Maranaβs east side will finally get the park itβs wanted for years.
The Marana Town Council gave a thumbs up Tuesday to proceed with the design and construction of a park, which will be the townβs first east of Interstate 10.
The council previously approved $3.2 million to build the park.
After about nine months of construction, the park could open next spring, said assistant parks director Cynthia Nemeth-Briehn.
The park will be 18 acres with mountain views inside a triangle made by West Tangerine Road, North Camino de Oeste and North Camino de MaΓ±ana.
The town got the space in a land swap with the Sky Ranch Homeowners Association in 2014.
Since then, a public input process and design work have been ongoing.
The park will have a grassy area, a dog park area, a playground, a basketball court, walking trails, a skateboard area, ramadas, restrooms and parking.
Plans also call for buffer zones between the park and the roads and between the park and the Sky Ranch neighborhood.
Access for cars would be off Camino de Oeste.
Town staff has been calling the project the Tangerine Corridor Community Park, but the council will pick one of five names suggested by members of the public. The options are Sky Ranch, Tangerine, Tortolita, Tortolita Vista and Tangerine Sky.
There are four other community parks, which are parks sized 10-40 acres, in the Marana park system. The town also built and maintains a trail system in the Tortolita Mountains.
Marana Mayor Ed Honea said the park will serve as a staging area for hikers as well as provide a play area for several surrounding neighborhoods.
βItβs going to be walking distance from all of Sky Ranch and bicycling distance from Tangerine Crossing and Dove Mountain,β he said.
As growth and development move east in Marana, the town has recognized the need to develop a community park in that area, Nemeth-Briehn said.
