Bradenton reopens Riverwalk Skate Park, River Run Golf Links with social distancing rules
The Riverwalk Skate Park and River Run Golf Links are now open to the public after being shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.
City officials first closed the facilities March 30 after Manatee County announced a local state of emergency. On Tuesday, Bradenton City Council voted unanimously to reopen the skate park and the golf course with social distancing guidelines in place.
“The re-opening comes with the expectation that social distancing will be observed and will be enforced by the Bradenton Police Department,” the city said in a release, noting that the skate park is only open from 8 a.m. to midnight.
On Wednesday morning, residents were already taking advantage of the skate park.
“Personally, I love it, because when the beach opens up everything gets a lot better,” said Zach Weston, a senior at Lakewood Ranch High School, who played volleyball with friends Wednesday morning.
Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston, who didn’t vote on the proposal to reopen, said it was too early to reopen the popular skate park along the Manatee River.
“We’re still going up with the number of people testing positive and the deaths. We haven’t peaked yet, so that’s what I’m nervous about,” Poston said Wednesday afternoon. “We get too many young people congregating there, so I wasn’t in favor of that.”
“It’s really important to maintain our social distancing,” he added. “People are frustrated that they have to stay home, and I understand, but you have to understand the danger at the same time.”
This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 4:20 PM.
