“Hey Bungalower, not sure if you’v heard anything but the hours were just cut back at Princeton Park in College Park. Do you know why?” – Bungalower Reader
Princeton Park is a public park located at the northeastern corner of Helen Avenue and Rugby Street, tucked behind the College Park Community Center and Princeton Elementary School [GMap].
Princeton Elementary School currently runs after-school programs in the park and they must abide by safety procedures put forth by the Department of Children and Families and Orange County Public Schools. Both of these entities do not allow for the mingling of children, during and after school, with members of the public.
The College Park Community Paper recently wrote that following ” … some unfortunate incidents at the park, the staff at the after-school program decided to initially close the playground from 2-5:30 p.m.” You can read their report HERE.
According to the City of Orlando’s Public Information Officer, the “unfortunate incident” referred to in the above story involved a complaint from a family when their child, who was not involved in the after school program, was not allowed to participate with students when they were visiting the park.
Now, “balancing safety with access” Princeton Park will be closed to the public from 3:30-5 p.m. during school days.
The Community Center is managed by the City of Orlando not Princeton Elementary. Those are the students who use the park.