The opening of the city’s park on Saratoga Lake has been postponed because of rain, according to Public Works Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco.

Earlier this week Scirocco said the park should be open by this weekend. But a lack of picnic tables and the potential for rain led Mayor Scott Johnson and Scirocco to decide to put off the opening until sometime next week.

“The dock is now finished,” says Scirocco. “We just needed two legs to secure it,” and they’ve been installed.

However, one of the park’s main uses initially will be picnicking, and Scirocco says there just weren’t enough tables yet.

“We’ve ordered eight tables from Unlimited Potential,” Scirocco says. Unlimited Potential, located just off Geyser Road, helps county residents diagnosed with a psychiatric illness to find work. One of the things they do is manufacture picnic tables.

The goal, says Scirocco, is to have 16 tables when the park opens, and there are just eight now.

Scirocco says Unlimited Potential has promised the city they will have the new tables ready by Tuesday, which means the park could open as soon as Wednesday.

The city will allow limited use of the park at first. Only picnicking, non-motorized boating and perhaps fishing will be allowed.

The park is on the site of the former Waterfront Restaurant, which according to its owner, Jon Diesem, was operated for 23 years.  Diesem sold the land for the park to the city in 2006.

When the park is finally opened, Scirocco says it will likely be open from dawn to dusk, just as Congress Park is currently.