Answer Man: Arboretum closure decision explained?

Today’s batch of burning questions, my smart-aleck answers and the real deal:

Question: There are many pressing matters at this time, and I realize the seriousness of the situation. However, as a person in their 60s who takes daily hikes/walks for fitness and sanity, I am confused as to why the latest closure in our community is the North Carolina Arboretum. Our governor has said we can continue to get outside, take walks and try to stay healthy. As the options for places to safely walk begin to decrease, it appears that those still available will become more crowded and it will begin to be more difficult to keep a safe distance from others. On March 30, I arrived at the arboretum shortly after it opened and never came close to another person during my walk. I truly believe staying active (in a safe manner/and a safe distance from people) is important in this time. Any explanation you are able to get from the arboretum administration (other than the vague information given in the email to members this afternoon) will help me better understand.

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More:Coronavirus update: Buncombe has had 21 COVID-19 cases, peak expected in three weeks

My answer: I've started walking backwards in my neighborhood, and blindfolded, just to liven things up. Seriously, I've never logged so many miles in one place before.

Real answer: In full disclosure mode, my wife and I are members of the Arboretum, too, and we enjoy walking the hounds over there frequently. So we're also saddened by the closure, although we understand — tough times, tough choices.

I reached out to George Briggs, executive director of the arboretum, and he offered a detailed explanation.

"Like this reader, we are disappointed, too," Briggs said. "This is a decision we have fought not to make, but the realities and risks have now become so stark that we have to yield to them out of concern for the health and well being of our staff and visitors."

As of 9 a.m. March 31, North Carolina had recorded 1,498 cases of lab-tested COVID-19, an increase of 191 cases from the previous day. That included 22 cases in Buncombe County.

Eight state residents have died, including one in Buncombe County, and 157 people with known COVID-19 had been hospitalized statewide. 

So the Arboretum could see the writing on the wall. In part, they made their decision to close after reading a Citizen Times article.

"Based on Karen Chávez’s (recent) article in the Asheville Citizen Times detailing the extraordinarily long closure list of essentially every outdoor venue in WNC, the Arboretum may be the last institution that remained open," Briggs said. "We are blessed with a staff that has been selflessly committed to public service."

The arboretum comprises 10,000 acres and features gorgeous formal gardens and lots of tranquil walking trails.

The decision to close, which went into effect at 5 p.m. March 30, was "a tipping point created by the convergence of several factors," Briggs said. Those factors were:

• "The dramatically increasing rate of cases and deaths in our region and state has reached a level that makes it increasingly difficult to assure the safety of our staff or those visitors with whom they interface," Briggs said.

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• "The weekend experience of being open in the current circumstances has demonstrated that the Arboretum staff cannot realistically and safely maintain a 6-foot social distance with all visitor interactions, in particular those related to visitor health incidents, putting both staff and visitor at increased risk," Briggs said.

• "The cumulative effect of 'stay home' warnings has understandably impacted our staff’s comfort level of interacting with the public and each other," Briggs said.

• "Growing staff shortages now prevent us from operating and serving the public in a safe and sustainable manner," he said.

The Arboretum will reopen once this crisis passes, but they haven't set an anticipated date yet.

"We appreciate the patience and understanding of Arboretum users as we join the throngs of organizations who have turned their full attention to the safety of their employees, the preservation of their health care system and the sustainability of their organization," Briggs said. "Just as we are now the last to close, I anticipate that we will be among the first to open when safe conditions are once again present."

This is the opinion of John Boyle. To submit a question, contact him at 232-5847 or jboyle@citizen-times.com