Gov. Phil Murphy has announced he will reopen New Jersey’s state and county parks and golf courses on May 2.
At the state parks, parking will be capped at 50% of capacity; playgrounds, pavilions, visitor centers and restrooms will remain closed; picnics, organized activities and team sports remain prohibited; and it is recommended that visitors wear a face mask when social distancing is difficult to maintain.
The governor made the announcement on April 29 as the Garden State continued to deal with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 6,700 New Jerseyans.
A trio of Monmouth County state legislators, Sen. Declan O’Scanlon of Little Silver, Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso of Holmdel and Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger of Middletown (all R-Monmouth), issued a statement following Murphy’s announcement.
“While I firmly believe there was no scientific justification to close these facilities in the first place, I want to praise the administration for hearing the calls to reopen now,” O’Scanlon said.
“While there absolutely will be some people who don’t adhere to safe practices, the overwhelming majority will. The benefits, physical and mental, of permitting, in fact encouraging, people to get out, get fresh air and exercise will be invaluable,” he said.
“I’m happy to see the governor appears to have listened to our continued requests for him to reopen the parks, despite our disagreement with his initial closure,” DiMaso said.
“People have been in their homes for six weeks. The vast majority of them have done everything we have asked of them and we are seeing the positive outcome as a result.
“Lifting some of these heavy restrictions, even slowly and moderately, will help give residents much-needed hope we can come out of this if they keep following important rules,” she said.
“To say the original decision to close state and county parks was speculative would be an understatement,” Scharfenberger said.
“We stood our ground, along with our county leadership here in Monmouth County, calling attention to how incredibly crucial it is for our parks to remain open to ensure the overall physical and mental well-being of our residents. We are proud to have pushed back and now, residents can once again use our amazing open spaces safely,” he said.
On behalf of the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone and Monmouth County Park System liaison Freeholder Lillian G. Burry issued the following statement regarding the reopening of county parks and golf courses:
“We are glad the governor heeded our plea to reconsider the closure of county parks and golf courses in New Jersey. The board has felt, throughout this entire pandemic, that our county parks are essential for our residents’ mental health and a great choice for passive recreation.
“We trust that our residents will continue to practice social distancing as they are permitted to re-enter the parks and golf courses this weekend. We are happy our residents will be able to take advantage of the beautiful weather expected this weekend by enjoying a walk, bike ride or a round of golf in Monmouth County,” Arnone and Burry said.
In a statement released on April 29, the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance (NJOA) thanked a bipartisan list of local and legislative leaders for taking decisive action to reopen the state’s open spaces.
“The NJOA congratulates the governor on listening to the chorus of common sense and reopening parks. The parks’ reopening was a no-brainer, and the science is clear that outdoor activity is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and both physical and mental health during this crisis,” NJOA Vice President Cody McLaughlin said.
“The NJOA has advocated for the safe and responsible reopening of parks since day one of this order. Nothing is of higher priority to our members and supporters and we are proud to celebrate our outdoor heritage with this win for common sense reopening,” McLaughlin said.
In a radio interview that was broadcast on the afternoon of April 29, Murphy said his decision to reopen the parks and golf courses was not influenced by any outside government or group. The governor said he would revisit his decision if social distancing guidelines are not adhered to at those facilities.