Officials with the City of Santa Clarita announced Friday that they are planning to reopen their reservation office to allow residents to use sports fields in City Parks.

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The City of Santa Clarita is set to reopen its Field and Reservations Office, which has been closed during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, after receiving updated guidelines related to youth sports by the Los Angeles Department of Public Health.

City softball fields had previously been closed last Friday due to an increased amount of team practices using the facilities, with some of the teams suspected to be from out of the area.

“We were seeing many groups coming from out of the area to use our City fields,” said Mayor Cameron Smyth in a statement Friday. “These groups not only took field space from residents, they also were in blatant violation of the current health orders. To ensure that safety guidelines were being met and residents could have access to our fields, we had put a temporary pause on ball field use while we got our reservation system up and running.”

New guidance from the state and county allows recreational youth sports, club sports, travel sports and school-supported sports to continue, as long as “strict guidelines” are met.

“Required safety measures will include physical distancing of at least six feet between players and coaches at all times, wearing a face covering as directed by the Public Health order and conducting activities in pods,” Friday’s statement reads. “Sporting events and activities that promote gatherings, such as competitions and tournaments, regardless of whether teams are from the same area, remain prohibited at this time.”

See Related: Softball Fields In Santa Clarita Parks Closed Due To Increased Team Practices

In addition to youth sports, City park fields are also set to be available for reservations for faith-based organizations and local gyms to hold classes, granted that they adhere to public health guidelines.

“Processing field reservations will allow the City to provide a better park experience for all users and also ensures that all California and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health orders, as well as guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are being followed,” Friday’s statement reads. “Additional signage will be placed at kiosks and at each park site to inform the public of the reservation process.”

City officials are set to start accepting reservations beginning at 8 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 1o.

Grass fields that are not part of the softball field have remained open for activities involving members of the same household. Residents are also reminded that parks in the City of Santa Clarita are open from dawn until dusk only.

In March, bathrooms, pickleball courts and basketball courts were closed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Trails, grass fields and open spaces remain open for public use, with social distancing in place, according to the City.

For more information and to reserve field space, contact the City’s Field and Reservations office by calling (661) 250-3710, visit here or by emailing here.

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