More coronavirus-related closures could be coming to Manatee County parks, officials say
On top of extending the local state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 crisis, Manatee County officials also announced Monday evening that some parks would close in an effort to keep residents at home.
Officials said their hand was forced by some residents who continued to gather in public spaces, like skate parks and tennis courts, despite clear guidance from public health officials. Starting Tuesday, those facilities, as well as the county’s pickle ball courts, were temporarily closed.
Starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sunny Shores Park in Cortez will be closed, as well as Rye Preserve west of Rye Bridge along Upper Manatee River Road. Rye Preserve’s other public entrances will remain open, the county said in a news release Tuesday.
Public Safety Director Jake Saur said Tuesday that the changes were a direct result of the county’s observations over the weekend. Moving forward, the county will meet every day to consider additional closures based on how public spaces are being used.
“Over the weekend we monitored the population at those parks and we noticed that the social distancing rules set by the governor weren’t being followed,” Saur explained. “Moving forward, it just depends. We could see more park closures. It just depends on how the public handles these social distancing rules.”
“Unfortunately, the public didn’t listen to the governor’s directive, so we had no choice,” said Commissioner Carol Whitmore. “The people playing some of those specific sports are the most vulnerable. This is about public safety. I have no problems protecting our citizens at all. I won’t lose sleep over that.”
Cities followed in the county’s footsteps by closing some parks in their jurisdiction, as well. Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth announced that the skate park in the city would be closed until further notice. City of Bradenton officials made a similar announcement about the Riverwalk Skate Park.
The city of Bradenton Beach has also closed its parks.
In an interview with the Bradenton Herald, County Commissioner Misty Servia said she felt the changes were needed, and encouraged residents to continue heeding the guidance from local leaders.
“I think every step that is taken by our public safety director is done with a lot of thought and with the focus of keeping people safe. It’s that simple,” Servia said.
“As I keep saying to the public, I encourage everyone to practice social distancing and stay home whenever possible,” she added. “The more we can separate from each other, the faster we can get through this.”
The local state of emergency and the emergency burn ban have both been extended to last until April 7. Commissioner Betsy Benac, who serves the board chairman, has been authorized to extend those dates without a public meeting.
Even more closures, such as the removal of hoops and nets from basketball courts, could happen later this week, according to an internal county memo.
“Code Enforcement has been out here on the island and the parks trying to monitor our restrictions,” said Whitmore. “If there’s an issue, they’ll have to consider what they need to do.”
This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 4:17 PM.
