To the editor,
I need your opinion!
It has been over 10 years since our city opened Copper Sky Regional Park. When the park was completed in March 2014, our population was around 44,000. During the past 10 years, Copper Sky has drawn visitors from around the nation to play in tournaments on some of the nicest fields in Arizona. It has hosted large music festivals and intimate Concerts in the Park. It has been the home of the Great American 4th and Merry ‘Copa. Copper Sky continues to buzz with excitement each weekend as local teams practice and play on its fields.
Over the past decade, the use of this park has infused hundreds of thousands of dollars into our local economy and will continue to do so in decades to come. Each dollar spent locally benefits our local businesses and service providers.
Maricopa has grown a little since Copper Sky opened and with a population now topping 78,000, we need more space to relax and play. The City of Maricopa has been developing plans to construct a large public park east of City Hall. In addition to increasing the quality-of-life standards we have come to enjoy in our city, the new park is to be something others from around the valley will want to come experience.
With our population nearly doubled, the additional park will help serve the next generation of Maricopans — and I want your input. What will draw them? Will it be a twilight concert under the stars in a new outdoor amphitheater, or a bustling “Restaurant Row” perfect for date night. Will the draw be more regional and national sport tournaments? Or will it be something unique to the park itself, something unique to the Valley that can only be found here in Maricopa?
City staff and planners will be presenting the plans drafted thus far to our Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee on Oct. 22 at 6:30 pm. This special work session will allow the committee to provide early feedback and design suggestions to the city council and staff.
The park project is large. It will cover about 50 acres, be built in several phases and it will be expensive. Will this project be a smart investment in our quality of life and in our efforts to attract more tourism for our city?
So, I want to hear from you. Please attend in-person or view the upcoming work session on the city’s YouTube channel. Learn about the proposal, its benefits and costs, and let me know what you think so I can represent your voice! Email, call or text me at [email protected] or 520-840-0953.
