The Collinsville Area Recreation District issued a press release today stating that Pleasant Ridge Park had been closed due to budget constraints, and retracted the statement less than one hour later.

“There was a slight misunderstanding among staff that led to the announcement that Pleasant Ridge Park is closed. The park is open,” Elizabeth Davis, CARD marketing/communications coordinator, said.

The original statement indicated that the gate at the entrance to the park had been locked on March 5 and the park would not re-open until further notice. Pleasant Ridge Park, located at 1345 Pleasant Ridge Road in Maryville, is the newest of CARD’s six parks. It opened on June 13, 2013.

Davis confirmed that other cuts have been made due to budget constraints, including closing the CARD Activity Center at 5 p.m. on evenings when there are no scheduled classes and keeping the center closed on the weekend. Previously, the center was open from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

The finance committee for the CARD Board of Commissioners, the governing body that oversees the park district, is expected to meet next week to discuss the budget, Davis confirmed.

At a special Board of Commissioners meeting Monday, called in part to discuss how the district could avoid major cuts, Commissioner Patrick Collins noted that the finance committee had not met “in some time.”