Speak Up: West Valley city plans for massive park on flood control land
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The city of Surprise is one step closer to taking over operations of the McMicken Dam to create a large nature park on 3,500 acres after the City Council voted to accept an intergovernmental agreement with the Flood Control District of Maricopa County. The dam was built more than 70 years ago as a protection of Luke Air Force Base and to keep area agriculture from flooding. It provides flood protection for portions of Surprise, El Mirage and unincorporated county land.
“Sounds like a great idea! Just for hiking, biking nothing else. I would like to see access to this trail from most of the side streets, Greenway, Waddell and how else further south it’s going to tie into. The Maricopa Trail only has access for Bell Road. You cannot ride a bike safely on Bell Road or Sun Valley Parkway to get to the trailhead. In 2017, we were able to access the desert from Greenway. Then they put up a security gate and a card reader for the irrigation department. When the Maricopa Trail was put in and you had a problem, you had a long way to go back to Bell Road or White Tanks park! This would make it easier and safer to travel! — Mike Smith via NextDoor
“We need to put a parkway through the new park so we would have a second way for residents to get from the SE part of the city to the NW. If and when the 303/Grand Avenue project ever happens, it will not be adequate to handle just getting around the city.” — T. Allen Marcinek via NextDoor
“I hope whatever they say they are going to do they do. In Vistancia, they told us it was going to be a shopping area like Kierland Commons, but at the end they are building a monster industrial building (Amkor).” —Martha Tudisco via NextDoor
“Hope they put a fishing hole in with it.” — RJ McKettrick via NextDoor
