Board picks playground and fields for Naranja Park

The Oro Valley Parks and Recreation Advisory Board approved a consultant’s recommendations for park facility concepts at a meeting Tuesday.

The Town Council is expected to sign off on the concepts at its October 1 meeting. The next steps are site-design plans, which also would need board and council approval, likely by the end of the year.

The park site, 660 W. Naranja Drive, is 213 acres. But only 70-80 acres will be developed. The town bought the site in 1996 and 2000.

Here are the five kinds of facilities the board chose.

1Basic park facilities.

A playground and splash pad, ramadas and walking trails were among the top items requested by 300 town residents who responded to a phone survey, said consultant Don McGann, of McGann & Associates. A dog park is currently under construction. The planners also will consider adding a skate-and-bike park.

2Sports fields.

The town’s existing fields are booked. Two new fields are under construction. The next phases could add five or more lighted fields with storage and other amenities.

3A recreation center.

The consultant described options for a 60,000-square-foot center, including a three-court gym with spectator seating, an indoor track, locker rooms, and rooms for special classes like dance, aerobics and crafts. Outdoor tennis courts with lights and offices for the parks department could be part of the center, too.

4An amphitheater.

The outdoor performance space with a covered stage would be about the same scale as the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center at Tucson’s Reid Park, the consultant said.

5An event center.

The board cautiously approved an event center as an option that needs more discussion. It could be used for indoor soccer or lacrosse and also for things like farmer’s markets. It also could be developed as a public-private partnership, McGann said.

Board chair Jack Stinnett warned against trying to put too many things in the park, and asked the park planners to focus on residents’ top priorities. He said people aren’t asking for an event center.

“You’re starting to get 10 pounds in an 8-pound bag,” he said.