In a couple of short months, Canby will have its first-ever and long-awaited splash pad. Whether anyone will be allowed to play on it is an open question.
Although parks remain open — including Maple Street Park, the home of the new splash pad — all play equipment, bathrooms and other facilities have been closed due to the difficulty of sanitizing after each use.
The city of Canby has not made a decision on whether to close water features since, you know, we don’t have them yet, but it’s presumable that the same challenges presented by a playground would also apply to a splash pad.
Interim City Administrator Amanda Zeiber told the Canby Now Podcast this week that the project is moving forward and, despite a “few delays,” is still expected to be completed in July.
“No decisions have been made at this time regarding the splash pad opening,” she said. “We will continue to monitor directions from the state and adapt accordingly.”
Other cities, including Wilsonville and Woodburn, have kept their water features closed even as temperatures have risen in recent days, for sanitary reasons and because they are more likely to attract large groups congregating together.
“Social distancing” was cited as the reason Canby Community Park was closed to vehicular traffic in March, though it is open to pedestrians. The park has wading access to the Molalla River and the local fishing pond.
