El Mirage Parks & Recreation task force hears master plan update; survey at about 250 responses

Jamie Sabach, the lead consultant on El Mirage's Parks & Recreation master plan, told the task force at an evening meeting that the planning effort remains in the engagement phase and that the project team has begun analysis and assessment work.

Sabach said the outreach program has included a late-January site visit, six focus groups with about 40 participants representing businesses, homeowners associations, youth, older adults, the YMCA and local schools, small-group interviews with the project team and city administrators, and a public community workshop. "Master plans are very common and...they're very important in helping guide organizations," Sabach said, describing the three phases as engagement, analysis and assessment, and developing the plan.

On the survey, Sabach said a six-page instrument was distributed by random sampling and via QR code, with mailed and phone options and Spanish translation available. As of the morning of the meeting, she said the survey had "approximately 250 completions," about 63% of the project target of 400 responses; five $100 gift cards sponsored by Walmart are being offered as an incentive. The team plans reminder outreach to nonrespondents and hopes to reach or exceed 400 responses before the June site visit.

The project team will hold a June 25–26 site visit that will include community pop-ups (planned at laundromats and the customer service center), an open house called "Pops and Parks Party" at the senior center and meetings with development services and the city manager. Sabach said the open house will present Basin Park concept plans and preliminary survey results and give residents a chance to respond.

Sabach outlined next steps and timing: after the June engagement the team will shift deeper into organizational analysis and service-delivery planning, with the goal of delivering a completed master plan for the city's review and a presentation to the city council by late fall. "We actually started with preliminary conversations...prior to the end of year 2024," Sabach said, and the team remains on schedule.

Task force members and staff also discussed ongoing Parks & Recreation capital and operating work while the master plan proceeds. Items noted by staff included hiring a full-time support position to provide daytime public access to the department office (currently in a Public Works building not generally open to the public), a planned renovation to provide public access to the Parks & Recreation office, shade-structure work and two larger shade structures at the YMCA pool and splash pad, flooring repairs at the YMCA, park security enhancements (lighting and cameras at pocket parks), expansion of the library park into a demonstration space with improved landscaping, and expanded community garden programming.

No formal motions or votes were taken at the task force meeting. Staff said the task force will have additional meetings as deliverables become available and that members can provide feedback offline as concept plans and survey results are posted.