Stingray Bay Family Aquatic Center in Huntley closed for 2020
Huntley Park District has announced the Stingray Bay Family Aquatic Center will be closed for 2020.
Stingray Bay's operations do not comply with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention summer programming guidelines and cannot open until Phase 5 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's Restore Illinois Health plan, according to a district news release Monday.
The CDC currently advises park users to not use splash pads, water playgrounds or water park features and other frequently touched recreation equipment.
Stingray Bay Pool is a large venue and requires a significant number of staff present at all times, additionally complicating the "large gatherings" restriction under the governor's stay-at-home order, according to the release.
The park district's decision to cancel summer programming came after considering various factors, including finances. According to the park district, staff members are not experts regarding communicable diseases and will need to defer to public health experts for guidance.
Training staff will also be a challenge because it will involve completing skills that involve direct and close contact with others, and cannot be done while maintaining physical distancing, according to the news release.
Amenities such as the waterslides, diving board and other conveniences such as lounge chairs would have to be closed, cleaned at unreasonable intervals, or sitting spaces may have to be removed altogether to meet the guidelines, the release stated.
Other activities at the park district will still be offered this summer following CDC guidelines.