As this summer of Pokemon Go winds down, I see fewer phone-toting players on my nighttime walks. What were late-night crowds have dwindled to small groups of virtual monster catchers. The other evening, I nearly bumped into another sign of darker months to come.
“Park Hours,” says a new sign at the north end of Everett’s Grand Avenue Park.
A closer look showed that for years I have apparently been violating city code. My dog, Oscar, and I never defy the “Pets Must Be On Leash” rule. But night after night, we have walked the park after its now-posted closing times.
Lori Cummings, Everett Parks &Recreation director, confirmed Tuesday the hours posted on the sign: 6 a.m.-10 p.m. April through October, and 6 a.m.-8 p.m. November through March.
“It’s not new, those have been in place for several years,” Cummings said. The city’s other parks share those hours, although some amenities — including the Forest Park Swim Center and rented hall facilities, she said — are at times open later.
Park hours are found in the Everett Municipal Code, 9.06.208 Section B. The code, last modified in 2013, says that violation of any park rule or regulation may be punished by a penalty of not more than $250.
Imagine a family indulging in Thanksgiving dinner, watching some football, then setting out at 8:30 p.m. for some exercise and to take in the view of Everett’s lit-up waterfront. Should being in Grand Avenue Park at that hour put them at risk of a $250 fine?
“It’s certainly discretionary on the ranger’s part, but violations could result in a fine,” Cummings said. “Our goal is to balance positive park use with the need to make sure everyone is safe.” Safety, she said, is the reason for park hours.
I wonder, though, whether or not closing the park to walkers and shutting off ornamental lights after hours actually encourages violators who might use the park for camping, drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs.
While a 10 p.m. park closure seems reasonable, it’s the opinion of this dog walker that 8 p.m. is too early to bar us from a nightly stroll — at any time of year. Most nights, I’m not home from work until nearly 7 p.m. By the time I change clothes, feed the dog, maybe feed myself and do dishes, it’s closer to 9 p.m.
Sure, walkers could stay on a neighborhood sidewalk, even the one across from Grand Avenue Park. But should we have to?
Other cities in Snohomish County have park hours, but they’re generally not as specific as Everett’s.
“Our general park hours are dawn to dusk with the exception of our skate park, which opens 8 a.m. until dark. We do not have different seasonal hours,” said Jim Ballew, Marysville’s director of parks, culture and recreation.
Mike Farrell, Monroe parks and recreation director, said that city’s parks are also open to the public from dawn to dusk, “so the hours vary along with the seasons.” Outdoor movies and other special events are exceptions to the rule, he said. In Lynnwood, too, parks are officially open from dawn to dusk.
Cummings said the city tries to post signs with hours in all its parks. “If those signs are new, it’s only a matter of getting to them being posted,” she said.
Did the Pokemon Go craze have neighbors worried about crowds in the parks? On recent after-hours walks, I’ve been amazed to see not only a park full of people but nearby streets jammed with traffic. Grand Avenue Park has indeed been a Pokemon hot spot, along with Thornton A. Sullivan Park at Silver Lake, Cummings said.
City officials have heard positive comments about the game getting people out into the parks, but also concerns over players looking down at phones and blocking walkways. “We certainly have had mixed feedback,” she said.
Soon it will be wetter, colder and darker. Intrepid walkers — whatever the hour — will surely outnumber Pokemon monster catchers.
Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460; jmuhlstein@heraldnet.com.
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