The Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department has begun the process of updating McDowell Mountain Regional Park’s Master Plan. The goal of the Park Master Plan update is to develop a long-range vision for the park that takes into account visitor needs, while also protecting the resources and natural open space found within the park.
“The Park’s Master Plan was originally developed in 1967,” stated Maricopa County Board of Supervisor’ Chairman Steve Chucri. “McDowell Mountain Regional Park is a point of pride for our county. The plan deserves a fresh look to benefit the changing community and the needs of today’s park visitors.”
Located four miles north of the Town of Fountain Hills, McDowell Mountain Regional Park is comprised of 21,099 acres within the lower Verde Basin, and is the third largest park in Maricopa County’s regional park system.
“With over 60-miles of multi-use trails and 14-miles of competitive track, the park is recognized for its diversity of user experiences, and houses a number of large scale events,” said R.J. Cardin, Maricopa County Parks and Recreation director. “In addition, the park is adjacent to Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve, which provides users the opportunity to traverse between two great open spaces.”
“Given the parks proximity to neighboring communities, diverse use, and collaborative partnerships, we will be hosting an array of meetings to ensure that we capture feedback from as many user groups as possible as we move through the process,” added Cardin.
At this time, the department would like to invite the public to attend an open house style public meeting for the project. To accommodate local residents to the north and south side of the park, two identical meetings have been scheduled. Residents may choose to attend either meeting:
- Tuesday, February 20 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Fountain Hills Community Center located south of the park at 13001 N. La Montana Dr., Fountain Hills.
- Thursday, February 22 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Tonto Verde Community Center located north of the park at 18401 El Circulo Drive, Rio Verde.
Once both public meetings have concluded, presentation materials will be posted on the park’s website at www.maricopacountyparks.net/park-locator/mcdowell-mountain-regional-park/park-information/park-projects/, and the public comment period will begin. Feedback will be collected via a survey link on the page. Public comments will be accepted through the close of business on Thursday, March 22.
For additional assistance, contact the department’s parks and open space planner, Lauren Bromley, at (928) 501-9207 or LaurenBromley@mail.maricopa.gov. The department anticipates the whole process to update McDowell Mountain Regional Park’s Master Plan take approximately 18 months. To learn more about Maricopa County’s regional park system, visit www.maricopacountyparks.net.
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