Parks and Recreation Master Plan
At a glance
Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard.
- What: the city's first Parks and Recreation master plan since 1988, a 10-year plan covering parks, recreation and community centers, pools, irrigation and community feedback.
- Where it stands: on October 21, 2026 the Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee heard a findings update. No vote was taken. The draft plan is to be completed this winter.
- Next: a recommendation to the Parks Board for adoption after the first of the year, then a return to the subcommittee with the final plan.
Findings
- About four in five residents use the park system; 70 percent rate conditions good or excellent and 86 percent rate programs and events good or excellent (statistically valid survey).
- Residents want safe, clean, shaded and functional parks: repair and maintenance first, then shared-use paths and restrooms. Safety was the top barrier to using parks.
- Three out of four park uses are self-directed (playgrounds, walking, picnics) rather than programs or rentals.
- The system has 189 parks, 33 recreation facilities and 23 operating pools. Gap maps show where coverage is thin, with pickleball, dog parks and splash pads as high-demand amenities.
- Strategy: protect the existing floor of quality and use, optimize current parks, and expand where it serves the most people, within total cost of ownership.
Questions and concerns
- A resident said the plan omits golf courses and preserve trails and should not be called a master plan. Staff said the department chose in 2023 to focus on urban parks, with preserve and other plans planned later but no timeline.
- Waring stressed costs (restrooms about $1.8 million, four new pickleball courts about $1 million) and asked for trail usage and golf course updates.
- Vice Mayor Hodge Washington asked that the plan reflect the Shade Phoenix plan, the Monarch Pledge and the bird plan, recommended multi-use facilities, and asked for success metrics.
- Stark asked how older parks are kept equitable with new ones; staff said all 189 parks are maintained by the same crews.
Safety and operations
- Contracted security patrols 12 parks overnight (since February 2023); the city has a record 44 urban park rangers who reach about 175 parks a month.
- Maintenance is about 60 percent of the operating budget; capital and operating budgets are separate.
Sources
Discussion time
About 64 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-21 - Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee | 64 |
Log
- 2026-10-21 - Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee - Staff and a consultant presented survey findings and the planning approach; members asked about costs, safety, trends, golf and trails; no vote.