Title
Dreamy Draw Recreation Area Improvements Plan Update
Description
This report provides an update to the Land Use and Livability Subcommittee regarding the Phoenix Mountains Preserve Access and Adaptive Management Plan for Dreamy Draw Recreation Area.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY.
Report
Summary
Since 1973, the City has been preserving the biological, hydrological and geographical nature of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve (PMP). This dedication includes a commitment to providing recreational opportunities for all users. In November 2014, the City contracted with a vendor to prepare an Access and Adaptive Management Plan (AAMP) for the PMP to continue the preservation of the park and improve the existing features (Attachment A). Potential solutions and strategies proposed in the plan were developed in order to improve the PMP with minimal impacts to natural, visual, cultural resources and will greatly improve the aging infrastructure and benefit the public demand for use.
In 2016, AAMP updates were provided to the Parks and Recreation Board regarding the design and construction phase; specifically, at Dreamy Draw Park Recreation Area (Dreamy Draw) and Piestewa Peak. Improvements include, but are not limited to, bringing parking spaces up to current Parks and Recreation Department standard dimensions; realigning traffic flow to improve safety and access; improving and relocating ramadas, water fountains, restrooms and park ranger stations; and increasing public safety access for emergency response.
In effort to minimize public impact, the Parks and Recreation Department worked with the Water Services Department (WSD) to align the WSD's Drought Resiliency Infrastructure Program and the AAMP improvements at the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area currently underway.
Project impacts to the public include the disruption of a very popular bike route connecting the neighborhood north of Dreamy Draw with the communities to the south and potentially routes to downtown Phoenix. Alternative solutions were sought for the potential one-year temporary closure of the route, which included utilizing existing alternative bike routes such as Cave Creek Road to the west or 64th Street to the east (Tatum Blvd is not a designated bicycle route). Due to safety concerns, there were no feasible solutions to create a temporary paved route around the construction for street bicycles; however, mountain bikes are able to circumvent the construction by utilizing existing trails parallel to the construction.
To lessen preserve disturbance, the WSD project will follow the route of the existing bike path. WSD's contractor is completing the redesign of the Dreamy Draw Park bike path as part of the mitigation of the impacted route. This project will run concurrent with the WSD project to reduce the overall impact to the public by shortening the length of closure to the popular bike route/path and preserve access.
Departments are working collectively, with attention to:
- Allow public access to park and nearby preserve trails during pre-construction
- Mitigating impact to wildlife
- Salvage of plants in path of impacted route
- Ensure area restoration with native plantings
- Reestablish culverts, hiking trails and bike path as close to existing as practicable
- Frequent project updates to nearby homeowners and park users
- Run projects concurrently to reduce length of park closure during construction
The AAMP’s improvements in the Dreamy Draw Recreation area are slated to begin April/May 2021, concurrent to this project the WSD's Drought Resiliency Infrastructure Project will also be underway in the park. Both project are slated to be complete in the fall of 2022. During this time public access to the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area parking lot will be closed.
Public Outreach
AAMP partners held three Public Open Houses during the months of Aug., Oct. and Nov. 2015, regarding the AAMP; and WSD held numerous public meetings throughout 2019, regarding the Drought Resiliency Infrastructure Program.
Location
2421 E. Northern Ave.
Council District: 3
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Inger Erickson and the Parks and Recreation Department.