Title
Intergovernmental Agreement with Laveen School District for Joint Park/School Site
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Laveen School District to jointly develop a 17.8-acre joint school/park site located northeast of 55th Avenue and Carver Road.
Report
Summary
In 2016, the Parks and Recreation Department was approached by Taylor Morrison Home Builders and the Laveen School District regarding a 2007 development agreement that required the donation of 17.8 acres to the Parks and Recreation Department for a future park site. The 17.8-acre site, located northeast of 55th Avenue and Carver Road, was planned to be developed through the impact fee program as a neighborhood park.
Taylor Morrison Home Builders had also provided a designated site to the Laveen School District for a future school. With the extension of the Loop 202 (South Mountain Freeway), the school property was absorbed into the freeway improvements, which left the school district and the neighborhood without a site for a future school.
The Parks and Recreation Department was approached with a shared-site idea that would combine the park and a school.
The Parks and Recreation Department, the Laveen School District and Taylor Morrison Home Builders have come together and developed a preliminary plan to develop the existing 17.8-acre park site into a shared use facility. The site will include a neighborhood park and a school facility. The preliminary plan is as follows:
- The City will allow eight acres of the site to be developed with a school facility (building and parking).
- The City and the Laveen School District will enter into an IGA for use of the fields and courts developed for the school.
- The remaining 9.8 acres of the site will be improved into a shared park/fenced sports field area. The park (0.5 acres) will remain open to the public daily and the fenced sports field area (9.3 acres) for the school will be open to the public at the end of each school day.
- Maintenance of all improvements will be the responsibility of the Laveen School District.
- The City will program use of the neighborhood park during non-school hours.
- Taylor Morrison Home Builders will be responsible for the development of the new facility and will work with the Parks and Recreation Department to ensure that the improvements meet City park standards.
- The Parks and Recreation Department and Taylor Morrison Home Builders will work with the Planning and Development Department to utilize impact fee credits to assist in the funding of the site improvements.
- Taylor Morrison Home Builders will receive impact fee credit for eligible costs incurred for park site improvements. Staff is currently working with Taylor Morrison on a cost-sharing proposal for park development costs to bring to City Council at a future date. Any contribution by the City toward park development would likely come from impact fee funds that are available to the Parks and Recreation Department.
The proposed plan is expected to benefit the community by allowing a school facility to be built in the area and providing an improved park site ahead of schedule. By providing for construction and maintenance, the plan also maximizes City resources and taxpayer dollars.
Financial Impact
The only financial impact to the City would be from future ongoing maintenance/energy costs related to lighting and programming of the park.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
This item was recommended for approval at the Parks, Arts, Education and Equality Subcommittee meeting on Dec. 6, 2017 by a vote of 4-0.
Location
17.8-acre site, located northeast of 55th Avenue and Carver Road.
Council District: 8
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Managers Deanna Jonovich and Mario Paniagua, and the Parks and Recreation and Planning and Development departments.