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 outreach found: Concept 2 — one of two design options for Basin Park — received about 81% support among respondents in the virtual engagement room and open-house feedback, consultants said. Top desired amenities across surveys and focus groups included new playground features, an amphitheater, pickleball courts, shade areas, multi-use trails for walking and biking, splash pads/spray grounds and group picnic areas. The presentation named Gateway Park, Bill Gentry Park and Gateway sports fields as the most-visited facilities; 46% of respondents reported visiting Gateway Park in the past year.

Survey details and numbers were discussed at the meeting. Sabach and other project staff said the random-sample survey included mailed questionnaires and online responses; no respondents used the phone option. Sean (project team lead) summarized demographics and said the mailed random-sample results are the basis for the demographic slides shown to the council. Councilmember Gentry asked whether every household received a mailed survey; staff replied that the mailed survey was a random sample and that not every household received one.

Council concerns and clarifications: Councilmember Aldridge said he wanted the park used intensively and raised parking and public-safety concerns, asking that playground and fitness areas be separated so parents feel comfortable supervising children. Councilmember Dorsey asked whether the dog park could be moved within Basin Park to make better use of higher, less flood-prone ground; Sean and Sabach said detailed siting and grading issues would be addressed in later design phases and noted that portions shown on the concept map reflect existing graded areas. Councilmember McDaniel asked if a splash pad had been considered; consultants said splash pads were a highly desired amenity and could be located at Basin Park or elsewhere in the system, such as Bill Gentry Park.

Accessibility and inclusive design: Council members asked how ADA compliance would be ensured. Sabach said the concept calls out an “inclusive playground,” and Sean added that the outreach had called for “a universally inclusive playground, which is kind of our industry’s highest standard of playground access,” explaining that specific ADA-compliant ramps and surfacing are determined during design and engineering.

Next steps: consultants said they are moving from concept to strategic recommendations and will deliver a draft master-plan report to the city project team in roughly six to eight weeks. They also said they are coordinating supplemental analysis with Public Works and Finance to estimate capital and operational impacts and to inform prioritization. No formal council action or vote occurred during the work session.

The presentation and subsequent council discussion will be incorporated into the final master-plan materials and brought back for council review before design and construction decisions are made.