South Windsor Skate Park Covered With Sand Amid Coronavirus Woes

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — Citing repeated violations of coronavirus social distancing guidelines, South Windsor officials covered the municipal skate park with sand.

"I have directed staff to cover the ramps with sand making the park temporarily safely unusable," Town Manager Michael Maniscalco tweeted Tuesday. He confirmed the order in a phone interview.

The skate park is at Nevers Park.

Maniscalo said there have been "multiple instances" of residents and visitors using the skate park in "large groups," violating social distancing orders laid out by Gov. Ned Lamont.

The groups are primarily made up of young people, he said. South Windsor police asked the groups to disperse several times over the past few days, but they kept coming back, he said.

Snow fences were erected to close the park, but they were removed by the skaters, Maniscalco said. The last resort was to call in a dump truck full of sand and cover the park, he said.

Some facilities have been closed inside Nevers, but the park remains accessible "so residents can enjoy the open space," Maniscalo said.

He added, "If we continue to see blatant violations of social distancing we will be forced to shut down all town parks."