Maricopa may soon have its first community park. The Maricopa City Council, meeting in regular session on Tuesday, October 5, 2004, granted permission for negotiations to begin with Element Homes, agent and developer of Glennwilde Community. Element Homes is willing to build a public park at Porter Road, north of Bowlin Road and south of Honeycutt Avenue. The estimated completion date for the proposed park would be late 2006 or early 2007.
The 18 acre park would include the following amenities:
· 2 softball fields
· 2 USYSA regulation soccer fields
· 2.5 acre lake with effluent water (builder requirement)
· 2 outdoor basketball courts
· 2 tennis courts
· 1 large pre-teen playground / 1 small tot lot
· 1 sports ramada with restrooms
· 1 lake ramada
· 50-60 parking spaces
· 2 water meters (one each for the HOA and the city)
Further recommendations include:
· Tennis courts to replace original sand volleyball courts due to maintenance issues
· 60 additional parking spaces (possibly shared with future church site)
· Drinking fountains (4) for each sports field
· Hypoallergenic sod instead of synthetic turf
· Soccer goals
· 2 sets of lights on softball fields
· Increased use of Xeriscape design elements
· Security fencing at restroom entrances
Parks, Recreation and Libraries Director Martin McDonald and City Manager Rick Buss have been meeting with Element Homes representatives since May. “The city needs this park for both the youth and adults. By the time this park opens, kids who are now in grades K-3 will be playing girls’ fast pitch softball or basic competitive soccer, and the fields will be available,” said Mr. McDonald. One additional change mentioned was the relocation of the children’s playground from the lake area to the central area between the soccer fields. Mr. McDonald explained, “There are safety issues with the lake and having the playground centrally located will let parents who have kids participating in sports keep an eye on younger children.”
The park would serve up to 15,000 local area residents. It is a “community” park by definition. “Most community parks are about 16-40 acres,”explained Mr. McDonald. Element Homes is willing to donate the land and its mass grading, and the landscaping, architectural and engineering plans. They would also add approximately 2.4 million dollars worth of park amenities which the City of Maricopa would be required to pay back over a period of five years.
The overall savings to the residents of Maricopa would be approximately 2.4 million dollars. Element Homes will build the park even if the city does not accept the donation. If the park becomes private, it would be available only to residents of that subdivision.
Conceptual illustration of proposed park.
