Recently, the Phelan Pinon Hills Community Services District held three public stakeholder meetings to gain input from the community to refine what features will potentially be included in the Phelan Community Park expansion plans.
“Your Parks Your Way” is the district’s slogan to launch an initiative to get the community informed and involved in the District’s Parks and Recreation Department. The stakeholder’s first meeting included those interested in Equestrian facilities, trails, dog parks, and gardening. The second meeting looked at the Skateboard and BMX bike communities for a skateboard park and BMX/Pump track facility. And the third meeting looked at the sports community, primarily Soccer and Baseball/Softball. The meeting was well attended, and much information was gleaned from the workshops.
The next workshop, which is a public zoom meeting to review the surveys findings and continue the planning process, will be on Thursday, October 8, 2020, at 6:00pm. And the next workshop meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 5, 2020, also at 6:00pm. You can find out more information and get the links to the meetings at www.pphcsd.org.
These workshops also kicked off a community survey asking questions regarding the same topics from the meetings and primarily asking survey-takers to rank different park amenities as to their importance. While data is still being compiled, the PPHCSD was very happy with the number of surveys they received.
The Phelan Pinon Hills CSD embarked on a Parks study last year to develop a strategic plan for the Parks and Recreation Department. Out of that plan came the need for more parks. To this end, the CSD purchased about 5 acres located behind the current Phelan Community park and just south of Phelan Elementary school.
Previously the CSD purchased the 5 acres directly north of the Community Park, Community Center, and CSD Offices. They developed plans to build new, permanent offices, a community center, and a maintenance yard in this location. However, with the additional land purchase, it was decided to combine the two projects and look at how they could be integrated.
A grand project for the Phelan and Pinon Hills communities, the new Civic Complex plans currently include a civic center, a grand plaza, community center/gymnasium, splash pad, two playgrounds, a pump track, Skate Park, event plaza with terraced seating, central restrooms, dog park, equestrian center, walking trails, multi-purpose soccer and ball fields, and a maintenance building and yard. The existing park will remain intact, and the SBC Sheriff’s Department will move into the building where the current CSD offices are located.
