From the senior center to the splash pad, Sandy Rec has a plan for re-opening

By Heather Lawrence | [email protected]

Salt Lake County shifted from the orange to the yellow phase on May 16. With an anticipated shift to green soon, Sandy Recreation staff have a plan to transition through the phases so Sandy residents can enjoy summer months safely. As information changes often, staff said to check Sandy’s social media and website www.sandy.utah.gov for clarification. 

Park playgrounds and restrooms

“All park playgrounds opened on May 16. They underwent cleaning during the closure. They will be sprayed down once a day, but they will not get wiped down. This is in compliance with CDC guidelines,” said Aleynia Saville, Sandy’s Parks and Recreation office manager. 

The goal is to have all restrooms open. “We were on a hiring freeze, so we didn’t have the staff to clean as often as we liked. The restrooms will be disinfected once a day, and the more popular spots we’ll try to do again in the afternoon. Pavilion drinking fountains will not be turned on,” Saville said.  

Splash pad at Amphitheater Park 

“The splash pad can’t open until we transition to green. We hope that happens June 15, but it gets so crowded there. We’ll have signage up, so please look for it and follow the guidelines. We also now have parks police. They are very busy and will be available to enforce new guidelines,” Saville said. 

Dog park and skate park

The dog park (9980 S. 300 East) and skate park (10140 S. 700 East) opened May 18. Bring your own water—the fountains are not turned on.  

Sego Lily Gardens

“Sego Lily Gardens (1472 E. Sego Lily Dr.) will open June 1 with regular hours, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, closed Sundays, through the end of September,” said Dawn Barbee, the water education and public engagement coordinator for Sandy City. 

“All garden events have been canceled, and at this time we’re not taking volunteer groups or individuals. But we hope people will come to enjoy the gardens and learn about wise water usage,” Barbee said. 

Sandy Library

You can finally return that stack of library materials you’ve had since mid-March. “Book drops opened May 18. Materials will be in quarantine once they are turned in, and all due dates have been extended to June 18. Curbside reserve service started May 26,” said Cassie Leclair-Marzolf, teen services librarian at Sandy Library. 

“We don’t have a solid date on when libraries will open again. But we have a lot of virtual programs going on right now. We have live story times on our Facebook page, plus lots of other videos for crafts and book recommendations. All the programs should be pretty easy to find on the calendar on our website. For some programs, like Discord, people need to register so we can send them an invite,” Leclair-Marzolf said. 

And all library card holders can use the Overdrive app for free. It allows patrons to virtually check out ebooks, audio books and videos on their personal devices. It’s a great resource for road trips. 

River Oaks Golf Course

“The golf course is open, but all tee times and reservations are being taken online, www.sandy.utah.gov/golf. Golfers can now share carts with family members. The clubhouse and café remain closed. Golf lessons with 25 or less students are allowed with social distancing,” said Mitch Stone, the director of golf. 

“We have a detailed plan in place to handle the transitions through the different phases. There will be signage up, and we encourage people to check out social media pages for the most up-to- date information,” Stone said. 

Pavilion reservations

“Pavilion reservations are canceled until at least May 31, depending on if we go to green. If we do open up reservations, they will likely be for the outdoor pavilions, and they will be done online. There will be restrictions on numbers in your gathering, but all the guidelines will be available online,” Saville said.

Amphitheater shows

The Sandy Amphitheater has been doing virtual open mic nights online since April. Each week has a theme. See their Facebook page (facebook.com/sandy.amphitheater) for more information or to send in a video. Some shows have been canceled, but shows are planned beginning July 14. Tickets holders will receive an email if shows are canceled.  

Senior Center

“The Sandy Senior Center remains closed. It’s a unique situation because the program is run by the county even though Sandy City owns the building and runs the transportation. Of course, a majority of the people who go there are in the higher risk groups due to age. I think we’ll need to be in green before we can think about opening that again and running the van. Our van driver has tried to reach out and do welfare checks on some of the regular patrons to make sure they’re OK and don’t feel too isolated,” said Kevin Bybee, director of Sandy Parks and Rec Programs. 

Group recreation

“We are going ahead as planned with most of our recreation activities. Adult softball registration is closed and scheduled to start June 15. We have hikes planned to start in June in addition to pickleball leagues and clinics. We may have more for the fall,” Bybee said. 

“Kids’ team sports will start in August, but summer camps are still going. Our website will have updated information, and all registration will be done online,” Bybee said. 

Alta Canyon Sports Center

The Sports Center and pools have detailed plans for opening safely and information may change. For updates on services including group classes, swim/tennis lessons, summer camps, child care, the snack bar, gym and pool, visit the website or call 801-568-4600. 

Sandy Fourth of July celebration

“The Fourth of July event is considered a mass gathering and has been canceled. There is talk about how to celebrate while complying with guidelines, such as a reverse parade or fireworks people can enjoy from their homes. No decision has been made yet,” Saville said. 

The Shops at South Town aren’t a Sandy City venue, but for informational purposes, Marketing Director Heather Nash wants residents to know that they are once again open. “We are thrilled to have reopened. Opening dates and hours for individual stores, restaurants and entertainment venues may vary. We recommend contacting the store directly for details before your visit.”

“The safety and health of our guests, employees, and community is always our top priority. We’ll be taking additional safety and sanitation precautions for the well-being of our community,” Nash said. More information can be found here: https://shopsatsouthtown.com/safeguarding-shopping-experience/.