The beaches in Sarasota County, which includes Siesta Key and Venice, will reopen next week for exercise and fresh air.
In a unanimous vote, Sarasota County Commissioners decided Wednesday to reopen the beaches on April 27. But, for now, public parking won’t be available.
“This has to do with mental health. People are getting cooped up,” Commissioner Nancy Detert said at the meeting. “They are getting used to being isolated. It would be more healthy to be out in the sunshine. Be out on the beach and get some exercise.”
“This has to do with mental health. People are getting cooped up,” said one county commissioner.
Detert also said she would like to see the public parking lots reopen soon. Commissioner Michael Moran shared her sentiment, arguing that some people might end up parking on public property.
Charlotte County’s beaches are also slated to reopen on Monday, but county commissioners are considering the possibility of opening sooner, according to Fox 13.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Skyway, Pinellas County beaches won’t reopen until at least May 1. The county will reassess its stay at home order on April 28, though.
This story originally appeared in our sister paper Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
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