What’s Up With Challenge Course At Burnet Park Being Locked?

We are here to get your questions answered. Neighbors around Burnet Park were wondering why the challenge course, which just opened to the public, was locked. Our Iris St. Meran spoke to the Syracuse Parks Commissioner and tells us 'What's Up With That.'

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The challenge course at Burnet Park opened with much excitement and anticipation. It is a welcomed site in the community.

"It's great. It's a great addition, if it's going to be used, you know," said longtime resident Rose Warzecha.

Some neighbors were surprised to see it padlocked and unavailable to the public.

"Not good,” Warzecha said, looking at the locked course. “You know, because they could be taking children in on a field trip to see this before the snow flies."

Parks Commissioner Lazarus Sims said it was locked unintentionally and is meant for use by the community.

"New staffing, new amenity, like I said, you know, you have your hiccups,” Sims explained. “It was just a scheduling thing, but I actually got calls on Sunday from people seeing it Saturday, and I came up Sunday and opened it up, and we left it open all day Sunday."

The challenge course is open the same time the rest of the parks in the city are, from dusk to dawn. You might wonder, why lock it at all? The city wants to keep this $500,000 investment in good shape for years to come.

Sims explained a course timer should have a red button, so children can start and stop their time while they're playing. That was removed. He said that's just one of the things that have been damaged in this new addition at Burnet Park.

"We also have a couple of our dollies with a couple of holes poked in it from youth or whoever has been around, and it's just not acceptable,” Sims urged. “We as a community need to not accept that and need to hold ourselves to a higher standard of not tearing up our assets."

This challenge course is the only one of its kind in the state. In addition to it being under surveillance, Sims does have grounds staff that will monitor it and urges community members to do the same to ensure the children in the community can enjoy more days like this.

If you visit the challenge course and find it closed during normal business hours, you can contact the parks department and someone will open it for you. The parks department wants to remind residents that no dogs are allowed on the challenge course.