Parks board tables North Mesa master plan after gardeners, neighbors press for changes

The Parks and Recreation Board voted 5-0 to table the North Mesa Recreation Area master plan and asked the consultant team to return with revisions that address garden outreach, bike-park siting and other community concerns raised during a lengthy public-comment period.

Site Southwest presented a draft master plan covering the 26-acre North Mesa Recreation Area, showing a preferred concept that included a bike park, expanded community gardens (relocated or improved), a multi-use pavilion, and circulation/accessibility improvements. Consultants said the design was shaped by outreach—two listening sessions, a design workshop and an open house—and summarized community preferences for access, shade, buffers between horses and recreation users, and a new bike-park amenity.

But the meeting was dominated by gardeners who said they had not been reached during outreach and warned that moving long-established plots would erase years of soil improvement and perennial plantings. Janine Fales, who identified herself as a community-garden plot renter, told the board, "Moving the site, moving the garden to a new location will force restart of all that work that has been done." Multiple speakers urged that garden infrastructure—including water meters, topsoil and deer fencing—be retained or provided at any new location.

Site Southwest acknowledged the outreach shortfall and apologized. A design representative said the composite options had left the garden in place but that accessibility concerns had motivated alternative siting in some drafts. The consultant proposed mitigation ideas including raised beds for any relocated plots, moving existing soil into new raised beds, and a double gate to allow trailer access for hauling compost and equipment.

Mountain-bike advocates and bike-working-group members urged a larger bike-park footprint—about 5 acres instead of the 3 acres shown—and recommended the west side for slope advantages; equestrian speakers asked for buffers and to avoid spooking horses with close bike features. Board members asked that bike-park designers be consulted for final siting and that the gardeners be directly involved in any next iteration.

Outcome and next steps: The board unanimously voted to table the plan and requested that Site Southwest and county staff consult with gardeners, bike-park designers and equestrian stakeholders before returning a revised plan. The board indicated it is open to an updated presentation at the next meeting, and staff and consultants said they could provide revised materials for the board’s review.