SAFFORD —During a work session last Monday, the Safford City Council received an update on the design of a new park proposed for 8th Avenue and Discovery Park Boulevard.
Rebeca Field, with the design firm Kimley Horn, said input from the public, from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and from the council itself resulted in the proposed master plan presented to the council.
The park will be bisected from north to south by a wash. The west side of the park will have a natural-feature splash pad and inclusive playground for younger users to the north. South of that area will be an activity area designed for older children to teens.
“We made sure to separate what we consider the younger play area — the splash pad, the younger playground — from the fit core and the older playground spaces. So we’ve been very mindful those uses are appropriately sited in the park,” Field said.
Continuing on the west side, south of the teen area will be open space, and south of that will be four pickleball courts. The parking lot on the west side of the park will have 72 spaces as well as an area for food trucks.
On the east side of the wash will be a 12,000 square-foot open-air amphitheater, with walking trails and picnic space to the east of the stage, and open space to the south. About 70 parking spaces will be south of the open space.
The next step in the project is completion of the master plan, with submittal documents and city utility clearances in November, followed by the final geotechnical and drainage reports in January 2024. The final plans to allow the city to go to bid for construction of the park should be completed by March 2024.
The project’s budget is about $6 million, with the amphitheater, splash pad, parking areas and playground areas with shade each expected to cost $500,000 or more.
