LEHI, Utah — Disappointment remains high after dozens of people were forced to leave a brand new Lehi park that was not scheduled to be open Sunday.
Video showed families leaving the new Family Park at 1999 North 600 East on a cloudless day just after 1:30 p.m. It appeared that a gate to the park had been broken, apparently making people believe it was open.
The all-abilities park is the largest in Utah County and opened a few weeks ago. While welcomed by residents, many are upset that Sunday hours have yet to be set.
A similar incident occurred last Sunday when a gate was damaged, but the city adjusted its hours and let people remain inside the park.
However, earlier in the week, Lehi officials announced again that the park would be closed to visitors on Sunday, Sept. 22.
According to a social media post by the city, "factors such as safety, weather, maintenance, and staffing all play a role in determining park hours."
After what was thought to be nearly 100 were told to leave the park Sunday, some took to social media to once again criticize the city for the facility's lack of availability on the weekend.
"The expectation and norm is that a city 'family park' would be open on Sundays," wrote Shane Cardon. "I saw a family that was having a birthday party tear down their table decorations when police told them to leave.
"It's pathetic that you put the responsibility on the city's residents to pay attention to your online messaging. It's a park, and the field next to it had half a dozen soccer games going on. Why is the playground for children any different?"
The city replied that it understood the frustration of those who can't currently enjoy the park on Sundays, and confirmed that an "unauthorized individual" had opened the gates for a second straight week.
