STATE OF THE PARK DISTRICT #4 - UPDATES RELATED TO COVID-19
MOVING FROM COVID-19 RESPONSE TO RECOVERY, AND RETURNING TO SUMMER FUN!
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
The Arlington Heights Park District continues to closely follow recommendations from the Governor’s office, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) as it pertains to public parks and recreation activities and facilities. We will offer as many programs and facilities as we can this summer and will communicate updates via our website www.ahpd.org and social media: On Facebook, Twitter, Instagram @AHPARKDISTRICT
Golf Operations: Arlington Lakes Golf Club and Nickol Knoll Golf Club – Courses are open. We encourage you to book tee time reservations online and view safety guidelines at
Arlington Lakes Golf Club and
Nickol Knoll Golf Club. We are reviewing guidelines to determine how our banquet/rental operations can resume and will communicate information as plans are finalized.
Facilities and Historical Museum – Community Centers and the Historical Museum will be open for registered program participants only as programming resumes. Program registration will continue to be completed online.
Tennis Clubs – Tennis Clubs are open for private and small group lessons and court reservations. The fitness center at Forest View will resume on July 6. We are awaiting further guidance on Racquetball in Phase 4. Please visit our website to view safety guidelines.
View guidelines: www.ahpd.org/tennis/.
Outdoor Tennis/Pickleball Courts – Are open with restrictions. Playing singles is preferred, but not required.
Pool Operations – The Park District will open Pioneer Park Pool on June 26 and Recreation Park Pool by July 6. Per Phase 3 guidelines of the Restore Illinois plan, the Park District is very limited as to what we can offer in the aquatics area. We will start lap swimming, diving lessons, and competitive swim clinics. Please note that lap swimming is by reservation only, allows for 10 swimmers at a time, and is limited to ages 9 and up. Lap swimmers will be restricted to their own lane. Lap swimmers will not be able to move to another area of the pool such as the diving well. Wading pools remain closed. Concession stands are closed. Patrons must bring their own water in their own water bottles. Indoor swimming at the ARC and open swim will be re-evaluated when further guidance becomes available from IDPH.
Pool schedules will be released every week, two weeks in advance. Doing so will allow us to adapt and adjust accordingly to changing guidelines. As we evolve and update our plans we will share them with the community through our Aquatics webpage, social media channels and website at www.ahpd.org and social media: On Facebook, Twitter, Instagram @AHPARKDISTRICT. The Park District will be discussing our other aquatic facilities once phase 4 Aquatic information becomes available. Guest Services staff are available for in-person registration at Arlington Ridge Center Monday – Thursday, 8:30 am to 7 pm, Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Saturday 9 am to noon. Guest Services may also be reached by phone at 847-577-3025.
AHPD Programs – Following physical distancing guidelines in Phase 4, in-person programming is permitted. AHPD staff will be communicating with summer program registrants and those on a waitlist with updates via email directly to provide them with program status. The District will continue offering a variety of programs, including virtual options, for those who may prefer it.
Arlington Heights Senior Center – At the time of this release, Village Hall is open for services to the public, but the Senior Center remains closed. A date for the Senior Center to reopen has not been set. Keep up to date on reopening status via our website at www.ahpd.org and social media outlets.
Summer Day Camps – We are following Phase 4 Day Camp guidelines and will contact current registrants with options. We will continue to offer Summer Fun Camp, our modified in-person camp program, through August 7th. This camp for children ages 6-11 years old will meet at Camelot, Recreation, and Pioneer. Resident registration will begin at 10am on Monday, June 29th for the last 5 weeks of camp which begins the week of July 6.
Children At Play (CAP) – The Illinois Department of Education released guidelines yesterday afternoon for the 2020-2021 school year to return to in-person learning. We are working collaboratively with school administrators in school districts 25, 21, and 59 on our plans for the upcoming school year and ask for your patience as we review the guidelines and understand how the school day and our before & after programming can both safely operate. We will continue to communicate updated information with registered CAP families.
Indoor Gyms – Indoor gyms remain closed to drop-in play, but will have limited athletic activity that will require registration.
Canine Commons Dog Park – Canine Commons is open. Please wear a face covering if social distancing cannot be maintained. See dog park guidelines: www.ahpd.org/facilities/canine-commons/.
Arlington Ridge Center (ARC) – ARC will open for fitness center use, inside land exercise class, and indoor pickleball, on July 6. There are group size limits for each. A special All-In Pass will be available for purchase. All current ARC memberships will remain frozen as we recognize that not all members will want to return right away. Indoor swimming at the ARC will be re-evaluated when further guidance becomes available from the IDPH. Staff will continue to plan virtual programming and offering Outdoor Group Fitness . One-on-one workouts and personal training also have started. As we evolve and update our plans we will share them with the community through our social media channels and website at www.ahpd.org/arc/ and Follow us: On Facebook @ARLINGTONRIDGECENTER; On Twitter and Instagram @arc_ahpd. Guest Services staff are available for in-person registration at Arlington Ridge Center Monday – Thursday, 8:30 am to 7 pm, Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Saturday 9 am to noon. They may also be reached by phone at 847-577-3025.
Parks and Lake Arlington – All parks are open to take a walk, jog or run. Playgrounds at all parks remain closed until allowed to open under the Restore Illinois Plan. The Lake is currently open for biking, running, walking, fishing and privately owned boats with a lake sticker. The fitness area remains closed at this time and will be re-evaluated when further guidance is provided. The Park District Board of Commissioners reserves the right to close any park properties at any time, should it become necessary.
Park Shelter and Facility Rentals – We will accept reservations for park shelters, picnic sites, athletic fields, and indoor gym rentals. www.ahpd.org/parks/facility-rentals/ We are not accepting rentals for meeting rooms or birthday parties.
Community Gardens – Our two community gardens are open to those who have secured a plot this season. Garden plots are still available at our Frontier Park and Forest View locations. Please follow the stated guidelines at the entrance to each garden.
We are in this together and everyone needs to do their part by complying with the Governor’s order. On behalf of the Board of Park Commissioners, and Staff, thank you for your patience and understanding. Be well and please stay informed by visiting www.ahpd.org/coronavirus/. We also encourage everyone to follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Guest Services Staff are available Monday through Friday from 8:30am-4:30pm to answer your calls at 847-577-3000 and 847-577-3025.