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City of Mesa, Arizona

City Services

Neighborhood Park (3-15 acres)

Combination of passive and intense recreational activity areas, such as a practice game field, a game court area, playground, walking/jogging path, picnic and conversation areas, picnic ramadas, and open play areas
Located within a half-mile radius of residential neighborhoods and in close proximity to multi-family complexes
Located near schools and centered with safe walking and bike access
Limited non-organized sport group activities
Limited lighting for security only
No parking or convenience facilities are provided
Service various age groups with emphasis on the youth
A one to two hour experience customized to the demographic groups who use the park

Community Park (15-40 acres)

Combination of intense recreational activity areas, game courts, playgrounds, walking/jogging paths, spray pools and aquatic facilities, skate facilities, and picnic and conversation areas
Smaller outdoor festival areas, community pools, and recreation centers
Located within a one-mile radius of residential neighborhoods and light business or manufacturing districts
Organized sport group activities
Lighted field areas and facilities
Convenience facilities are provided
Service various ages, with emphasis on organized sport group activities and potential protection of natural areas
A two to three hour experience

Metro Park (40-200 acres)

Focus on high-end sports facilities or attractions including complexes for soccer, softball, baseball, and other amenities including walking and jogging paths, game court complexes, picnic areas, and multiple playgrounds
Spaces for special events, community family aquatic centers, and recreation centers
Service radius of 1.75 miles and near to a high school or business park
Organized sport group activities
Lighted field areas and facilities
Convenience facilities are provided
Service various age groups
A two to three hour experience

Regional Park (200+ acres)

Large areas for a diverse range of active and passive recreational activity areas, such as lighted ballfields and field game areas, organized group activity areas, golf facilities, large family aquatic facilities, playgrounds, game court complexes, walking and jogging paths, roller blade and roller hockey facilities, family group picnic and conversation areas, natural areas for outdoor recreation such as horseback riding, fishing, camping and hiking paths, sports complexes, regional recreation centers, and large outdoor festival areas
Many times regional parks will have a special use facility or single purpose recreational activity, such as an equestrian facility, golf course, fairground, outdoor theater, or festival areas
Designed to avoid adjacent land use impacts and be easily accessible to the public
Located within or adjacent to an urban community
Located in areas of varied topography with diverse environmental qualities
Organized sport group facilities
Emphasize family and organized group activities
Convenience facilities are provided
Service a variety of ages
A full day experience

Special Use Facilities

Amenities vary for each site and can include both active and passive activities
Unique in seasonal events
Focus on community or regional need
Parks range in activities offered from being the site of the Chicago Cubs spring training facility to a botanical garden to potential sites for natural landscape and passive paths
Multi-use paths -- Preservation and maintenance of multi-use paths and open space in Mesa can help provide and enhance additional recreational opportunities. Path corridors preserve open space. Preserving linear corridors also creates areas for wildlife and native vegetation and provides separation for various urban land uses. While open space is a key quality-of-life factor, a multi-modal path system serves as a close-to-home recreational area for bicycle and pedestrian paths. The multi-use paths system is also intended to serve as part of the regional transportation network.
Retention Basins - Retention basins are primarily designed for flood control. Their secondary use benefits the community by providing open space throughout the city in close proximity to neighborhoods as open space. No amenities are designed into the sites but a majority of the sites are used by the community for youth practice areas.
Tennis facilities - Currently Gene Autry Park has the only complex available to the community for lessons and tournaments. It is leased to East Valley Tennis as an independent operator.

Neighborhood Recreation Centers

Specialized indoor recreation facilities
Summer and after school programs for youth, special interest classes for teens and adults, holiday programs, and senior programs
One square foot for each population to be served (Example: a 10,000 square ft. center would serve 10,000 people) - typically 25,000 square feet
Service a localized or neighborhood population of various ages with emphasis on youth
Centered with safe walking/bike access, located in conjunction with neighborhood parks and schools

Community Recreation Centers

Offers a wide range of leisure services, such as fitness programs, sports programs, craft and hobby activities, indoor gymnasiums, game rooms, locker and shower facilities, swimming facilities, and preschool, teen and senior programs
Multi-generational centers are large recreational facilities that are usually 55,000 to 100,000 square feet in size. Multi-generational centers include a large number of program spaces to serve all age groups. Designated spaces for seniors and teens are included in the center as well as wellness and fitness spaces, gyms and free weight areas. Specialized spaces could include exhibit galleries, community meeting rooms and halls, theaters and cultural activities.
Serve a variety of neighborhoods and typically are 25,000 square feet or greater

" A study of 38 metropolitan areas across the US provided evidence that crime drops when adequate parks and recreation activities are available."

- Trust for Public Land and the Lila Wallace - Readers Digest Fund

Andrea Moore

Parks Planning and Development Supervisor

480-644-2643