Plans for Foothills park move one step forward

Supervisors choose amenities; county to apply for state grant

The Yuma County Board of Supervisors moved a step closer, albeit with some hesitation by one supervisor, towards building the long-awaited Foothills Multipurpose Complex.

The supervisors unanimously approved the submission of an application to the Arizona State Parks and Trails for grant funds, selected a development option, authorized matching funds and approved an administrative surcharge from general fund reserves.

The supervisors opted for a playground, shade structure and parking lot at an estimated cost of $1.18 million. The county committed to matching funds and a surcharge totaling $619,500.

The 50% match can be paid in cash, labor, materials and other grants, and the 5% surcharge is for an Arizona Parks administration fee.

Supervisor Lynne Pancrazi expressed reluctance with spending general funds for a project that would only benefit a certain area. However, Chairman Tony Reyes noted that the county is set to receive millions of dollars in COVID-19

relief and the board will be looking for projects to spend the money.

For years, Foothills residents have been asking for a park in the Foothills area. Plans call for developing a multipurpose complex on currently vacant land next to the Foothills Library, a plan previously adopted by the Board of Supervisors.

The concept is to develop the land with grassy turf with walking paths and add a ramada with picnic tables, children’s playground and parking. A restroom would be installed later, and a dog park could also be a future amenity.

The Arizona State Parks and Trails has a competitive grant available for the development of public recreational spaces. This grant requires a 50% match and a 5% surcharge for administration fees.

In addition, the county would need to provide for maintenance costs.

The Yuma County Parks and Recreation Commission on April 10 recommended that the county move forward with the grant application and request that the supervisors provide the necessary matching funds and surcharge.

Diana Veloz, grants administrator, presented the supervisors with several options for development, which affect the matching funds and surcharge needed for the project.

She presented the following development options:

• Installation of grassy turf area with walking paths, a ramada with picnic amenities and perimeter fencing at an estimated cost of $375,000 and a match and surcharge of $196,875.

• Grassy turf area with walking paths, a ramada with picnic amenities and perimeter fencing plus playground and shade structure for an estimated $600,000 and a match and surcharge of $315,000.

• Grassy turf area with walking paths, a ramada with picnic amenities and perimeter fencing plus parking lot for an estimated $955,000 and a match and surcharge of $501,375.

• Grassy turf area with walking paths, a ramada with picnic amenities and perimeter fencing plus playground, shade structure and parking lot for an estimated $1.18 million and match and surcharge of $619,500.

The park would be built in phases, with the first phase including earthwork grading and installation of the irrigation system, green turf, one large ramada, picnic tables with benches, and a walking path.

Veloz noted that the walking path is necessary to meet the Arizona Department of Transportation stipulation for some sort of transportation in that area.

The second phase would include the installation of a handcapped accessible playground and shade structure. The third phase would include the construction of a parking lot.

Future options include additional green turf with more of an extended walking path, the restrooms and dog park.

Reyes acknowledged that the proposed park is controversial. The county doesn’t have a parks and recreation department, and no Foothills organization has agreed to contract with the county for park maintenance and insurance after development.

Reyes also noted the “pretty substantial match” and the one-time expenses as well as recurring maintenance costs.

Supervisor Darren Simmons urged the board to go ahead with the plan. “I think we ought to move forward simply for the fact that we’ve been saying for 20 years we’re going to do this,” he said.

Reyes said he would be OK with Options 1 and 2, but he had a hard time with spending more than half a million dollar on a parking lot. He noted that providing a playground and shade, especially in the summer, made sense.

Pancrazi expressed concern with using funds generated from taxpayers throughout the county for one area. “I just feel if the Foothills and Mesa del Sol want city amenities they should consider annexing into the city so the city could provide those amenities,” she said.

“I have some problems with us providing $619,000 when some of our roads are in really bad shapes and we can’t meet our PM10 and ozone and other things we need to be working on,” she noted. Particular matter, or PM, is an air quality measure for particle pollution.

Simmons pointed out that this park would help lower the particle pollution because a dirt lot would become a grassy area.

Reyes reminded the board that it will have extra money coming in COVID-19 relief funds. “We’re going to start looking at ways to spend some of this money, because that’s what it’s supposed to be intended for, and they are going to be projects we hadn’t planned, projects with matching funds,” Reyes said. “I would feel uncomfortable if we were using general fund money to just do something for a specific area, but we do that all the time, we do that in South County, we do that in Dateland, we do that in Wellton, we do that in Martinez Lake.”

Also, he added, the supervisors already approved a park master plan, which “set the course for this” and residents expect something to come out of the plan.

Reyes explained that once they get the grant, if they get the grant, then they can discuss the funding. Pancrazi said she would be fine with that.

Simmons motioned to move forward with the grant process with Options 1 and 2. However, County Administrator Susan Thorpe suggested that Option 3 be included as well because parking lots are rarely eligible for grants. If successful, the county would be reimbursed 50% of the cost of the parking lot.

“It’s a real advantage to get a parking lot at half price that I would think you wouldn’t want to pass up,” Thorpe said.

The board agreed and unanimously approved the motion.

The recipients of the competitive grant will be announced in September. The county has three years to use the funds.