Local

‘Everybody is at risk’: Meck County leaders defend decision to close parks at dusk

CHARLOTTE — Facing scrutiny from Commissioner Laura Meier and Vice Chair Elaine Powell, Mecklenburg County leaders on Wednesday defended their decision to temporarily close parks at dusk.

The closures are in response to Health Director Gibbie Harris’ directive urging residents to only engage in essential activities.

The park closures at dusk impact residents who wish to play basketball and tennis on lighted courts because they can’t get to the parks during the day due to work or school. Powell said she has received hundreds of emails on the topic.

[Meck County closes some Parks and Rec facilities through end of January]

“If you live in my district, and you call me and you have a complaint, and you want me to explain it, and it seems unexplainable, you can bet that I am going to follow up on it,” she said.

Powell said the county should encourage people to go outside and not mingle with people indoors. When she asked whether the county wants people outside, Chair George Dunlap responded, “No, we don’t.”

Harris elaborated by saying that the county wants to cut off all nonessential activity.

“The intent of the directive was to get people to stay home,” Harris said. “I’d love for the parks to be open. I want sports, but I want our kids in school, too. I want our businesses to be open. But as long as our numbers are as high as they are, everybody is at risk.”

Harris said she would love for people to be outside only in their backyard and with their family -- not mingling in parks. Dunlap also backed up Harris’ statements. He said the point of the directive is to limit activity in the hope of reducing COVID-19 spread.

The directive is not permanent and is set to expire on Feb. 2.

“This is in lieu of shutting the place down,” Dunlap said. “We are not trying to do that. We don’t want to do that. So, we are asking people to take reasonable measures. In this case, the reasonable measure was only three weeks.”

In response to questions from Meier, Park and Rec Director W. Lee Jones said he is in support of the temporary limited park hours.

“I think we need to lead by example,” Jones said. “I stand by our decision to do that.”

About 56% of tennis courts are lit in Mecklenburg County, according to Jones. He is worried that people will congregate there.

The discouragement of outdoor activity is perplexing to Powell, she said, when indoor activity is scientifically proven to be riskier for contracting COVID-19.

She said she is continuing to use county parks despite the directive.

“I am not staying away from parks and nature preserves. I am going,” she said. “I am following all of the rules. I wear my mask. I stay six feet away from people, probably farther than that. But I need that time outside, and so I understand not congregating, but it seems if we are going to have a directive like this, the public deserves to understand it.”