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At a public meeting held at the San Manuel Community Center on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, plans for the renovation of the park were discussed. The San Manuel Neighborhood Park is located at the intersection of W. Fifth Ave. and Avenue A. In February 2019, the park was acquired by Pinal County from BHP which previously owned and operated the park and community center. The park will now be operated by the Pinal County Open Spaces & Trails Department.
Kent Taylor, Director of Open Spaces and Trails and Don McGann of Don McGann & Associates spoke about the Phase I Plan for the park. Pinal County has budgeted $300,000 for the park. $25,000 will be used to address safety concerns and correct code deficiencies, leaving $275,000 for park improvements. At a previous public meeting, San Manuel residents identified what they felt were highest priority. The current budget will allow for five or six of these items. Renovations could begin within a year.
The budgeted items that can be addressed during Phase I of the project include: improved parking with 2 ADA accessible spaces; basketball court on existing slab; chain link fencing; swings; accessible walking path; group ramada; play structure for children 5 – 12 years old; fabric shade canopy; tree plantings. There is also a future plan concept for the Community Park pending budget approval and funding.
BHP is helping with the project and the County would like to see community volunteers get involved with the park. There is an Adopt a Park program where individuals, businesses, groups and organizations can volunteer to do certain types of work and maintenance at parks. For more information about Adopt a Park program, to view park plans or stay updated on the progress of the park visit pinalparks@pinalcountyaz.gov.
John Hernandez lives in Oracle. He is retired and enjoys writing and traveling. He is active in the Oracle Historical Society. He covers numerous public events, researches historical features and writes business/artist profiles.
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