Ann Arbor residents will have free reign over all the city's green spaces during the weekends, but weekday evening restrictions will remain in place for

as the city's efforts to cull the deer population begin Jan. 1.

City spokeswoman Lisa Wondrash said in an email that the decision to open the parks during the weekends came after hearing community feedback and concerns.

"Safety is the city's number one priority and Ann Arbor Police will respond accordingly to individuals who violate the park closures," she said.

Violations of the closings will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, Wondrash said. According to the city's code of ordinances, violation of park regulations--including being in parks after closing hours--is punishable by a fine of up to $500. Wondrash said police have not indicated what the severity of punishment will be for those who are caught in the parks while they're closed.

Cull activities are scheduled to begin Jan. 1, when 26 parks will be closed to the public between 4 p.m. and 7 a.m. City parks are generally closed between midnight and 6 a.m., and under normal circumstances the ordnance permits residents to "quietly sit or walk" in the park as long as they do not create "noise audible from a distance greater than 50 feet."

The closures mandated for the cull are complete park closures and do not allow for quiet sitting or walking.

The sharpshooters performing the cull are mandated to kill up to 100 deer between Jan. 1 and March 31, and Wondrash said if cull activities are completed before the scheduled end date that parks will resume normal operating hours.

The park closures are all in the city's first and second wards, which cover the north and east sides of town.

Many of the parks are in close proximity to schools, including the Ruthven and Furstenberg Nature Areas which neighbor Huron High School. Ann Arbor Public Schools spokesman Andrew Cluley said in an email that the school system was not consulted but was specifically notified about the plan. He said individual schools will reach out to students and families with information on the closings.

Parks and nature areas in Ann Arbor that will close daily from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. from Jan. 1 through March 31 while the city carries out a deer cull.

According to the city's website, the Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger will process the venison, which by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources special permit must be donated to a local food bank. Food Gatherers will receive and distribute the venison collected in the Ann Arbor cull.

Amid much controversy and protests by animal rights advocates, the City Council voted 10-1 in November with Mayor Christopher Taylor opposed to hire the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, also known as USDA-APHIS, to carry out the cull at a cost of up to $35,000.

The announcement of the park closures came earlier this week and sparked another round of heated public feedback. Ann Arbor News commenters expressed frustration at not being able to utilize the parks during the evening for three consecutive months.

"I have been participating and now leading group rides in these woods on these trails for 20 years!!" Wrote commenter DEADMANbiking. "We ride AFTER work on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM all year round. We average a dozen riders every night. This time of year specially when it snows is our favorite rides!!"

Other commenters have more positive reactions to the news, saying their support of the cull has not wavered with the recent announcement.

"Great! Time to get on with it," Bashi Bazouk said. "I have 10% of the deer population as per the survey destroying my property and the neighborhood urban forest!"

Wondrash said specific times and dates could not be scheduled for the cull because the activities depend on the movement of the deer and weather conditions also play a role.

She noted that 47 parks in Wards 1 and 2 will remain open during the cull. She said the 23 parks were picked based on a list of criteria that included "public safety, size and shape of the city-owned property, terrain, surrounding land-use and housing density, proximity to neighbors, ease of access and attractiveness of the location for deer."

Ben Freed is a general assignments reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Email him at benfreed@mlive.com and follow him on twitter at @BFreedinA2. He also answers the phone at 734-623-2528.