Can't slide on responsibilities at Lakewood Ranch and Bradenton playgrounds

Central Park's Elizabeth Ballard said having her three children using neighborhood playgrounds and parks isn't going to be much different than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

"To be honest, I'm a nurse and we always have practiced good hygiene," she said. "Even before this, when we would get back in the car, we would use hand sanitizer. It was our normal routine. We were doing it already."

Ballard said she went to one park in the area that was opened, but all the swings were gone. Her three girls, Miryam, 2; Adalaye, 7; and Jaelyn, 14, were having a great time at Bob Gardner Park in Lakewood Ranch on June 1.

Schroeder-Manatee Ranch has opened all its Lakewood Ranch parks, such as Bob Gardner, and so has Manatee County.

At Nathan Benderson Park, the gate to the playground remains locked.

"We are watching what (Sarasota County) does," said Stephen Rodriguez, the CEO and president of Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates Inc., which operates the park. "This is a concentrated area and it's difficult to social distance. We are also watching what the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is saying."

While the CDC softened its stance on the spread of coronavirus by touching a surface, it prefaced its comments by saying it continues to learn about COVID-19 and how it spreads.

Prior to Sarasota County closing its playgrounds March 24, SANCA began cleaning Nathan Benderson Park's playground area three times a day, once each in the morning, afternoon and evening. Rodriguez said the park will continue that schedule when the playground reopens until the time when the threat of COVID-19 is no longer an issue.

Before COVID-19 became an issue, Rodriguez said the park cleaned its playground equipment once a day.

"It was more about aesthetics," he said. "We wanted to keep it looking good. Then once a month we would pressure wash everything."

Charlie Hunsicker, the director of Manatee County's Parks and Natural Resources Department, the county reopened its playgrounds because it has faith in its residents.

"We are hoping people take self-responsibility," Hunsicker said. "People need to have hand sanitizer available, and to social distance. We have limited resources. We don't have the ability to monitor public spaces that people touch.

"From the beginning (of the pandemic), we kept the restrooms closed because it's impossible to keep them clean from person to person. We don't have the attendants."

The park restrooms are now open again.

"We have confidence in and rely on our public," Hunsicker said. "We believe they will meet their COVID-19 responsibilities.

"We can close a facility and lock it down, or we can make it available and hope parents and families take some responsibility. It's the same thing for tennis courts, basketball courts and pickleball courts. Now (June 1) we're opening our pools."

Hunsicker said the county does have code enforcement officers who will be keeping their eyes on parks in case people aren't living up to their responsbilities.