Pioneer Park In Puyallup stands as a central recreational hub for residents and visitors alike. Understanding the regulations that govern this and other Puyallup public parks ensures everyone can enjoy these spaces safely and respectfully. This guide dives into the key rules and regulations outlined for Puyallup parks, focusing on Pioneer Park and providing a comprehensive overview for anyone planning a visit.
Navigating Puyallup’s Public Park Regulations
The City of Puyallup has established Chapter 9.20 of its municipal code to detail the rules for public parks and facilities. These regulations are in place to maintain the beauty, safety, and accessibility of these spaces for all members of the community. From permitted activities to prohibited actions, familiarity with these guidelines can enhance your park experience and prevent unintentional violations.
Key Definitions: Understanding Park Terminology
Before delving into specific rules, it’s important to understand some key definitions as outlined in the Puyallup Municipal Code. These definitions clarify the scope and intent of the park regulations:
- Alcoholic beverages or liquor: This broadly encompasses alcohol, spirits, wine, beer, and any intoxicating beverage containing more than one percent alcohol by weight.
- Camp or camping: This includes setting up or using camp facilities or paraphernalia, indicating a broader definition than just tent camping.
- Camp facilities: This includes motor vehicles, trailers, tents, huts, or any temporary shelters, widening the scope of what constitutes camping facilities.
- Camp paraphernalia: Tarpaulins, cots, beds, sleeping bags, hammocks, and non-city-designated cooking facilities are all considered camp paraphernalia.
- Civic Center: This is a significant area encompassing the Puyallup Public Library, Pioneer Park, Pioneer Park Pavilion, City Hall, Pioneer Plaza, City Hall Commons, Kiwanis Kids Spray Park, associated parking lots, and the Activity Center. This definition is crucial as many regulations apply specifically to the Civic Center area, including Pioneer Park.
- Facility or facilities: Refers to any park building, structure, or area operated by the city, including restrooms, picnic shelters, and sports fields.
- Motor vehicle: A broad definition including cars, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, recreational vehicles, and similar vehicles, but specifically excluding motorized wheelchairs.
- Park: Any area owned, managed, or controlled by the city designated for public recreation, leisure, and park purposes. This is the overarching category for spaces like Pioneer Park.
- Parks director: The head of the city’s parks and recreation department or their appointed representative. The Parks Director holds significant authority in administering park rules and granting permits.
- Public facility: This term is broadly defined for the chapter’s purpose and includes city parks, recreational areas (listing specific parks like Pioneer Park, Bradley Lake Park, Clark’s Creek Park, etc.), public libraries, City Hall, Activity Center, Pioneer Park Pavilion, Woodbine Cemetery, Corporate Yards, Recreation Center, and the War Memorial Building. This extensive list highlights the wide range of locations governed by these regulations.
- Recreational vehicle: Defined as travel trailers, motor homes, truck campers, or camping trailers designed for temporary living, not as primary residences or permanently affixed to a lot.
- Store: To set aside or accumulate for later use, put away for safekeeping, or leave in a location. This definition is relevant to regulations about storing personal property in parks.
- Trail: A path for pedestrians or bicycles, not designed for automobiles, and specifically designated for non-vehicular use.
Understanding these definitions is the first step in ensuring compliance with park rules and enjoying Puyallup’s public spaces responsibly.
Essential Rules and Regulations for Puyallup Parks
Puyallup’s park regulations cover a wide array of activities to ensure public spaces are enjoyable and safe for everyone. Here are some key rules to keep in mind when visiting Pioneer Park or any other public park in Puyallup:
Compliance and Administration
- Following Rules: Visitors must comply with all rules and regulations set by the Recreation Board and the Parks Director. This includes both the written ordinances and any specific instructions posted or given by park staff.
- Permits for Park Use: For special use of park facilities, individuals or groups need to obtain a permit from the Parks Director. This could be for organized events, gatherings, or specific activities.
- Religious Services and Rallies: These events are allowed in parks with adequate facilities, provided they do not interfere with normal park usage and a community group permit is obtained beforehand, as per PMC 9.20.100.
- Park Condition: Users are responsible for leaving park buildings and structures in good condition. Activities causing extra cleanup may require payment for custodial work, and a deposit might be necessary to cover potential costs.
- Liability and Insurance: Groups using park facilities under permit must protect the city from any claims, liabilities, or damages arising from their use. Public liability insurance might be required depending on the event and facility use.
- Commercial Activities: Using parks for financial gain is only allowed through city concession contracts or with written permission from the Parks Director.
- Permit and Schedule Adherence: Park users must yield to those holding official permits or schedules for facility use. Everyone, with or without a permit, must follow all park rules.
- Enforcement: Violating any park rule or regulation set by the Parks Director or within Chapter 9.20 is unlawful.
Prohibited Activities: Maintaining Park Order
Several activities are specifically prohibited in Puyallup parks to preserve their environment and ensure a pleasant experience for all visitors:
- Signage and Structures: Erecting any advertising signs, billboards, or structures is prohibited without written consent from the Parks Director. Temporary directional signs or decorations for public celebrations may be permitted.
- Property Damage: Removing, destroying, mutilating, or defacing any park structure, monument, plant, or feature is strictly unlawful. Parks are to be respected and left as they are for everyone to enjoy.
- Animal Restrictions:
- Animals cannot run at large and are not allowed in lakes, ponds, or streams within parks.
- Dogs must always be leashed, except in designated off-leash areas.
- Animals are generally prohibited from city-owned athletic fields, except in designated spectator areas.
- Animals are not allowed in the Kiwanis Kids Spray Park at Pioneer Park.
- These restrictions do not apply to police dogs or service animals.
- Fireworks and Weapons: Discharging fireworks, firearms, explosives, or carrying bows and arrows or slingshots is unlawful without a written permit from the Parks Director. Law enforcement officers are exempt when acting under lawful authority.
- Wildlife Interference: Teasing, disturbing, molesting, catching, injuring, or killing any animal, bird, or fish in a park is prohibited. Feeding park fowl is only allowed in designated areas.
- Sound Amplification: Using loudspeakers or mechanical devices to amplify sound or voices is not allowed without a permit or concession contract. Radios, stereos, TVs, or similar devices played at volumes audible over 20 feet are also prohibited without permission.
- Circuses and Exhibitions: Holding circuses, carnivals, or traveling exhibitions is unlawful unless part of the parks and recreation program or permitted by the Parks Director.
- Sales: Selling refreshments or merchandise in parks is prohibited without written consent or a concession contract.
- Meetings and Literature Distribution: Holding religious or political meetings, assemblies, or distributing literature requires written permission from the Parks Director.
- Watercraft Restrictions: Gasoline-motorized boats or watercraft are generally prohibited on park waters, except in designated areas with signs.
- Vehicles and Horses:
- Driving motor vehicles in parks is restricted to park drives, parkways, and boulevards at a maximum speed of 15 mph.
- Parking is only allowed in designated areas. Improperly parked vehicles may be towed.
- Riding or leading horses is restricted to areas specifically designated for such use.
- Official city vehicles and approved vehicles are exempt.
- Camping and Storage:
- Camping in parks or public places is unlawful without a permit.
- Storing personal property, including camping equipment, in parks is also prohibited without a permit.
- Parked recreational vehicles are exempt from camping restrictions if not used as temporary living quarters and comply with parking rules. Permits may be granted for camping under specific conditions, including adequate facilities and minimal disturbance.
- Sports Events: Playing golf, baseball, cricket, lacrosse, polo, archery, hockey, tennis, or similar games, or flying model airplanes is limited to areas designated for these activities.
- Littering and Refuse: Throwing refuse, litter, broken glass, or advertising material in parks, except in designated receptacles, is unlawful. Depositing refuse not generated in parks into park receptacles is also prohibited.
- Vehicle Testing: Operating motor vehicles or motorcycles for testing purposes on park grounds or trails is unlawful.
- Competitions: Holding vehicle, boat, aircraft, or animal speed, endurance, or hill climbing competitions in parks requires written permission.
- Fires: Building fires in parks is prohibited except in designated areas. Campfires, including for cooking, are only allowed in designated fire areas.
- Lighted Materials and Vaping:
- Smoking cigars, cigarettes, tobacco, or other materials and discarding lighted materials in parks is prohibited, except for disposal in designated receptacles.
- Vaping is also prohibited in all city parks.
- Alcohol: Bringing alcoholic beverages into or consuming them in parks or facilities is unlawful without written permission from the Parks Director.
- Disorderly Conduct and Profanity: Using profane or abusive language or behaving disorderly in parks or public facilities is prohibited.
- Pedestrian Interference: Obstructing pedestrian or vehicle traffic or aggressively begging in public places is unlawful.
- Sitting or Lying on Sidewalks: Sitting or lying down on public sidewalks in designated zones between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. is prohibited, with exceptions for medical emergencies, disabilities, permitted events, or using provided seating.
- Remaining After Hours: Staying in any park or public facility after posted closing time is unlawful.
Park Hours and Specific Locations
Puyallup city parks generally operate under the following hours:
| Season | Hours |
|---|---|
| October 1st – March 31st | 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. daily |
| April 1st – September 30th | 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily |
However, there are exceptions for certain parks:
- Clark’s Creek North: Has extended hours, especially during warmer months.
- Clark’s Creek South & DeCoursey Park: Close one-half hour after sunset year-round.
- Wildwood Park Baseball Fields: Open until 11:00 p.m. during baseball season (March 1st – September 30th).
- Puyallup Valley Sports Complex: Has the longest hours, from 5:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. year-round.
- Riverwalk Trail & Veteran’s Park: Open from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset year-round.
- Skate Park: Has varying hours depending on the season and day of the week.
Puyallup City Hall Commons, Pioneer Plaza, and Civic Center follow the general park hours unless otherwise designated. The curtilage of the Puyallup Public Library and Pioneer Park Pavilion also adhere to general park hours, with use outside these hours requiring approval.
Enforcement and Penalties
- Ejection from Parks: Law enforcement officers can order individuals engaging in risky or disruptive behavior, illegal drug or alcohol use, or disturbing the peace to leave city parks. Refusal to leave or returning after being ordered to leave is a violation.
- Disruption of Public Facilities: Intentionally interfering with the functioning of or use of a public facility in a manner not intended for its purpose is unlawful.
- Trespass: The city can issue trespass notices prohibiting individuals who violate laws or rules on city property from returning. These notices can range from 45 days to several years, depending on the violation and prior notices. Contesting a trespass notice is possible through the Puyallup municipal court.
- General Penalties: Violations of park rules can result in civil infractions or misdemeanors, with fines up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment up to 90 days, depending on the specific violation and repeat offenses. Specific violations like pedestrian interference and sitting/lying on sidewalks have their own penalty structures, typically starting as civil infractions with fines.
Enjoying Pioneer Park Responsibly
Pioneer Park, as part of the Puyallup park system, is governed by these comprehensive rules and regulations. By understanding and respecting these guidelines, visitors can contribute to a positive and safe environment for everyone. Whether you are planning a family picnic, a leisurely walk, or utilizing the park’s facilities, being informed ensures a more enjoyable experience at Pioneer Park and all of Puyallup’s public parks. Always remember to check for specific posted rules at each park location and when in doubt, contact the Puyallup Parks and Recreation Department for clarification.
