Committee sets standard park hours after police cite high summer call volume at Veterans Park

The Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs Committee approved a schedule of park hours that staff and police said will help standardize enforcement and reduce late-night noise and loitering.

The committee accepted a schedule proposed by Robert Stowers, Recreation and Parks Director, that sets general neighborhood park hours from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Labor Day to May/ Memorial Day variations apply) and establishes later closing hours for regional parks during summer months. The proposal preserved previously practiced 7 a.m. opening times and set differing evening closing times for specific parks: for example, Veterans Park would close earlier than some other regional parks during non-summer months and have extended hours in summer. Stowers framed the proposal as aligning Norwalk with neighboring municipalities that set explicit park hours.

Chief Walsh of the Norwalk Police Department told the committee that codified closing times would improve the departments ability to manage park-related incidents. “Last year alone, we had 498 calls for service at Vets Park. Within the summer, we had 59 noise complaints,” Chief Walsh said, describing strains on resources and the need to standardize closure times so officers assigned to parks could consistently close facilities and respond to complaints.

Committee members and staff discussed that writing hours into the city code (the committee cited City Code 74-13q) would give police and parks staff specific times for opening and closing and provide clarity to the public. Members repeatedly said the intent was not to prevent early-morning walkers from using beaches or trails; staff noted that gates typically open at 7 a.m. and that many residents walk outside gates before staff arrive.

The committee discussed practical enforcement considerations, including noise ordinance limitations and challenges in identifying mobile sources of loud music. Chief Walsh described the noise-enforcement process as involving warning on first violation and use of sound meters for ambient measurements; he said police sometimes have to take on-site action when loud speakers are plainly visible or obviously the source.

Committee members asked about specific parks that have limited gating (for example, Oyster Shell Park and areas connected to the Norwalk River Valley Trail) and were told officers will continue to patrol those areas and respond to complaints as part of parks coverage.

The committee approved the proposed schedule by voice vote; the motion carried unanimously as recorded in the meeting.