The modified park proposal for this location has begun the process of making this proposal into an extraordinary park for several reasons.
1. It provides access to a beautiful native desert
2 it avoids duplication of service that are located within 1-3 miles.

A few more changes are needed to assure that this park protects the Sonoran desert it hopes to showcase. The park must be configured to meet the guidelines of the Desert Uplands and to assure that it can accommodate all individuals.

I am suggesting that
1. Trails width should be limited to 5 feet with an occasional bump out to accommodate interpretive signs
2. The lighting of the trails and the parking area should be low profile similar to what was used the award winning Red Mountain campus.
3. The parking area should be built out in two phases - the first 30 spots in Phase one and the last 36 spaces in Phase 2. The latter would only occur if there was sufficient demand for the expanded parking.
4. The park should use existing native planting or approved native plantings to assure that it retains the desert milieu. Turf should not be permitted since it requires significant water (the park is showcasing the desert) as well as ongoing maintenance.

The proposed park at this location is unacceptable for several reasons. 1. It duplicates services available within 1 to 4 miles; it violates the City of Mesa planning guidelines for the community of Desert Uplands and 3. it creates a source of light pollution and trespass which will disrupt animal behavior and potentially increase invasion of predatory animals in our residential areas. .

The City of Mesa has recognized that there are several neighborhoods which are characterized by their proximity to the natural desert. The proposed park at Ellsworth and McKellips is located within one of these areas - the Desert Uplands.

Several years ago, the City of Mesa created specific design guidelines to integrate new development with the desert by mandating preservation of the natural environment. Natural pattern of rocks, washes, hillsides, and native wash corridors are mandated. Open areas on the site should reflect the character of the undisturbed desert. …Landscaping must blend in harmoniously with the surrounding desert. .

This proposal takes a 58 acre plot of natural desert and replaces it (by my read of the plans) with 20 acres of rolling turf, 24 acres of ball fields and 3 acres of parking lots. Only 11 acres of desert is left (that's less than 20% of the original desert) which is no more than a corridor that weaves through and around the unnatural savannahs created by the ball fields. What is created is a tax burden for an unethical and massive duplication of services which are currently available within a mile of the proposed site (Maricopa County Park -Usery Park ~ 3648 acre park which includes an outstanding interpretive and educational facility ) and within 3 miles Red Mountain Regional Park with picnic/ramada facilities, ball fields and more.

We moved here to escape the lights and crowd noise. We enjoy the desert in it's natural state as God created it and the serentity that comes with it. Why does the government try and impose their ideals on communitites? Has there even been a determination that the community wants or needs this park? I would say there has not been one. You are elected as stewarts of the taxpayer's money. So please start fufilling your obligation and spend our money on important and usefull things. Not replacing a desert landscape with concrete, asphalt, lighting and grass, so it can receive animal and of course human pollution. There are enough places nearby to get any benefit this park would ever bring.

Mesa only has two dog parks, and one of them is barely more than a glorified backyard! There are some dog-friendly restaurants, but they are few & far between. The only ones near me are Sonic & Chipotle, and who wants to eat at Sonic all the time??
Anyplace that has outdoor eating areas should look into ways to make them more dog-friendly. Have a hostess outside, who can seat visitors in a dog-friendly patio area, and alert waitresses to their presence. And while you're at it, be sure to have plenty of water & treats available for the dogs! Sonic can give me water, but how is my dog supposed to drink out of a cup without me helping? They've also had a couple employees who noticed the dog in the car, or under the table, and offered her a treat, which I found very appealing. Maybe have someplace where you can leash your dog so you can go inside really quick to order, if it's a place like Subway or other fast foods. Like a bike rack, but for dogs, or a hook on a sturdy table to securely hold the leash. (The only places I might do this with my dog would be places that had floor-length windows, so my dog could watch me, and I could keep an eye on her. Other than that, I would have a friend with me and we go in one at a time.)
As for the dog parks, there are plenty of parks around where I can take my dog, but none within walking distance where I can safely (and legally, I might add) let her off the leash to run around. A "dog exercise area" where the dog remains on leash is absurd. Dogs need space to run around, and keeping them on a leash isn't going to cut it. I find it frustrating that if I want to take her to a park to run around off leash, I first have to drive 15-20 minutes to get there!
One last thing. While out walking the dog, sometimes the dog has to do its thing. No problem, responsible dog owners SHOULD be picking up after their dogs. But what about people? If I'm out there in the heat, drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, what happens if I have to go to the restroom? I will NOT tie my dog outside a gas station while I go inside to take care of my business. I would bring her with me, but I don't know if the gas station allows it. Gas station owners who don't mind the dog tagging along for their owner's "potty break" should have a listing on dog-friendly business websites (such as bringfido.com) and should have a clearly visible sign that well-behaved on-leash dogs are allowed in. Other businesses should consider this too. I realize that places with food are limited in what they can allow, but that just brings us bring to the dog-friendly patios idea.

We the students who are part of the Mayor’s Youth Committee for the Desert Uplands district feel the need for more sidewalks for streets that have little to none. If there are more sidewalks built or a repair of many broken ones, we hope to create a program to provide incentives for families to walk, or ride their bike to work. We plan to have local businesses help in this program with providing reward packages for the citizens that participate. The increase in sidewalks will also increase the amount of customers for businesses that are located on a street that has little sidewalks. People will be able to walk on them to get the store. This program and the increase in sidewalks will promote healthy activity, a cleaner environment, and safer means of transportation for children that walk to school. There are so many ways to get active but many people need a push. I believe that this idea will be a start to getting the city of Mesa up and active.