Payne Park skate park made free to public

City Commission to decide in the future on management options for the facility

The skate park is accessible from Adams Lane in Sarasota and from School Avenue. Image courtesy City of Sarasota

Admission to the City of Sarasota’s skate park at Payne Park has become free of charge to the public, as of Tuesday, Nov. 19, the city has announced.

During its meeting on Nov. 18, the City Commission unanimously approved eliminating the user fee that had been in place for the park, a news release points out. The commission also directed staff to return to it with various options for the future operations of the skate park, the release adds.

In the meantime, current skate park operator Sk8skool will continue to oversee the day-to-day operations, the release continues. Operating hours will be unchanged: 2:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 2:30 to 10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

“We’re excited to announce that the skate park is now free, making this great facility truly accessible for everyone in the community to enjoy,” said Parks and Recreation Director Jerry Fogle in the release. “We’ll soon be bringing forward some more options on how we might provide the best service for the community at Payne skate park in a safe and welcoming environment,” he added in the release.