County closes Robert-Laryn Skate Park without warning

St Johns County Director of Communications Michael Ryan, confirmed for local Historic City News reporters that a compliance dispute with a private vendor has resulted in the closure of Robert-Laryn Skate Park until further notice.

The skate park at the county’s Treaty Park, located at 1595 Wildwood Drive, has cancelled all events, including those promoted or organized by SB Skate Shop.

Word of the unexplained closure came late in the day after the close of business Friday; however, we were told that Assistant Director of Recreation and Parks, William H Zeits Jr., is already reviewing alternative vendors for the skate park. Just two years ago, in October 2013, local skateboarders were again caught by surprise when a lawsuit filed against local businessman Tory Strange, led the concessionaire to call it quits, forcing the county to put the “closed” signs up at the 20,000-square-foot skate park, again.

“The county is being sued by a skateboarder and his family by the law firm Morgan and Morgan Law out of Jacksonville,” Strange wrote in an explanation of the events in 2013. “The boy fell and bumped his head and was hurt badly. Even though there was a waiver signed releasing liability, he has representation and has the right to sue. We do not know how the lawsuit is going to come out.”

Liability of county government is limited in such claims, leaving Strange, who also owned the other Surf Station locations, to defend the lawsuit on his own.

Since “contract compliance” is an inordinately ambiguous and vague explanation, Historic City News has requested County Attorney Patrick McCormack to provide a copy of the current lease, side agreements, and any correspondence leading to the most recent closure of the skate park.

We will publish our findings as soon as the records are released.