City Council votes to temporarily close skate park

The Audie Murphy Ranch Skate Park is being closed temporarily -- not as much for trouble inside the park as it is for problems some park users have created in the surrounding neighborhood. Menifee 24/7 file photo

The Menifee City Council voted 4-1 Wednesday night to temporarily close Audie Murphy Ranch Skate Park for improvements to make the park more secure and provide a safer environment for area residents.

The park, which opened in May 2014, has become extremely popular with skaters from across Southern California because of its size and deep bowls. At the same time, however, the amenity has attracted a number of teenagers and young adults who use the park and surrounding streets as a hangout that makes Audie Murphy Ranch unsafe, residents say.

For the second time, a large group of Audie Murphy Ranch residents attended the city council meeting to describe a number of disturbing occurrences in and around the park, including:

-- Such a strong odor of marijuana and such loud profanity that they have to keep their windows closed at night.

-- Young people pulling out bongs on area streets in full view of young children.

-- Trash being left in streets and gutters, only a few feet from trash containers.

-- Teenagers cursing and flashing obscene gestures at stunned residents and telling them to "mind your own business."

-- Drug transactions being made.

-- Skaters inside the park ignoring virtually all rules regarding use of helmets and other protective gear, sneaking into the park after hours, and other violations.

Following up on the previous City Council discussion and a recommendation for improvements and supervision by the Parks, Recreation and Trails Commission, the council Wednesday night listened to public testimony from 10 residents, including nine demanding some action be taken. Then, following lengthy discussion and consideration of three proposals from city staff, council members voted to take the following action:

-- Close the skate park immediately until park upgrades are made, which is expected to take at least 60 days.

-- Approve an additional maximum amount of $20,000 for a total expenditure of $34,850 to make security improvements that will make the park safer and help protect area residents.

Council members decided to take more time to consider the best option for supervision of the park, which has not had any supervision on site thus far. Options include supervision by city staff members; segregation of park use into separate times for bikes, skaters and scooters; and contracting with an outside company for supervision.

Meanwhile, the improvements scheduled to be made over the next couple months include:

-- 133 feet of folded steel security fence, closing off the end of the Gallup Court cul-de-sac from the park (see red arrow above). Cost: 13,300.

-- Three 6-foot maintenance access gates in the fence at Gallup Court. Cost: 3,600.

-- 50 feet of folded steel security fence, closing off the end of the Wide Plains Court cul-de-sac from the park. Cost: $5,000.

-- One 6-foot maintenance access gate in the fence at Wide Plains Court. Cost: $1,200.

-- 500 square feet of landscape conversion, designed to provide ground cover that will discourage foot traffic adjacent to the park. Cost: $2,250.

-- Four motion sensor infrared security lights. Cost: $3,000.

-- A remote access loud speaker with 180-degree cameras. Cost: $6,500.

Much of the problems have occurred on Gallup Court, where skaters park their cars for the shortest walk to the park. Unfortunately, many linger long afterward, making the cul-de-sac a street where residents say they can't let their children outside to play.

"I've lived in New York and I've been a social worker. I've seen it all," said resident Melanie Beeson. "This is a breeding ground for drug users. You're not helping these individuals; you're enabling them. It is no longer time to be Mr. Nice Guy."

Mark Worley said he believes area residents have grounds to file a public nuisance lawsuit.

The only skater to speak was Roberto Mariano, who said supervising the park and/or charging for its use would mean "nobody will go there," and that if the park is closed, "people will skate everywhere else in town."

In the end, four of the five council members (with Greg August opposing the motion) said they believed temporary closure for the security upgrades was the best course of action while the possibility of on-site supervision is being considered.