Maricopa’s Big Plans

The City of Maricopa included more than 50 potential capital improvement projects in its 2020-24 fiscal planning, some with higher priority than others. City Manager Rick Horst unveiled the tentative budget in May, showing it is filled with $33.95 million in capital projects. Many of those have been on the city’s “wish list” for years. Here are just 10 of the projects.

1. The only project marked “critical” is the placement of a traffic signal at the intersection of Honeycutt Road at White and Parker Road in fiscal year 2020. That junction is currently a four-way stop, with one four-lane road squeezing down to two lanes in the process. Funded with impact fees. Cost $322,273

2. 

   The construction of a new library south of City Hall is in FY2020, funded by current bond from 2008. It would share the City Hall parking lot and have additional access from the south funded with impact fees. Cost $10.8 million

3. 

   Santa Cruz Wash flood control is considered the single most important project for the development of Maricopa. Planned for FY2020, it intends to reroute floodwaters from the Santa Cruz to the Santa Rosa Wash, removing 3,000 acres from the floodplain established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and funded by General Government CIP. Cost $913,330

4. 

   An emergency flood-warning system on Rancho El Dorado Parkway’s two wash crossings is planned for FY2020. It would include water level sensors and message boards, funded with Highway User Revenue Funds. Related to that is an FY2021 and FY2022 project to elevate the north crossing near Pima Butte Elementary, funded by county road tax. Cost of warning system $55,000; cost of elevated crossing $905,000

5. A study for a State Route 347 truck bypass to SR 238 is in FY2020. It will look at the possibility of building a road off SR 347 north of Cobblestone Farms to run west and then south to SR 238 to remove several heavy trucks from the SR 347/Smith-Enke Road intersection. The study would be funded by Direct Industrial Fund. Cost $50,000

6. 

   Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway improvements in FY2020 would widen the roadway to four lanes from Porter Road to White and Parker Road and create turn lanes at the White and Parker intersection. Funded by county road tax. Cost $4.997 million

7. 

   Repurposing the existing library (FY2021) and the veterans center (FY2022) comes in the wake of building a new library. Plans are to make the current library on Smith-Enke Road into a shared-purpose senior center and veterans center. The current veterans center on MCG Highway would become a museum for Maricopa Historical Society. Both projects are funded by General Government CIP. Cost of library renovation $30,000; cost of vet center renovation $100,000

8. 

   Beginning construction on the East-West Corridor, an important element of the Pinal Regional Transportation Authority, includes improving Farrell Road from SR 347 to Porter Road and a five-lane bridge on Porter Road across the Santa Rosa Wash, funded by Direct Industrial Fund in FY2020, FY2021, FY2022 and FY2023. Cost $21.6 million

9. 

   The installation of a 20,000-square-foot shell building in the Estrella Gin Business Park is in FY2020. The property was purchased and the roadway completed in hopes of luring industry. The new building is expected to spur development and would be funded by HURF. Cost $1.1 million

10. Adding lanes to SR 347 from the south junction of Cobblestone Farms Drive to the north city limits is in FY2020 and FY2022. The plan is to add a third northbound lane from South Cobblestone to Lakeview Drive and then add a northbound acceleration lane off Lakeview Drive onto SR 347. Funded by HURF. Cost $3 million
    

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    This story appears in the June issue of InMaricopa.