PRL Department says now is the time to acquire land

The library is bulging at the seams. Pacana Park had some 140,000 people visit its grounds since it opened for business last October, but it can’t host a number of events because of its size. Just two concerns for Parks, Recreation and Libraries (PRL) Director Marty McDonald.

McDonald came before City Council recently requesting permission to issue an RFP (Request for Proposal). McDonald would like to acquire land or lease commercial/retail space or land for a possible library, park, aquatic center, multigenerational center or other recreational use.

At the end of his presentation to City Council, McDonald did not get his wish for the RFP but help may be coming.

“We need to be creative and think outside the box in acquiring land or leasing land,” McDonald said. “We need to ramp up our efforts.” McDonald added that while building is not necessarily needed right now, acquiring land in some capacity is.

Following the City Council meeting earlier this month, McDonald seemed pleased with the direction things appear to be going. “I was pleased with the open dialogue on what we need to happen,” McDonald said. “The Council deeply cares about the City of Maricopa, and they want to make sure we do any land acquisition in a transparent manner.”

Along with a library that needs more space, McDonald noted Pacana Park was not designed to support the level of programming it currently experiences. “That being said, we did forecast the Park to be used at a high capacity on a consistent basis,” McDonald said. “Once the other parks come online, the programmed use at Pacana Park will decrease. We would love to become a destination center for youth, adult and senior tournaments.”

The PRL recently had a successful run with the inaugural Copa Cup Challenge, with softball teams from Casa Grande, Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson and Yuma participating. Those teams spent money in Maricopa purchasing food, gas and other necessities.

Pacana Park was also the location for the Arizona Little League Girls Fast Pitch State Championship Tournament. “We had teams from Prescott, Winslow, Tucson, Anthem and other areas descend upon Maricopa,” McDonald said. “There is a tremendous amount of money to be made running tournaments, not necessarily by the City, but by the local businesses that benefit from these teams spending time in Maricopa.”

McDonald said there are several nationwide events the City can go after. They include: the Snickers Classic (soccer); several softball tournaments for girls, adults and seniors; and several baseball tournaments for boys. “If we had an indoor facility we could bring the Gus Macker Basketball Tournament to Maricopa as well,” McDonald added.

Additionally, McDonald said it would be great to take the Salsa Festival and turn it into a nationwide event.

“We had a salsa chef from El Paso, Texas, participate in 2006, and she is now a resident of Maricopa and runs her own insurance company,” McDonald said. “In order to take the Salsa Festival to the next level, we need a facility that can handle upwards of 30,000 to 40,000 people over the course of a weekend. We’d like to make it a two-day event.” McDonald also would like to see Founder’s Day expand as well.

McDonald feels there are parcels of land the City can acquire to expand its parks, recreation and libraries program, but time is running out.

“We need a sizeable piece of land to acquire and develop over the course of one to three phases, similar to the pattern that the City of Chandler is using with Tumbleweed Park,” McDonald said. “Public demand for parks, recreation and libraries facilities will never decrease; it will always be an issue for residents,” he added.

Attention is also a priority at the library, according to McDonald. The current library sits in an old barracks from Williams Air Force base on land donated by the John and Mary Lou Smith family. Its last major interior and exterior renovation occurred in 2004.

“The biggest need at the library is space,” McDonald said. “We need added space to develop our collection to a level that is appreciated by patrons. We need to add more computers so patrons can perform basic functions such as do research, check email, surf the web for information and more. We need space to accommodate specialized programming for infants, toddlers, children, preteens and teenagers.”

According to McDonald, residents feel the current library is too small, too old, too cramped, but at the same time they appreciate the quaintness the library offers. “They appreciate the history behind the library; they love the story of its formation, and they recognize the future is very bright for the library,” McDonald said. “In a lot of ways, the library has become a historically significant building in our city.”

If residents want to help, McDonald said the best way for them to assist is to become a very active participant in the library’s master plan.

“We hope to award that contract by early October and begin holding kick off meetings in November,” McDonald said. “The public meetings will be the time to show up in large numbers and provide feedback on what they want to see in the new library. There are a lot of questions to ask, and we’re going into this project with an empty notebook and an open mind.”

When asked where he thinks things will be a year from now, McDonald believes a number of tasks will have been accomplished.

“I honestly feel that one year from now the following will have already occurred, or we’ll be close to completion on:

• Council approving the Parks, Trails and Open Space Master Plan;
• Council approving the Library Services and Facilities Master Plan;
• Council approving a budget that will allow us to secure additional land;
• We’ll begin master planning land sites acquired in this current fiscal year;
• Possible announcement on two new park sites that will be donated to the City.”

Above all, McDonald said the planning will be aggressive in order to meet the needs of the public.

“The population growth and demand for these facilities requires us to be proactive and highly efficient so we can bring services online in an expedited manner,” McDonald said. “Our department’s goal is to create community through people, parks and programs. The Council is firmly behind us, and the future is exciting for the PRL Department.”

Photo by Dave Thomas