Park Rules To Be Enforced

After several months of watching strangers use University Park's soccer field, the town's mayor and council have decided to take action to enforce park rules and help maintain the fields.

The park, located near Wells Run off Queens Chapel Road, is accessible by a path from Adelphi Road and also from Baltimore Avenue.

Due to its accessibility, residents from neighboring towns have begun using the field regularly on Sundays in organized soccer games.

Mayor John Tabori said Monday at the council meeting that the town faces two key issues when dealing with field use permits – one, how can the town enforce the rules and two, how can they maintain the field.

Public Works Director Mickey Beall said there are some possibilities when it comes the maintenance of the field, which can sometimes easily flood during rainstorms and its location near the creek.

He said the town could choose to close the field during the winter to prevent tearing, or close the field when the public workds seeds the field.

However the issue arises when enforcing the closings because either people don't know or don't see the signage when they arrive, he said.

The Lewisdale-University Park Boys and Girls Club use the field on a regular basis for their athletics. They have a permit to use it from 3:30 p.m. to dark on weekdays and on Saturdays until 5 p.m.

On Sundays, however, the field is open for residents to use as they wish, but they can only use half of the field when playing, allowing multiple groups usage of the field.

"There is a mid-afternoon group that comes in there on the weekdays during their lunch break and play with pop-up goals," Beall said.

Councilman Mickey Lucas (Ward 2) said he's noticed the same group of men coming to the field weekly on Sundays, playing soccer on the entire field.

Lucas said he wasn't sure if the men saw the signs regarding usage or didn't understand, noting there might be a language barrier.

"There should be a sign in English and Spanish on both ends of the field," he said.

Beall said the signs can be posted and he can even add a note on the town's website suggesting residents call a number to learn whether the field is open or closed on any given day.

Council asked Police Chief Michael Wynnyk if the weekend patrol could help enforce the rules at the park.

Lucas and Wynnyk both said that each time they asked the group to leave, they have done so respectfully.

Ideally, residents should use the field on Sundays, when families or groups of children can play on the field, sharing the space. The town has strict policies regarding organized sports being played on the field, not only for safety reasons but for liability.

Tabori suggested the field be marked with chalk so that people can recognize what is designated as half the field.