AKRON, Ohio — The Summit Metro Parks announced Tuesday that due to staffing shortages and declining attendance, it will no longer operate its swim areas at two parks.
The change is effective for the upcoming 2022 season.
"This decision was made due to significant declines in attendance, ongoing lifeguard staffing challenges and other concerns," the metro parks said in a Facebook post.
The metro parks continued, "Thank you to residents who participated in our recent survey about the future of these parks. Although it is not feasible to keep the swim parks open, we wanted to learn more from the community about how they use these parks and would like to use them in the future. We will continue to seek your input and keep you informed of developments throughout the master planning process for these parks."
Back in December, the park system sought input from residents about the future of those two locations. The park and residents indicated they wanted more "multipurpose trails, environmental restoration, public events and family-friendly programming," the metro parks said. It already has plans in place to have trails put around the lakes.
"We understand this news may be difficult for some of our visitors. As stewards of public dollars, we take our responsibility to Summit County taxpayers very seriously. This decision allows the park district to focus its resources on amenities the public is more likely to use and enjoy, based on visitation data and public input. As the community evolves, we evolve with it," the metro parks said.
Planning for the future of Munroe Falls and Silver Creek parks continues. CLICK HERE to read more.
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