El Mirage council accepts parks and recreation master plan, schedules follow-up work on Basin Park

El Mirage — The City Council voted Jan. 21 to accept a systemwide Parks and Recreation Master Plan intended to guide park improvements, grant applications and long-term capital planning, but several council members said they expect more detailed work on Basin Park and on maintenance of existing park assets before any construction spending begins.

Sean, a city parks staff member who presented the plan, described it as the product of a yearlong process that included community engagement, needs analysis, concept plans (including a preferred concept for Basin Park) and capital-planning guidance. “Acceptance of this plan will provide a path for the city to apply for public funding and encourage strategic investment in quality-of-life assets throughout El Mirage,” Sean said during his presentation.

Council members who spoke during the discussion emphasized that accepting the document is different from approving specific designs or budgets. “This is not an approval of the park,” Council Member Norton McDaniel said, asking why the Basin Park preferred concept had not been the subject of a separate work session. McDaniel said the council needed additional review of parking, layout and other impacts before moving into design and construction phases.

Council Member Aldridge detailed multiple maintenance and safety concerns at existing parks, citing nonworking lights, damaged playground equipment, drainage and mosquito problems at Sundial Park, and a homeless encampment at Gentry Park. “We need to take care of what we have,” Aldridge said, urging the council to prioritize repairs, lighting fixes and routine maintenance before committing to new capital projects.

Council Member Dorsey pressed for a more thorough materials-and-costs review, noting that the Basin Park figure in planning materials was roughly $25,000,611 and urging a work session to examine what level of amenity is appropriate and affordable. Staff and the mayor said that cost estimates were included in the plan only as decision-making aids and that acceptance of the plan did not bind the city to immediate expenditures; future work sessions and design phases would firm up scope and budgets.

Mayor Ed Mercillio moved to accept the plan; Council Member Dorsey seconded. The council voted to accept the master plan, with the city clerk recording two nays and the motion carrying. Council members said they expect follow-up work sessions to address Basin Park’s preferred concept, detailed cost estimates and prioritization of repairs and maintenance for existing parks.

The plan’s backers said it will support competitive grant applications and help the city coordinate capital needs across neighborhoods. Council members and staff agreed the next steps should include more detailed design work, public engagement on specific projects and a clearer breakdown of estimated costs before construction contracts are authorized.