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Architect outlines conceptual master plan to expand Oakley Rodeo Grounds; council hears parking, circulation and phasing options
Summary
Architect Clint Watson presented a conceptual master plan for the Oakley Rodeo Grounds focused on expanding seating capacity, reorganizing parking (including converted ball fields and off-site shuttle parking), improved ADA access and a phased implementation over several years. No final design or funding commitments were made.
City consultants presented a conceptual master plan for the Oakley Rodeo Grounds that would increase seating and attendance capacity and reconfigure circulation, parking and site amenities. The presentation emphasized the plan is conceptual; the council was asked to approve continued design work rather than construction.
Clint Watson of BDK, the design/construction management team, described key goals: expand seating capacity while preserving the arena’s close-up spectator experience, increase on-site parking and plan for off-site shuttle parking, improve pedestrian circulation, consolidate contestant parking and stalls, and bring more of the site up to ADA-compliant hardscape standards.
Watson detailed several specific concepts that the council asked to consider: converting an underused ball field to occasional parking or a soccer field, relocating the stall barn north to consolidate contestant parking and support better flow, widening walking paths to allow shuttles to bypass congested aisles, and improving the Rodeo Burger kitchen’s ventilation and utilities while preserving its location. On parking, Watson said architects estimated about 165 on-site stalls and 350 off-site stalls using a planning assumption of four people per car.
The design team recommended options for restrooms that balance cost and year-round utility: higher-end temporary trailer restrooms as an interim solution versus permanent restroom buildings that may be hard to justify by year-round use. Watson said the overall scope could be phased across several years—he offered seven to ten years as a planning horizon depending on funding and the council’s priorities.
Council members asked detailed questions about circulation, parking orientation, where fireworks would be staged during events, whether the design would displace public-works storage and how to handle utilities crossings (including a suggested 30-inch pipe for Richard’s Ditch). Watson and staff said further design choices (including any arena reconfiguration) will be brought back to the council as the team advances from master plan to design selection.
Watson said, “Those rodeo burgers will still be available, in it sounds like in in the same spot that they are now.” The council did not take action on construction or funding; it directed staff to continue work on the master plan and return with more detailed phasing and cost information.
Next steps: staff and the architect will refine parking and phasing options, return cost estimates and present a timeline for design selection and potential future council decisions on construction contracts.
