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Riverdale, school district reach short-term agreement to reopen pavilion access at Weaver area
Summary
After residents complained that a chain blocked access to a pavilion and pickleball court, Riverdale and Weaver School District officials negotiated daily access and will update a memorandum of understanding governing park use.
Riverdale officials told the City Council on Sept. 2 that city staff and Weaver School District representatives met to resolve access restrictions that had left the pavilion and pickleball courts inaccessible to residents.
Mayor (name not specified) said the district’s risk manager had directed that a chain be kept across the back access, preventing use on nights and weekends. That action prompted resident complaints about losing access to the pavilion, including concerns for residents with limited mobility who needed to reach the site.
The outcome: the mayor said the district agreed to a daily schedule allowing access. City volunteer Larry Hadley, identified at the meeting as the district’s facilities coordinator, painted parking stalls and committed to removing the chain at 4:00 p.m. each day so residents can reach the pavilion and courts on evenings and weekends.
Why it matters: Councilors described the sudden blocking of access as “very strange” given a long history of shared use of the property. Staff said the property was conveyed to the city in the 1950s and that the long‑standing implied use had been as a park and playground; the parties will update legal documentation to prevent similar problems going forward.
Council comments and next steps
Councilors and staff said the district’s facilities coordinator, Larry Hadley, was instrumental in reaching the temporary fix and that a memorandum of understanding or similar legal update will be pursued to clarify hours and mutual access. The mayor said keys would be provided to city staff to allow daytime access for maintenance and programming; locking during school hours will be evaluated.
No formal council ordinance or vote was taken; this item was reported as part of the mayor’s report.
