MOUNT VERNON – Mount Vernon will open Hiawatha Water Park on May 29 after being closed for the 2020 season because of the pandemic.
The City received approval for its opening plans from the Knox Health Department on Monday, Rick Dzik, Mount Vernon Safety-Service director, said.
Some season passes have already been purchased. Through April 30, household memberships cost $200 for residents and $250 for non-residents. Individual, child and senior citizen passes are also available.
Visitors to the pool and water slide will need to follow familiar six-foot social distancing guidelines. Decals will mark off spacing around the pool and for lining up at concession stands and the water slide. Pool staff will disinfect high-touch areas and restrooms every two hours.
The only seating in the park at 100 Sychar Road will be what families bring with them.
“Arguably, we should be wiping down those chairs between every visitor, and that’s just extremely hard to track,” Dzik said.
Planning for opening the park begins in March. But in 2020, shutdowns in Ohio began in March. That is around the time when residents normally begin buying season passes.
“Really, COVID just hit at the worst time for trying to figure out how to open the pool last year, ” Dzik said. “So, as a city, we decided that we needed to keep it closed, to get a real good handle on what the virus was and what we needed to do.”
The City didn’t have enough time to figure out COVID-19 precautions or what equipment had to be bought, along with cleaning supplies and signage needed to open, he said. As a result, it was decided to keep the pool closed in 2020.
“The longer we go without being able to give people guidance on whether they can buy a season pass or not, the harder it is for people to plan for what they want to do for the summer,” Dzik said.
The state issued guidance at least six months ago.
“We knew what we needed to do; we could have an opportunity to develop a plan with Public Health. And so we really had the time to get everything in order to be able to open this year,” Dzik said.
Occupancy will be limited to 525 visitors, with staff tracking attendance. Groups will be limited to six people.
“Obviously, the idea is that you would come to the park with your family and that would be your group,” Dzik said.
