Response from Mayor Lucarelli regarding Social Distancing in Fair Haven parks

Dear Fair Haven Residents:

I recently had an inquiry from a resident who strongly objected to our decision to keep our local Fair Haven parks open to the public. My response to this resident can be found below. When you read my response, please also keep in mind that I have had several reports that a very small number of people may not be following proper social distancing protocols when using our parks. 

I am again asking all residents to please continue to social distance in our parks, as this is a time for us all to be both vigilant and considerate of the greater community. I would hate to have a few people’s thoughtless behavior result in us having to reexamine our ability to keep the parks safe and available to all during this very challenging time. 

Thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation. 

Mayor Ben Lucarelli  

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Dear Concerned Resident,

Thank you for your letter of concern regarding the Fair Haven Parks. I believe that you may have misinterpreted the Facebook post. Our parks have remained open throughout the crisis and we do encourage people to go outside and take in fresh air for the sake of mental and physical health. In our parks, we have closed off all touchable surfaces, including playgrounds, tennis courts, basketball hoops and all bathroom facilities. Additionally, our water fountains will remain winterized until it is deemed safe to turn on the water. Our Police Department is closely monitoring all parks for volume of people and general behavior compliance. In addition, we have posted the attached sign in all parks, reminding residents to maintain social distancing. 

Governor Murphy’s decision to close all State and County parks came from a single report from the State Park Police that some parks had been overrun with not only residents, but an inordinate amount of non-residents. Many shore towns have taken similar precautions and closed their boardwalks and beaches. The concern driving these decisions is that the volume of people would make social distancing impractical. Governor Murphy left the decisions regarding Borough Parks to the discretion of the local governing bodies.

The discussion of our park facilities has been an ongoing and daily agenda item since the beginning of the crises. After consulting with our Council Members, Administrative Staff, Health Department and our OEM coordinator, we believe that the Fair Haven Parks afford the space and opportunity for proper social distancing and full adherence to the CDC guidelines. The use of masks by all was not recommended by the CDC a few weeks ago. As this crisis has progressed, that guidance has evolved and the use of masks is now required in NJ when people enter stores or locations where social distancing is hard to maintain. At this point in time, we have not witnessed or had any reports of issues regarding social distancing In our parks. We will continue to monitor our parks and we will adjust our policy based on changing information or official guidance.

I hope this addresses your concerns. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me on my cell. 908-489-0855

Be well, be safe, be observant.

Benjamin J. Lucarelli, Mayor
Borough of Fair Haven
748 River Road, Fair Haven, NJ 07704