Name: Faulconer signs order to allow workouts, worship in city parks
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Faulconer signs order to allow workouts, worship in city parks

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Posted: Aug 18, 2020 / 06:37 AM PDTUpdated: Aug 18, 2020 / 06:43 PM PDTThis is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.SAN DIEGO — Gym owners and church leaders have something to look forward to Monday — the day they can officially begin worship and workouts outside at San Diego parks.“This definitely gives us an option,” Brainstorm Fitness owner George-Anthony Dulal-Whiteway said. “We’ve lost close to two-thirds of our business.”He said his gym, which is about a block away from Balboa Park, has been in dire straights since March. Some of his clientele are older and haven’t been able to come to outdoor classes. The gym is in Hillcrest and before the executive order, could only operate in a small driveway.On Tuesday, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced gyms and places of worship would be able to use San Diego’s parks to conduct operations outside beginning Monday morning.City Councilman Chris Cate proposed the idea in mid-July, and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a similar ordinance for county parks on Aug. 5.Faulconer said lack of guidance from the state — even as the city and county expects to learn more Tuesday about possibly being removed from a state watchlist monitoring counties with high prevalence of COVID-19 — prompted the action.“There is no direction currently from the state of California about what a county can and cannot do once it sheds the watchlist designation,” he said. ”On Friday, myself and Supervisor [Greg] Cox sent a letter to the governor asking for direction.”San Diego County was placed on that state watchlist by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office for testing higher than 100 positive COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the county. The county has been below that number for six days now and is expected to be removed from the list Tuesday. What that means isunclear.Per Faulconer’s executive order, San Diego’s more than 300 parks, 26 miles of shoreline and 57 recreation centers could be used for gyms, fitness classes and worship services starting Monday. Social distancing and face coverings are still encouraged, but Cate said this could help strugglingbusinesses.“Mayor Faulconer’s executive order will allow gyms, such as Hardcore Fitness, to bring their physical fitness classes to our city’s parks,” said Cate, chair of the City Council’s Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee. “Opportunities like this will allow our gyms and churches the ability to welcome back their customers and parishioners in a safemanner.”The directive defers park permit fees for 60 days. Faulconer will bring an ordinance to the council once it is back in session in September that would make the waiving of fees permanent.Faulconer made the announcement at Mira Mesa Community Park. Joining him were Cate, the city Park and Recreation Department Director, the Mira Mesa Chamber of Commerce, and the owner of Hardcore Fitness on Miramar Road.It was Faulconer’s third executive order allowing for some businesses to operate outside. Previously, he had allowed for some retail and restaurants, and subsequently for gyms, barbershops, hair salons and massage businesses to expand to sidewalks and private parking lots.“As San Diego continues to navigate the ever-changing rules regarding doing business during this pandemic, we must become more creative at every turn,” said Bari Vaz, president of the Mira Mesa Chamber of Commerce. “This executive order will allow residents to continue participating in fitnessclasses and sharing their faith, until such time as we may safely return to theindoor venues.”Outdoor religious services and outdoor fitness classes and camps are all eligible under the executive order. Businesses must display their San Diego County safe reopening plan, hold insurance naming San Diego as an additional insured, and have a city business tax certificate prior to August 1, 2020. New permits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for each park depending on the local demand and total space available.Suggest a CorrectionThanks for signing up!Watch for us in your inbox.Subscribe Now✕× Close Ad

Posted: Aug 18, 2020 / 06:37 AM PDTUpdated: Aug 18, 2020 / 06:43 PM PDTThis is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.SAN DIEGO — Gym owners and church leaders have something to look forward to Monday — the day they can officially begin worship and workouts outside at San Diego parks.“This definitely gives us an option,” Brainstorm Fitness owner George-Anthony Dulal-Whiteway said. “We’ve lost close to two-thirds of our business.”He said his gym, which is about a block away from Balboa...

Faulconer signs order to allow workouts, worship in city parks

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