Due to vandalism, playground equipment removed from East Manatee park

EAST MANATEE -- From her East Manatee home, Linda Lively watched the playground equipment at Manatee Palms Park be disassembled, placed in a truck and driven away last week.

"I was just very upset at what they did," Lively said of Manatee County's decision to remove the equipment. "It didn't seem right."

When Lively called the county's parks and natural resources department to inquire why the equipment was removed from the park, 6510 First Ave. E., Bradenton, she was told it was unsafe and there was too much vandalism at the park.

But Lively said at night she would see teenagers sit and smoke at the playground but that was it.

"All the families were always over at that park," she said. "This park here was used, up until they removed it, by many of the children here. It just doesn't seem like a fair thing to have been done."

Lively said the playground equipment was removed without any warning whatsoever.

"We pay taxes to have a park," she said.

But excessive vandalism requiring almost weekly visits to the park as well as fires set to the park's picnic tables and playground equipment led to the removal, said Charlie Hunsicker, the county's parks and natural resources department director.

"There are no plans at this time to replace play equipment," he said.

The county does not have means to inspect a neighborhood park on such a regular basis, Hunsicker said. Over at least the past year, the vandalism has occurred, he added.

"Vandalism was too high to offer recreation at this park," he said. "This type of vandalism is not random. It's not child's play. It's done in a deliberate attempt to hurt others."

When Lively moved to the neighborhood in 2012, there was vandalism in the neighborhood but since then she hasn't seen or heard any problems, she said.

"It doesn't seem right to punish the small children for something like that," she said. "There is vandalism all around Manatee County. Are they going to go around and remove everything? I would just hope that they would consider not taking down the swing set to give the kids something."

While a swing set still remains at the park, Hunsicker said he couldn't comment whether those will be removed.

"If they are not damaged, we can leave them up," he said.

Located less than a mile away is Tom Bennett Park, which has playground equipment.

Despite the close proximity to the Manatee Palms Park, Lively said it isn't that close.

"It is not a safe crossing for children at all," Lively said.

Playgrounds help "to maintain the property values which is important for Manatee County," Lively said.

"They are hurting property values a little bit by doing what they did," she said.

Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, who represents East Manatee, said at Tuesday's commission meeting that county staff was going to the park on a regular basis to keep up the equipment.

"The equipment was removed because park employees couldn't keep it clean and couldn't keep it in working order," Baugh said. "It was happening on a regular basis because of the cost involved and vandalism and graffiti. ...That is the reason for it. I think it was a good decision that was made."

Hunsicker said they "are not in the business to serve our public by removing playgrounds."

"Anytime we are required to take such aggressive action it's regrettable," Hunsicker said. "We try with every opportunity to repair and renew and I certainly don't want to leave the impression that this is our new mode of operation."

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024. Follow her on Twitter@Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Due to vandalism, playground equipment removed from East Manatee park ."