City closes beaches; may reopen on trial basis

The pickleball courts at Eastport Park have been boarded up since the city instituted an emergency order to close most community amenities last month, but the courts have reopened, albeit with restrictions. Photo courtesy Canyon Lake Property Owners Association

After a wild couple of days where beach goers refused to adhere to city directives on social distancing and masks, the City of Canyon Lake issued an emergency order Saturday night mandating beaches to close. However, City Manager Chris Mann said the city is working with the Canyon Lake POA to reopen one or more of the POA beaches on a trial basis this weekend.

“If all goes smoothly,” Chris said, “we hope to be able to open more of the beaches in the days and weeks ahead.”

The city is working on relaxing other regulations, including allowing businesses to reopen. Until Wednesday, the city’s emergency order mirrors the county’s stay-at-home mandates, etc., including the wearing of masks when outside the home. The county has extended its order regarding the wearing of face coverings and practicing social distancing until June 19.

“The city is in the process of reading through the amended order and evaluating our options,” Chris said. “The city believes that it is time for the state and county to begin relaxing regulations. The city will do everything it can to advocate for Canyon Lake businesses and residents.”

The city held two virtual town-hall style meetings with Canyon Lake business owners on Wednesday. Ideas were shared, Chris said, on what guidelines could potentially be put into place that would allow local businesses to open while still keeping employees and customers safe. He said the city is planning on compiling these ideas and presenting them to the county for its consideration.

Regardless of the city’s recommendations, the county and state orders supersede whatever is more lax at the city level. Hence, if the city wants to reopen businesses, it can only do so if the county and state agree. If the county mandates the wearing of masks outside, the city cannot override that.

Meanwhile, the community is reeling from confrontations between those at the POA beaches and the city code enforcement officers that took place on Friday and Saturday.

“Unfortunately, it has become clear that far too many Canyon Lake residents are no longer taking the COVID-19 threat seriously, nor are they abiding by state, county and city orders not to gather, to wear masks and to practice social distancing,” the city manager said Saturday night. “Yesterday and today (Friday and Saturday) we witnessed violations at a level perhaps never before seen in Canyon Lake. These violations occurred on the BLM land, on the lake, at the Country Club and in homes.

“However, by far the most egregious and the most dangerous of these violations took place on the various beaches throughout the city,” he said. “The scene at Canyon Lake beaches over the past two days can only be described as out of control. Large groups numbering in the dozens were packed into small areas on crowded beaches. Most were not wearing masks.

“Efforts by City Enforcement Department staff to remind people of the emergency orders prohibiting gatherings and requiring masks and social distancing were met with push back and, in some cases, hostility. At one point Enforcement Department staff felt the need to call the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for backup. The backup never arrived.”

The city issued an amended emergency order Saturday night, closing all Canyon Lake beaches, which the Canyon Lake POA honored the next day. The order calls for the beaches to be closed until city and county COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, but the city and POA are working on a plan to safely re-open one or more of the POA’s beaches on a trial basis this weekend.

Regardless, the lake is still open to boaters and those fishing, but proper social distancing must be followed, Tiffany Cribbs, the Canyon Lake POA senior communications specialist, said.

She said the POA issued an update to residents warning those that fail to comply with the beach and park closures is punishable by law and could incur civil penalties of up to $1,000. The lake remains open, however members must comply with social distancing rules in their boats, or use of that amenity is also at risk. Private residential beaches are not included.

Almost 100 Friday Flyer readers reacted to the weekend news with alarm and questions after reading the city manager’s account on The Friday Flyer Facebook page. Many wondered about the lack of response from the police. Chris said the lack of response was not related to the sheriff’s department not supporting city COVID-19 directives, but because a serious incident in a nearby city created a shortage of officers. He said the sheriff’s department did not have an available deputy to send to Canyon Lake.

“A Sheriff’s Deputy did join City Enforcement Officers on patrol the following day,” he said. ”The city has received regular support from the Sheriff’s Department on the enforcement of the city’s emergency order. In addition, the city and the POA are working together to increase Sheriff’s Department coverage this weekend.”

Some Canyon Lake amenities are beginning to open back up, but with social distancing restrictions.

The Canyon Lake Golf Course is open as is the association pickleball and tennis courts. After the county released COVID-19 revisions for these amenities, the city quickly matched the revisions and the POA, after arranging for adherence to the restrictions, has reopened the course and courts.

The golf course reopened on April 24 with strict limitations on play put in force by the county and city.

• Golf limitations imposed by Riverside County and the City of Canyon Lake include the following:
• No more than one person may use or be present within a golf cart at any time (including family members). This is required by the County revisions.
• All persons (who do not reside in the same household) must maintain at least six feet distance from each other at all times.
• All persons shall wear face coverings such as scarves (dense fabric without holes), bandanas, neck gaiter or other fabric face coverings.
• The Canyon Lake Golf Course and Golf Shop will be taking the following measures:
• Frequent cleaning/sanitizing of high touch areas in all areas of the course and shop
• Create social distancing opportunities in the Golf Shop by: limiting the amount of customers in the shop at one time,creating customer line spots on the ground that are six feet apart, and creating a one-way flow of customer traffic.
• Annual Golf Members may bypass check-in at the Golf Shop and check-in with the Starter five minutes before their tee time.
• Golf Course staff will be wearing both disposable gloves and masks.
• Single play will be encouraged and golfers will no longer be forced to “pair” together.
• Golf carts will be spaced out to accommodate appropriate social distancing.
• Removed all common-use items such as tees, score cards, pencils, ball markers, etc.
• All flagsticks and cups have either been removed or turned upside down.
• Bunker rakes have been removed, players are encouraged to foot-rake after any shot to provide a better lie for the next player coming through.

The practice facility is open as well, however, players will be set up at every other spot to accommodate proper social distancing. Golf Course staff will deliver practice balls to each station. Players will be instructed to not use the dispenser or any practice ball baskets. Private single instruction golf lessons may also resume, however, instructors will be providing a 10-foot social distance at all times during instruction. No group lessons will be taught.

The pickleball courts, located at Eastport Park, and the tennis courts, located adjacent to the Lodge, opened Saturday subject to these limitations:

• All persons (who do not reside in the same household) must maintain at least six feet distance from each other at all times.
• All persons shall wear face coverings such as scarves (dense fabric without holes), bandanas, neck gaiter, or other fabric face coverings.
• For pickleball, only singles are allowed (no doubles) and only one person is permitted on each side of the court.
• For tennis, only two persons are permitted on each side of the court.

The Canyon Lake POA has adopted these emergency rules to mirror the county and city requirements. The POA said that failure to comply with these requirements is punishable by law and could incur civil penalties of up to $1,000. Anybody found not complying with these requirements will be banned from using these facilities for 30 days.

There are posted additional rules at the courts, including guidelines regarding how to pick up balls, the discouraging of doubles play, not congregating around the courts and not using the picnic tables. Private and group lessons may resume. The county and city will be closely monitoring these facilities and the public’s compliance with these new regulations, the POA said.

“The Canyon Lake POA is also required by the City Amendment to patrol and enforce these strict requirements,” the association said in a release to its members. “Community Patrol staff will be patrolling these areas to ensure compliance. Residents are advised that any persons not complying will risk the facilities being closed again to residents.”