Milton reopens parks and does some sprucing up

Broadwell Pavilion is an open pavilion with stone fireplace, available for public rental from the Milton Parks and Recreation Department. CITY OF MILTON

Broadwell Pavilion is an open pavilion with stone fireplace, available for public rental from the Milton Parks and Recreation Department. CITY OF MILTON

Nearly all Milton parks and facilities are open.

An extensive cleanup is underway at Birmingham Park. The park water fountains are turned off and Mayor Joe Lockwood is urging visitors to use safety protocols, a statement said.

Most parks facilities reopened Saturday, after being closed since March by the public health crisis.

With park athletic fields and bathrooms open, Cox Road athletic facility is also ready for visitors.

Playgrounds are accessible again including those at Broadwell Pavilion and Bethwell Community Center. Milton opened the tennis courts at the former Milton Country Club but the pool is closed until further notice.

Birmingham Park work crews started a 10-day clean-up of the trails, Monday, while hikers enjoyed the park. Workers will clear low-hanging branches and vegetation to make the trails wider. Trails that are being rehabbed will be closed to visitors. The park has more than three miles of trails.

The cleanup will make the area safer for horseback riders and pedestrians who use the path, said Jennifer Hartwig, Milton communications coordinator.

“Nothing will be removed from the park,” said Hartwig. “Everything will be mulched in place to provide a layer of protection for existing tree roots and to help define the trails.”