County, city to shut down park amenities

Effective Wednesday morning, Sarasota County and the city of Sarasota are closing park amenities including playgrounds and athletic courts to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The closure of county-operated amenities will go into effect at 6 a.m. and apply to playgrounds, dog parks, tennis and pickleball courts, basketball courts and volleyball courts, according to a release.

The city closure will take effect 9 a.m. and apply to “amenities that include playgrounds, tennis courts and basketball courts,” according to an emergency order from City Manager Tom Barwin.

The county also announced it is temporarily suspending the following in-person services at the Robert L. Anderson Administration Center in Venice: utilities, permitting, zoning, land development, environmental protection and code enforcement. Limited service is available at the Sarasota County Operations Center by appointment. More information is available at the county website or by calling 861-5000.

Starting today, the city’s building department is accepting plans and other paperwork via a drop box in the City Hall Annex at 1565 First St. The drop box is accessible from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Observer is collecting and regularly updating a list of local events and facilities that have been canceled, postponed or closed because of coronavirus concerns.