Politics & Government

Boroughwide Smoking Ban in Parks Headed for Vote

Lansdale Parks and Recreation Committee recently made a recommendation to draft an ordinance banning smoking in all borough parks. Council will also see a recommendation to institute a new curfew at borough parks

Lansdale Borough Council will soon vote on extinguishing smoking for good in borough-owned parks.

Councilwoman Mary Fuller said at the council work session this month that the parks and recreation committee, of which she is chairperson, has made a recommendation to borough council to proceed with the banning of smoking in all park areas.

"That will include playgrounds, parks, pools and any borough park property," said Fuller. "That will come before council as that runs through the solicitor."

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In addition to the smoking ban in all parks is the recommendation to institute a new parks curfew that would close all parks at dusk.

"We have recommended that the parks and recreation department contact the solicitor and prepare and review the park ordinance. We would like to change the park curfew, and make it a closure from dusk to dawn, with the exceptions of lighted areas until 10 p.m. or special events," Fuller said.

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Here is the curfew as it currently stands under Chapter 55 of the Lansdale Borough Code:

Hours of curfew shall be as follows: between Sunday 10:00 p.m. and Monday 5:00 a.m., between Monday 10:00 p.m. and Tuesday 5:00 a.m., between Tuesday 10:00 p.m. and Wednesday 5:00 a.m., between Wednesday 10:00 p.m. and Thursday 5:00 a.m., between Thursday 10:00 p.m. and Friday 5:00 a.m., between Saturday 12:00 midnight and Saturday 5:00 a.m. and between Sunday 12:00 midnight and Sunday 5:00 a.m. Notwithstanding anything in this paragraph to the contrary, in the event that the day prior to a national holiday shall fall on a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, the beginning of the curfew hours for that day prior to a national holiday shall be set back from 10:00 p.m. of that day to 12:00 midnight of the national holiday.

Chapter 88A details hours for various parks in the borough. Under this chapter, persons cannot enter, visit, remain upon or be engaged in any activity in any park between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. has a different restriction: no one allowed at the park between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. Railroad Plaza has a limitation of no activity between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

"We will open discussion with solicitors. We will have to revise the current ordinance, and that has to be run through the legal department. Then, we prepare and advertise any change in an ordinance," Fuller said. "There will then be a vote by full council."

Fuller said the smoking ban started with issues reported by parents in area playgrounds.

"Parents are there with kids. Older kids are hanging out and smoking or smoke after hours in the parks when it's dark, hence, part of the reason for the curfew," Fuller said. "We hope they'll work hand-in-hand together, but (smoking) creates a mess." 

Fuller said the borough wants to promote health and happiness in the park system.

"It seems counterproductive to allow smoking in parks when we want a health atmosphere," she said. "We had reports of secondhand smoke and tertiary smoke."

"There are all kinds of concerns," she said, "but many of it has come from requests from residents, particularly in playground areas where there are small children." 

The idea of a smoking ban

At that meeting, parks director Carl Saldutti reported a higher volume of teenagers hanging out in and smoking in the playground areas of various parks. He said it was perfect to move forward on the ban to curb that behavior.

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