With its estimated population being revised upward on a regular basis, the town of Sahuarita is doing its best to keep up with the need for improved infra- structure and services.
A proposed expansion of Anamax Park that would nearly triple its size is moving forward, with construction on the first of five phases expected to get under way as soon as the end of this year.
"I'm very excited to see it expanded," said Heather Hunter, who moved to Sahuarita a year and a half ago.
The Sahuarita Parks and Recreation Commission passed a resolution April 11 to recommend that the Town Council add two ball fields to the plans for the first phase of the 22-acre expansion, said Parks and Recreation Director Debbie Summers.
The Town Council will hear the recommendation on Monday. The council approved an initial conceptual design last October for the expansion, which would be built south of the existing park, 17501 S. Camino de las Quintas.
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Initial plans for the first phase of expansion called only for infrastructure, but Summers said the town has $500,000 from the 2004 bond election earmarked for new ball fields. Two combination football/soccer fields would be built on the east end of the addition, right up against Interstate 19.
A lack of playing fields has been a concern of 30-year Sahuarita resident Shawn Haussman, who coaches a T-ball team for his 6-year-old son, Leland, and a softball team.
With Copper Hills Little League monopolizing the three existing fields at Anamax during the spring and summer, Haussman said his teams and other clubs are always "fighting and jockeying for space."
"We (sometimes) just take up a grassy spot outside the fences," Haussman said.
Summers said the total timetable for the expansion is about 10 years, with an estimated cost of $20 million. Future phases include the construction of indoor and outdoor pools, a full-size recreation center — "We're kind of hoping it will be like the Morris K. Udall Center (in Tucson)," Summers said — a skate park, tennis courts and additional parking.
Since it was turned over to Sahuarita from the Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department in 2001, Anamax Park has already had several upgrades.
A 5,000-square-foot recreation center, expanded parking and a walking path have been added, as has improved lighting for the three existing ball fields. The lighting system is operated by computer and reduces the number of fixtures needed to light a field, saving energy.
"It just uses a lot less energy, like 60 percent less," Summers said.
The new lighting system was recognized by the Arizona Department of Commerce, which gave Sahuarita a Governor's Award for Energy Efficiency and nominated town Parks and Facilities Manager Brian DeBreceny for Energy Advocate of the Year.
