[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6254148,"mediaKeyId","3175969-e8a9ca2331fa8b7cb41fd1890b1c9a2c","parentId",3175969,"title","Phoenix presents summer camp, pools and swim‑lesson plans; staffing limits some pool openings","audioSeconds",1172,"startMs",1932000,"endMs",3104000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3175969-e8a9ca2331fa8b7cb41fd1890b1c9a2c&start=1932&end=3104","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3175969-e8a9ca2331fa8b7cb41fd1890b1c9a2c/thumbnail_1932000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6254148/Phoenix/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Phoenix-presents-summer-camp-pools-and-swimlesson-plans-staffing-limits-some-pool-openings","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254148-6f513472ceadf9f437012e889581d8e2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775038943&Signature=KJs4UB1-oNi7QZOMnUOlbQOGFe58hF7WhI8nNJo20z9YRGo1r0zQEzivgSpBJlFuVkc8aUyaSPz10rggK-7K18cbStI5C8Er9wJYQOfOEX2geT66F5GFgLFSjl~Au~UafBd6qXwy5wQ3-7x2q7Dm3S5sNUXd8xqTQgCwSTABpedwxq9FDon6q9aznTt7f5sYIkAh-B11ROiAn0HTcbvuElqv3d8yeJS09-0XldELSTa154nDyIRkDkoPNH1NEp-9OWHbFuiYL4oPGnlYtkxoz79fKxLPwwEUgbZmvNa0aca0ZuZNypPBs139kgi~q6kuO-H1SSeINwFIV5MsZN~Cbw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Phoenix, AZ","date","2025-04-25T18:32:19Z","article","Parks Department staff detailed the city’s 2025 summer programs on Thursday, including Phoenix Plays summer camps and the aquatics season, and told the Parks Board that staffing limits will continue to shape how many pools can open and for how long.

Deputy Parks and Recreation Director Danielle Pulveroma said Phoenix Plays summer camps are offered at 26 locations, serve children roughly ages 6–12, run approximately 8–10 weeks (May–July) and provide program hours from about 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sites vary in capacity but commonly accommodate 40–50 children; staff said the department holds a 1:15 staff‑to‑participant ratio at most sites. The program includes daily meals delivered through partnerships with school districts and community food programs, and registration opened March 20 for 2025.

“Each year, the Parks and Recreation Department offers safe and affordable summer programs for youth and families,” Pulveroma said. The department emphasized a range of pricing and registration options — from free slots to weekly options up to $80 — and said it introduced weekly registration in response to parent survey feedback.

On aquatics, Assistant Director Brandy Barrett and Aquatics Recreation Coordinator Regina Iverson said the city manages a 29‑pool inventory. For 2025 the department plans to open 20 pools (15 opening all summer and four opening for a single month in June or July) and keep eight pools open for weekend hours in August through Labor Day. The pool season runs Memorial Day weekend through July 27, with a limited August weekend schedule. Swim lessons will be offered at all open pools; staff said over 12,700 people will have the opportunity to take lessons and the city will offer discounted lessons (as low as $3 under partner programs).

Staff said the department has increased recruitment and training after pandemic staffing losses and now employs more than 400 aquatics staff, including certified instructors and new assistant‑manager training programs. The department continues to face staffing constraints that determine pool rotations and limited extended‑season openings. To expand access, staff highlighted partnerships: the Brewers and SRP supported the Cool Kids program (free admission for those 17 and younger), and Ability360 will operate Pioneer Pool for adaptive programming June–August.

Board members praised the breadth of services and asked staff to explore longer‑term investments in water recreation as an adaptation to extreme heat. Board Member Porter urged the department to consider the parks master plan process as an opportunity to look for ways to expand water recreation and open‑hours beyond the traditional summer season.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","4-24-25 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","City Parks officials on Thursday laid out Phoenix’s summer camps and aquatics plans for 2025 and said staffing limits remain the principal constraint on how many pools can open and for how long.","taxTitle","Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona","taxId",2207,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6254153,"Heart Center continues Camp Cawley operations under two‑year contract; served 265 campers in 2024",654,863000,1517000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3175969-e8a9ca2331fa8b7cb41fd1890b1c9a2c&start=863&end=1517","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3175969-e8a9ca2331fa8b7cb41fd1890b1c9a2c/thumbnail_863000.jpg","/articles/6254153/Phoenix/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Heart-Center-continues-Camp-Cawley-operations-under-twoyear-contract-served-265-campers-in-2024","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254153-0f8cb75c31f11be880349272934d189b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775038943&Signature=b0NDtQvIOTheXtYVpBioxqQ2Wyt3CD65HgfDs~NZAZnPKOk6xS09IkACnXnjWFk1NWcFGblyDhZrbXZ4slHE6FilbXlAtsfo2KrIzCab4n51H8y7TIe0fGIdxBCmfgDKFZ0W5zx67T5zki9jiOUpCbjYVOXs9IXPmw~9U7CE1DTDrVUp4-Zveb~YnjQ90BDrVp7xJaPDNf~27~DBC8eVcLmXj9brL8FASo2juhidHDHPvLtZJsVmgLqZP0UkyokOPZY4ugw0JSIElU1o5k1MHgj7PQV-mb-qrcQPRgzibIlpwit4Siba6sINepTHz20BsE4BoTr1S6ZSWeG~lfkmeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Parks Department and Heart Center on Thursday updated the Parks Board on programming and operations at Camp Cawley, the city‑owned 30‑acre overnight camp north of Phoenix that the department last year contracted to the Heart and Education and Recreation Therapy Foundation (the Heart Center).

Deputy Director Jared Rogers said the city purchased the 30‑acre site in 2001 for just over $1 million and that city staff and a series of operators have run the camp since the early 2000s. “Our current camp operator is the Heart Center. Their contract is a two‑year initial period… We have options to extend for three years,” Rogers said.

Chelsea Harden, founder and executive director of the Heart Center, described the organization as a recreational‑therapy program and year‑round micro high school serving students with neurodiversities that uses equine‑assisted activities. Harden said the Heart Center handles programming, staffing and transportation for youth camps and follows American Camp Association guidance as a member organization.

Harden said scholarship rates for 2025 are set between about $100 and $275 per camper; she contrasted those rates with the typical cost of overnight camps without scholarships. The Heart Center reported serving 265 camp participants in 2024 and securing more than $25,000 in scholarship funds that season; it has secured about $20,000 in scholarship funding so far for 2025 and has a $15,000 contribution from a private donor named Red Panda for the coming summer.

Rogers and Harden described capacity and staffing: the Heart Center prefers 40–50 campers per week for program quality, can expand above 60, and expects youth program totals in 2025 (including partner group visits) in the roughly 400–450 range if current trends hold. Rogers noted Camp Cawley operates largely off‑grid with a solar array and a backup generator and described routine maintenance work and wildfire‑mitigation activities the department performs to keep the site operational.

Board members asked about accreditation and certifications. Harden said the Heart Center is an American Camp Association member and is pursuing options to become accredited; equine staff hold certifications from professional therapeutic horsemanship and certified horsemanship associations. Board members also requested a donor list and follow‑up reports to the board; Harden and staff said they would provide these.","Parks staff updated the board on Camp Cawley operations with the Heart Center as operator under a two‑year initial contract (with three one‑year options). Staff and the Heart Center reported 265 participants served in 2024, secured scholarship funds, and plans to expand weeks and counselor training in 2025.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6254157,"Phoenix planning department previews Rio Phoenix land‑use plan after year of outreach",590,105000,695000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3175969-e8a9ca2331fa8b7cb41fd1890b1c9a2c&start=105&end=695","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3175969-e8a9ca2331fa8b7cb41fd1890b1c9a2c/thumbnail_105000.jpg","/articles/6254157/Phoenix/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Phoenix-planning-department-previews-Rio-Phoenix-landuse-plan-after-year-of-outreach","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254157-f093fbffebc059ea5a846c4baabf3bf4/orig.mp4?Expires=1775038943&Signature=aBnkR~B224HtXabXy-cHgqZUzZUe6FNa~ZayEEfol~2U~cggWYPYuzk3adVsRTb8UTMob7~OeTWGT0Lw1lPBcr2iDBZt6UbFfAdOOHl7oKEzGJwYxipH0Odqst5NImu5meEUOUadwMmbWFl-rqzWCCkIf0-b9YHXDkgSmzoybGuOTjI6I2oCnc3d-9uH9XUQ6SjM6rW84Ziaowtm7~6l1Eb49UEmwaTckyZinjUraQsiLwUfoYEtacwwqbi8BPq~v-Wy4kv-vcAel3e9pvPVGkAkJwWvZPi72-Rh8BcKtqbcapZdhGmLzAsWZgQnCmyYiy-r883LqX~mTIdRCHdLLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Planning and Development Department staff on Thursday presented a draft land‑use and implementation plan for the portion of the Rio Salado corridor inside Phoenix known as Rio Phoenix, saying the effort draws on a regional Rio Reimagined vision and more than a year of local outreach.

Enrique Bojorquez, a planner with the Planning and Development Department, told the Parks Board the city’s work focuses on six planning elements and aims to make the Rio Salado corridor a stronger local and regional destination while improving residents’ health outcomes. “We have been working on this initiative known as Rio Phoenix, which is essentially developing, or updating a land use plan,” Bojorquez said.

Bojorquez and staff described a three‑step planning framework used by the department: a current‑conditions assessment; a community‑crafted vision; and an implementation plan. The study area covers about seven square miles in Phoenix — roughly from I‑17 on the north to Broadway Road on the south, and from 30th Street/I‑10 on the east to 19th Avenue on the west — and is divided into four planning subareas that generally follow completed or planned habitat restoration projects in the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area.

Staff said the department and consultants Multi‑Studio and SCAPE have run three public workshops (first held in October 2024, a second in February 2025 and a larger workshop the week before the board meeting), staffed two recent project expos, and engaged more than 900 people in person and received more than 500 survey responses in English and Spanish. Those engagements informed draft maps, master plans, cross sections, and a revised land‑use map staff displayed for the board.

Bojorquez said the draft plan will proceed through village planning committees, the planning commission and then city council for consideration and adoption. “We will be taking this policy plan through a public hearing process, both with the village planning committees, with planning commission, and ultimately with city council for review and adoption,” he told the board.

Board members asked about outreach to tribal governments. Marty Whitfield, assistant director for Parks and Recreation, said the Gila River Indian Community provided a planning grant for the project and staff plan to continue engagement. “We have received that funding, and we do plan to keep engaging Gila River Indian Community as this project moves forward,” Whitfield said.

Staff said next steps include finalizing short‑ and long‑term implementation actions, identifying partners, and returning to the Parks Board and other city committees with the draft plan before council consideration. No formal action was requested or taken by the Parks Board at the presentation.","City planning staff summarized a draft Rio Phoenix land‑use plan for the Rio Salado corridor, describing a three‑step planning framework, four study subareas, community engagement results (900+ in‑person contacts, 500+ survey responses) and a path to public hearings and council review.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6254143,"Speakers press board on park project follow‑through and request skate features in master plan",1189,3991000,5180000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3175969-e8a9ca2331fa8b7cb41fd1890b1c9a2c&start=3991&end=5180","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3175969-e8a9ca2331fa8b7cb41fd1890b1c9a2c/thumbnail_3991000.jpg","/articles/6254143/Phoenix/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Speakers-press-board-on-park-project-followthrough-and-request-skate-features-in-master-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254143-c7aff3a3b560673929551f0892f34955/orig.mp4?Expires=1775038943&Signature=huFmaCq0MXivJzr7mkGZ41yxJlcky0MvKhsG8tPOdKm~t7Cme2My49BLF2kmQx4PWFN1~IhNKXu8n6xWOCuwckeAdTd3SC6EqiBha23-G-~bZhJBIW3D1g6Cirxolg2MFdmWIjgm3cpaxbI-myV8tLK2R14oidRF7XxqSWBQX~fG2VHs1hBQRj2kRlOPmZ6sktP75jFeuY2yOOZpv2tljhyqSmN8k2b9bULKmOglrcMZIsUV5Tizw0Delsgc7PkW4XBqVEKlkq6axxODFkShmrjc3uBZwcnW9GlkhhRaBib-qNtLDmhjrFOQ2UYW5hel61FTp7e4fzR66RE3W1Xmgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Multiple public commenters on Thursday told the Parks Board they are concerned about project follow‑through and requested smaller, equitable skate features be included in the parks master plan update.

A speaker identified as Jess criticized perceived delays and spending on South Mountain projects and said North Mountain has not received promised updates. “Why is the completed project getting new attention while South Mountain and North Mountain are both being left completely in the dust?” Jess asked during public comment. Tim Serkowsky and another commenter pressed staff for financial records related to South Mountain project spending.

Attorneys and advocates raised concerns about unannounced construction in preserve areas. A commenter said attorneys had submitted public‑records requests for contracting and permitting documents for work at a preserve site and said those records had not been provided. The speaker said attorneys are evaluating legal options.

Separately, a cluster of speakers representing Cowtown Skate nonprofit, Skate After School and other community members urged the board to add small, inexpensive skate features — ledges, rails and low elements — to neighborhood parks. Charles Darr of Cowtown Skate said portable activations the group runs show demand and community benefit. “Skate spots typically unsanctioned are the community hubs within skateboarding and we should provide legal hubs in every neighborhood,” Darr said.

Scott McPherson and Trent Martin described cost savings from replacing underused turf with hardscape and small skate elements and said adding shaded ramadas and rental opportunities could offset costs. Tim Ward, who runs Skate After School, said small, modular features make skateboarding accessible and could be included in the master plan instead of focusing exclusively on large, expensive skate parks.

A telephone commenter, Julia Taggart, asked the board to provide updates and visit the North Mountain Visitor Center and highlighted volunteer contributions to that site. Board members acknowledged the comments; staff and board said they were listening but did not take formal action during the meeting.","During public comment, several residents and nonprofit representatives urged the Parks Board to finish long‑promised preserve projects, improve transparency on South and North Mountain spending, and add small, low‑cost skate features in neighborhood parks as part of the parks master plan update.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Phoenix presents summer camp, pools and swim‑lesson plans; staffing limits some pool openings

Heart Center continues Camp Cawley operations under two‑year contract; served 265 campers in 2024

Phoenix planning department previews Rio Phoenix land‑use plan after year of outreach

Speakers press board on park project follow‑through and request skate features in master plan