Sparks to open Black Hills Dog Park, replace turf at Golden Eagle and expand public-art signal boxes

Mayor Ed Lawson highlighted parks, recreation and arts investments that officials say aim to expand inclusive programming and public space improvement.

Lawson said Sparks has more than 60 parks and called Golden Eagle Regional Park the community’s "crown jewel." The city replaced outfields 10, 13 and 14 at Golden Eagle last year at a cost of $1,200,000, "utilizing licensing fees from marijuana businesses," the mayor said, and noted the turf replacement plan runs through 2028.

The two-acre Black Hills Dog Park in the Foothills at Wingfield Springs is slated to open this spring and will include shade structures, walking paths, dog play equipment, fitness stations, picnic tables and benches. Lawson also noted new play equipment installed at Imoni Park and the success of inclusive programs such as Leisure Without Limits, weekly adaptive activities, and the Mark Wellman Adventure Day and Abilities Expo; he credited a $125,000 grant for a public-art sculpture that will be installed on Victorian Square following resident input through the "Together We See Sparks" creative-placemaking process.

The arts program painted signal boxes along Prater Way and Audie Boulevard last year; Lawson said 10 boxes were completed and the city plans to paint 20 more signal boxes in the coming year. He said the program is popular with artists and that the painted boxes have experienced low levels of tagging since installation.

Lawson also mentioned the Parks and Recreation Scholarship Fund and noted a tree-distribution program (Tremendous Sparks) in partnership with Moana Nursery that provided 300 trees to residents.