El Mirage task force reviews parks master-plan progress, schedules June open house

Jamie Sabach, the lead consultant on the project, updated the El Mirage Parks and Recreation task force on the master plan process and forthcoming community engagement activities, including an on-site open house scheduled for June 25 and additional public outreach on June 26.

Sabach said the planning team completed a first site visit that included six focus groups, interviews with city staff and council, and a community workshop attended by roughly 40 stakeholders representing businesses, homeowners associations, youth, older adults, the YMCA and local schools. "Phase 1 is engagement and we're still in that phase," Sabach said, describing the work so far.

The consultant also reported preliminary survey results. "Currently, we had approximately 250 completions responses essentially. So we're at 63% of our target of 400," Sabach said. The random-sample, six‑page survey is being distributed by mail and online, offers Spanish translation and a unique password for each respondent, and includes reminder outreach; the survey firm Acuity is administering the process and planning reminder emails. Staff said $5,100 in gift-card incentives, sponsored by Walmart, are being used to encourage participation.

The June site visit will include engagement pop-ups at laundromats and the customer service center, plus a community event on Wednesday, June 25, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Senior Center, where the team plans to present Basin Park concept designs and share early survey results. "We'll be sharing, primarily, two bits of interest for folks. First, we're gonna be showing some concept plans for Basin Park... And then the other thing we're gonna be sharing are the results that we've, seen or heard, thus far in the process from the survey," Sabach said.

Sabach described the overall project schedule: engagement and analysis are underway, design and plan development will follow, and the team aims to deliver a completed master plan for the city manager and a council presentation by late fall. The planning timeline presented to the task force allows 12–14 months for most tasks, with a note that some master plans can take up to 18–24 months depending on scope.

Staff said the planning team will move into organizational analysis and service-delivery discussions in late summer and encouraged task force members to provide feedback as deliverables are posted. Sean (staff member), who facilitated the meeting, noted he will present a similar update to the City Council on June 17 and that task force members can comment outside scheduled meetings as materials are released.

The update also cataloged several park and facilities priorities raised during outreach: public safety and lighting, maintenance and cleanliness, accessibility and inclusion, expanded youth and family services, and interest in amenities such as multiuse trails, pickleball courts and aquatic features. Sabach said those themes emerged repeatedly across focus groups, the community workshop and early survey responses.

The task force was told several capital and program items are already in the adopted fiscal-year 2026 budget for Parks and Recreation, and staff listed near-term projects including shade structures at the YMCA pool and splash pad, flooring improvements at the YMCA, park security camera and lighting upgrades at pocket parks, expansion of the community garden and development of the under-used library park into a demonstration space. Staff also said the department plans to hire a support position to provide daytime public access and administrative coverage once the Public Works administrative building refurbishment is complete.

The task force and consultant encouraged residents to attend the June open house and complete the survey; Sabach noted mailed responses are arriving and the team will send reminders to nonrespondents before the next site visit.