By Scott Gaertner, Associate Broker and Lifestyle Contributor
It has been a while since we updated you on the park that I like to call Scottsdale North Park but the city calls Sevano or Ashler Hills Park. The proposed park site has existed for many years and is located just east of the Summit Shopping Center on Ashler Hills Road. This will be the first, and as far as I know, only park to be located in Scottsdale North.
I spoke with the City of Scottsdale Director of Parks and Recreation Reed Pryor about the progress that has been made since the bond paying for the parks passed. Reed told me that the city is in the process of preparing conceptual designs. They have taken the comments and suggestions from the two open house meetings that were held in Winfield and are incorporating them into the conceptual design plans.
One of the next steps will be holding a virtual open house in the near future. In the online open house, the city will share the layout of amenities that are being proposed for the park. They will also have venues for public comment. Notices for the schedule of the virtual open house will be shared on the city of Scottsdale website (ScottsdaleAZ.gov) or you can check in at ScottsdaleNorthPark.com to keep informed.
Reed and I also discussed the city’s openness to a public/private partnership to fund additional amenities. This unusual financial alliance might allow a more unique and slightly enhanced park site than would normally be created. An example would be having private dollars pay to add more pickleball courts than the city is comfortable funding. We have shared here before about SPARCAZ.com, a 501(c)(3) corporation headed up by local resident Chris Cummings that was set up exactly for such a purpose. They are drivers in this process and are anxious to hear how they can participate.
Reed said that at this point, the rough park design includes six pickleball courts, two turf areas, a ramada, and picnic tables, along with the usual playground type equipment, and 50 parking spaces. I floated the thought of building Scottsdale’s first multigeneration park.
An Idea to Consider: A Multigenerational Park
We have noted here before that Scottsdale North’s main zip code, 85266, has the unique attribute of the highest percentage of Baby Boomers anywhere in the United States. With that kind of distinction, it seems appropriate to fit the park to the local demographic.
Multigenerational parks have popped up around the country and the world as the Baby Boomers reached retirement age. Some of these new-age parks are specifically geared to seniors and are true senior parks. More often they are multigenerational parks and have equipment for children, seniors, and everyone in between.
Regardless of which kind, I think this should at least be explored and offered as an option to the residents. I believe that Baby Boomers are the largest, healthiest, wealthiest, and most active group ever to pass through America’s population. It makes sense to have age appropriate equipment to keep them moving in the ways to which they have become accustomed.
We have placed some information about multigenerational parks and fitness at ScottsdaleNorthPark.com, and if you are interested, register there for updates.
Scott Gaertner is an Associate Broker with Keller Williams Northeast, who for the past 25+ years has helped more people to find their lifestyle niche in the Scottsdale North area than anyone else. He also contributes his thoughts on lifestyle interests in the area.
