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On this sunny November week, many skateboarders say they wanted to enjoy the outdoors at Mount Airy Skate Park. However, they were disappointed that the park — closed until March after the latest revisions to the park's fluctuating fees and hours — would not permit them to enter.

Chris Flaherty, both a skater at the park and an adult volunteer, presented a petition to the Mount Airy Town Council at its Monday night meeting. The petition addressed the park's entrance fees and hours.

"We all understand these are hard times," Flaherty said, while adding that a "reasonable price" was desired. One of the six skaters that came with Flaherty to present the petition said it was a beautiful week to skate in the park, but it wasn't open.

New fee rates and hours of operation for the park went into effect July 1 leading the park to close Nov. 1 to March 1. Other changes included a rate drop from $5 to $4 per day for residents and $6 a day for non-residents.

Council member and liaison to the Parks and Recreation Commission, Gary Nelson, said the town was not a business and wasn't trying for a profit, but instead enabling skaters to use the park, while also saving taxpayers from paying a larger cost to operate the park.

It takes about $40,000 of the commission's budget to run the park for a year. The park's fee has been up and down, with a drop to a $1 rate two years ago.

The most recent rate change was studied extensively by the town's Parks and Recreation Commission and passed unanimously at the May meeting. Since the price changes, Nelson said the park was doing "significantly better so we're not losing too much money."

He did mention that if volunteers were willing to organize, the park could be open more often. The parks commission had mentioned studying the issue again in the future.