Skate park closed until Dec. 28 because of staff shortages

Audie Murphy Ranch Skate Park is scheduled to reopen on Monday, Dec. 28. (File photo)

Audie Murphy Ranch Skate Park will be closed through Sunday, Dec. 27 and will reopen the next day with modified hours, the City of Menifee announced this week.

According to a city news release, the closure is due to staff shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Because of this, the City had to make the difficult decision to focus its available staff on essential services, including meals for seniors and families who are in most need,” the news release stated. “The City understands what an important resource the AMR Skate Park is for members of the Menifee community and surrounding areas and did not come to this decision easily. Ultimately, the health and safety of City staff and the public are the first priority.”

The skate park will reopen Dec. 28 with modified holiday hours from 2-7 p.m. through Jan. 10. Plans are to return to normal hours on Jan. 11.

Audie Murphy Ranch Skate Park opened in May 2014. It quickly became popular with skaters throughout the region for its bowl and ramp design. But complaints from neighbors about destructive behavior by skaters resulted in the park’s closure from November 2017 to March 2018. According to residents of the Audie Murphy Ranch neighborhood and parents of skaters using the park, problems included the presence of drug paraphernalia, trash and bullying by older skaters.

The park reopened with new rules, extra fencing and camera surveillance, but was closed again for about three weeks in the fall of 2018 after a boy was assaulted near the park.

The park reopened again under a new system in which park users must pay an annual membership fee of $10 for residents and $100 for non-residents. The higher non-resident rate was designed to deter activity from non-resident young adults who had been traveling from other cities to use the park and allegedly cause problems.

Employees of the Community Services Department were designated to staff the park and enforce the rules, which include the wearing of helmet, elbow pads and knee pads. Designated hours are set for use by BMX bikes. In addition, park rangers who patrol parks in the city make regular checks at the skate park.

Dominique Samario, City of Menifee public information officer, said the skate park has been averaging 12-20 youth per day and a total number of visitors of 400 per month.

The park is located at 30376 Lone Pine Drive on the east side of the 11-acre Audie Murphy Ranch Sports Park. For questions about the park, call the Community Services Department at 951-723-3880.