El Mirage council hears parks master-plan update; Concept 2 wins 81% support in engagement

The El Mirage Common Council on Sept. 16 received an update on the city’s parks and recreation master plan and the community engagement that shaped proposed designs for Basin Park.

Consultants said the outreach combined a statistically valid random-sample survey (420 responses, with a 400-response goal), an open online survey (147 additional responses), focus groups, an in-person open house (about 59 attendees) and a virtual engagement room (about 100 participants). Jamie Sabach, lead project coordinator for the master plan, told council staff and members, “we're getting close to the finish line, as they say.”

Why it matters: the master plan will guide what amenities the city pursues, how the site fits into the parks system and which projects enter capital and operating budgets. Council members pressed staff about parking, flood constraints at Basin Park, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and how the community’s responses were collected.

What the outrea…