Payne Park playground closed through June 22

Families hoping to enjoy the playground at Payne Park will have to look elsewhere for summertime entertainment during the next 11 days, as the city is conducing a series of repairs and inspections on the facility.

The Payne Park playground will be closed through June 22, the city announced in a release today. In addition to an annual maintenance inspection, a number of other improvement projects will take place on the site.

Those projects include improving the drainage system at the splash pad, replacing a fan system that had been struck by lightning, cleaning the surface of the playground and trimming the landscaping in the area.

“We plan to make the most of this temporary closure,” city project manager Neil Gaines said. “Not only will the maintenance inspection be conducted, but there will be improvements to the playground and repairs also will be done.”

In the release, the city encourages families to use other city-owned playgrounds while the repairs are ongoing.