Apologies to Bob Fournier and the rest of the Sarasota City Attorney staff for any perception of picking on them here.
It’s important to note that it’s not subject but style that’s being gnawed over.
"Active" versus "passive" parks? There has to be a city law for all this? Yup. Seems so.
The whole matter began last October with golfers playing through Payne Park. Balls propelled by "active" park patrons were coming close to the heads of "passive" park-goers.
Then there was the flag-football at night at Selby Five Points Park Downtown.
Todd Kucharski, the city’s general manager of landscape, parks and environmental services, told the city commissioners that people were using city parks for unusual purposes.
"We want people to use our parks, of course," he said at the time, "because the more activity we have, the more natural policing you have."
Now there is a bit more policing going on in the city’s 50 parks.
According to the law unanimously approved on Monday, "Active, as applied to recreation or parks, means high-impact activities or team sports such as football, softball, baseball, basketball, soccer, disc golf, lawn bowling and swimming and similar activities that typically require organization, specialized facilities and/or team sporting equipment."
"Passive" for parks, in contrast, "means low-impact activities such as walking, jogging, sitting, picnicking or similar activities that typically require no organization, specialized facilities and/or team sporting equipment."
Signage will be placed to indicate just what park is which, or which park is what. Or whatever.