Payne Park NEW DEVELOPMENTS
Payne Park future development? So many options & rumors, possibilities good and bad. ?Off-leash dog park, Tennis Center expansion, pickleball? What about those original 2003 Master Plans for Phase 3 & 4 (shuffleboard, lawn bowls, model-boating lake)? ... Public input now should include the needs of the several hundred residents / stakeholders at the recently-built abutting residential developments Lyra and Payne Park Village.
But separate from the master plan, NEW USES SEEM TO KEEP POPPING UP! That's why in summer 2023 residents requested a public workshop NOW about future plans for the park; the Parks Dept says "wait." A few years ago the Parks Dept suddenly fenced off part of the park for a Maintenance Yard / Truck Depot, and before that the Sarasota Orchestra requested to move/remove some east-side park facilities, including the Tennis Center, to build their new, large, Music Complex. Residents pushed back. In 2023 they started measuring greenspace with an eye towards replacing a well-used greenspace area with tennis courts dedicated primarily FOR SARASOTA HIGH use (see below). So although City and Parks staff have good intentions, we-the-residents-and-park-users have good reason to be watchful of plans, done deals.
Oct 2023 update: In response to a recent inquiry about a Master Plan update, Parks Director Jerry Fogle (10/9/23 email) did not offer details about a new master plan or a public meeting, noting only that "Payne Park is scheduled for improvements in 2026, but this could change due to a variety of reasons (i.e., approval of budgets and staffing, etc.). We are also slightly behind our targets due to the pandemic. As we get closer to scheduling improvements for the parks and recreation facilities, we will schedule meetings with affected neighborhoods to discuss the improvements."
But separate from the master plan, NEW USES SEEM TO KEEP POPPING UP! That's why in summer 2023 residents requested a public workshop NOW about future plans for the park; the Parks Dept says "wait." A few years ago the Parks Dept suddenly fenced off part of the park for a Maintenance Yard / Truck Depot, and before that the Sarasota Orchestra requested to move/remove some east-side park facilities, including the Tennis Center, to build their new, large, Music Complex. Residents pushed back. In 2023 they started measuring greenspace with an eye towards replacing a well-used greenspace area with tennis courts dedicated primarily FOR SARASOTA HIGH use (see below). So although City and Parks staff have good intentions, we-the-residents-and-park-users have good reason to be watchful of plans, done deals.
Oct 2023 update: In response to a recent inquiry about a Master Plan update, Parks Director Jerry Fogle (10/9/23 email) did not offer details about a new master plan or a public meeting, noting only that "Payne Park is scheduled for improvements in 2026, but this could change due to a variety of reasons (i.e., approval of budgets and staffing, etc.). We are also slightly behind our targets due to the pandemic. As we get closer to scheduling improvements for the parks and recreation facilities, we will schedule meetings with affected neighborhoods to discuss the improvements."
In the Works: Payne Park Tennis Center Fence Replacement Project. Timeline as yet unknown? Contract approved by City in Fall 2023: almost half a million bucks! For details see Oct 16 City Commission Meeting, Consent Agenda Item VI-3.
Players Theater at Payne Park Auditorium
In the Works: Players Theater at Payne Park Auditorium. See Players Stage page. The Players Theater is moving into the Payne Park Auditorium (no longer in use as an auditorium, and in recent years serving as office space for part of the City Parks & Rec department).
Legacy Trail Payne Park Alderman MURT
See Alderman MURT page.
Payne Park future plans (2021 update)
Jerry Fogle, Parks Dept Head, noted, in 2021, that maintenance of City parks is the only short-term plan (other than the Alderman MURT), given budget considerations and priorities. Scroll down below to see Q&A excerpts with Mr. Fogle, 2021, far below.
Do take a look at the 2003 Master Plan for Payne Park. Through the years since, of course, many things have changed: the popular disc golf course was not in that 2003 plan; the east field is now regularly used for frequent soccer games, ...
Mr. Fogle provided the following long-term plans, with the caveat that "The below items will need to be revisited to ensure the improvements still meet the needs of the citizens."
Improvements to Payne Park are scheduled to be implemented in year 6 (2027/2028) of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, depending on funding and Commission approval during the budget process.
Improvements to Payne Park are scheduled to be implemented in year 8 (2029/2030) of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, depending on funding and Commission approval during the budget process.
Jerry Fogle, Parks Dept Head, noted, in 2021, that maintenance of City parks is the only short-term plan (other than the Alderman MURT), given budget considerations and priorities. Scroll down below to see Q&A excerpts with Mr. Fogle, 2021, far below.
Do take a look at the 2003 Master Plan for Payne Park. Through the years since, of course, many things have changed: the popular disc golf course was not in that 2003 plan; the east field is now regularly used for frequent soccer games, ...
Mr. Fogle provided the following long-term plans, with the caveat that "The below items will need to be revisited to ensure the improvements still meet the needs of the citizens."
Improvements to Payne Park are scheduled to be implemented in year 6 (2027/2028) of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, depending on funding and Commission approval during the budget process.
- Build out the remaining planned park development on the South side of Payne Park per the 2003 Payne Park Master Plan
- Additional Parking Spaces
- Legacy Trail Connection (plans are to complete this in the near future)
Improvements to Payne Park are scheduled to be implemented in year 8 (2029/2030) of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, depending on funding and Commission approval during the budget process.
- Build out the remaining planned park development on the East side of Payne Park per the 2003 Payne Park Master Plan
- Multipurpose recreational sports fields (croquet, putting green)
- Lawn Bowling [note: since being established at Bobby Jones]
- Shuffleboard
- Additional Parking space
- Add new seating areas
- Add new restrooms
- Add pavilions
- Add native landscaping wildlife habitat
Short Term excerpts Q&A
June 2021 email Q&A with Jerry Fogle regarding plans for Payne Park improvements in next 3 years.
JF: "At this time, the only planned improvements for the park in the next few years is the Legacy Trail Connection. We are closely following our Master Plan where we are working primarily on deferred maintenance and asset stability. This is a large list of items we need to get repaired or replaced before we begin adding new park amenities in our 61 park and recreation facilities. Below is a list of the deferred maintenance items we identified in the Master Plan and what our progress has been with that work.
Playground Surfacing $275k, Playground Components $30k, Maintenance Building Exterior $10k, Post & Rail Fence $7k, Asphalt Jogging Track $15k, Parking Signage $5k, Cafe/Skate Park Building Paint $35k, Bollards $10k, Cafe Pond $5k, Amphitheater Stones $15k, Sidewalks $25k, Landscape $15k, Parking Lot $100k, Special Event Power Pedestals $10k, Cafe Roof $100k, Design Fees $36k.
We have completed: playground resurfaced; replaced playground components; replaced post and rail fence; replaced some jogging trail material; painted the café and skatepark buildings; redesigned and replanted the café streambed; repaired ¾ of the sidewalks; installed ½ of the landscape replacements; and replaced missing amphitheater stones. We will continue to make these identified repairs over the next few years.
All parks are identified to receive improvements, as soon as the deferred maintenance is addressed. As you can imagine, we cannot get to all of them as quickly as we would like, but we do have a 10-year plan in place. The Priority List ranked all parks based on seven scoring criteria. Payne Park is scheduled for improvements beginning in 2026, but this could change due to a variety of reasons (i.e. approval of budgets and staffing, etc.). We are also slightly behind our targets due to the pandemic. As we get closer to scheduling improvements for the parks and recreation facilities, we will schedule meetings with affected neighborhoods to discuss the improvements."
June 2021 email Q&A with Jerry Fogle regarding plans for Payne Park improvements in next 3 years.
JF: "At this time, the only planned improvements for the park in the next few years is the Legacy Trail Connection. We are closely following our Master Plan where we are working primarily on deferred maintenance and asset stability. This is a large list of items we need to get repaired or replaced before we begin adding new park amenities in our 61 park and recreation facilities. Below is a list of the deferred maintenance items we identified in the Master Plan and what our progress has been with that work.
Playground Surfacing $275k, Playground Components $30k, Maintenance Building Exterior $10k, Post & Rail Fence $7k, Asphalt Jogging Track $15k, Parking Signage $5k, Cafe/Skate Park Building Paint $35k, Bollards $10k, Cafe Pond $5k, Amphitheater Stones $15k, Sidewalks $25k, Landscape $15k, Parking Lot $100k, Special Event Power Pedestals $10k, Cafe Roof $100k, Design Fees $36k.
We have completed: playground resurfaced; replaced playground components; replaced post and rail fence; replaced some jogging trail material; painted the café and skatepark buildings; redesigned and replanted the café streambed; repaired ¾ of the sidewalks; installed ½ of the landscape replacements; and replaced missing amphitheater stones. We will continue to make these identified repairs over the next few years.
All parks are identified to receive improvements, as soon as the deferred maintenance is addressed. As you can imagine, we cannot get to all of them as quickly as we would like, but we do have a 10-year plan in place. The Priority List ranked all parks based on seven scoring criteria. Payne Park is scheduled for improvements beginning in 2026, but this could change due to a variety of reasons (i.e. approval of budgets and staffing, etc.). We are also slightly behind our targets due to the pandemic. As we get closer to scheduling improvements for the parks and recreation facilities, we will schedule meetings with affected neighborhoods to discuss the improvements."
