Some of the parks within the Town of Lexington may undergo some rule and regulation changes. 

At a recent Town of Lexington council meeting, members approved the first reading, title only (meaning the ordinance is under attorney review or minor changes are still being made), of an ordinance that would establish rules and regulations for town parks, regarding hours and prohibited activities. 

The proposed rules, which could undergo further changes at future council meetings, will apply to all parks in the town, except for the Old Mill Trail and the Paw Park; those two have separate rules.  

During the summer, Parks and Community Services Director Jeff Metz informed council members that there were park safety issues, necessitating rules be approved and posted to each park. 

A public document detailing potential rules that could undergo changes before final reading states that the hours would be from sunrise to sunset, and children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Additionally, potential rules state that those who bring their pets must have them on a 6-foot leash, and pets are not allowed on the park playgrounds or splash pads. 

Park attendees are prohibited from destroying the landscape or woodlands and cannot move furnishings within the park. Consumption of alcoholic drinks on the town property would not be allowed unless there is prior approval from the Department of Parks and Community. 

Additionally, vehicles would only be permitted in designated parking areas, and disorderly behavior, including loud music or interfering with other park attendees, would be prohibited.

Sidewalk chalk might only be allowed with written permission from the town. 

Releasing balloons, swimming, loitering, sleeping, using tobacco products, bringing personal grills, riding bicycles, bringing glass containers or bottles, and bringing scooters, skateboards, rollerblades or metal detectors might be prohibited, too. 

Weapons, solicitation/signs, hunting/trapping, fires and camping would also not be allowed.

For Gibson Pond, individuals fishing must do so in accordance with South Carolina’s rules and regulations. Additionally, gas-powered watercraft are not allowed. 

While the town is still working towards a finalized set of rules for each park, besides the Old Mill Trail and the Paw Park, Councilman Todd Lyle said locals must know that the town is not responsible for injuries or accidents, possibly necessitating the addition of signage reading, “Use park at your own risk.” 

“[I] just want to make sure we’re being good stewards of the taxpayer’s money and not getting ourselves involved in anything,” he said. 

The Old Mill Trail, a 1.15-mile paved loop wrapping around the Lexington Mill Pond, has its own set of rules posted in the front of the loop. Rules include being considerate of all users, keeping pets on a short leash and picking up and discarding waste in receptacles. It also says to stay on the trail, avoid entering or crossing private property and that motorized vehicles are prohibited. 

The Paw Park, located at 989 Hendrix St. in Lexington, has rules in place to keep both humans and dogs safe, including that only spayed and neutered dogs are allowed, all dogs must be up to date on vaccines, dogs younger than four months are not allowed and dogs must be supervised. 

The full ordinance detailing finalized rules will be available upon final reading.