Tuesday, following a downward trend seen throughout most of August.
Since the pandemic began, 66 people in Beaufort County have died after being infected by the coronavirus, according to DHEC.
The Bluffton ZIP code 29910 continues to lead the county in reported cases with 1,186 as of Tuesday.
This story was originally published September 2, 2020 at 1:21 PM.
