Golden Eagle Regional Park and Sports Complex is Sparks' largest public works project ever. Construction of the $29 million project is located on 140 acres of land south of Vista Boulevard and east of Wingfield Springs. Grading and securing artificial turf on the many sports fields are already underway.
Under the plan approved Tuesday, a permanent 20-foot-wide, non-paved trail will run from Eagle Canyon Park to Nightingale Way. The new trail will connect the new park and sports complex to Shaw Middle School and undeveloped public lands to the west under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management.
Washoe County's Pah Rah Maintenance District will maintain the trail, which is expected to cost about $100 per year. County staff will seek out volunteers for trail maintenance, in addition to recreation and open space grants.
Doug Doolittle, director of the Regional Parks and Open Space Department, expects the new trail will be popular and will reduce the number of people walking along Eagle Canyon Drive, which is jammed with traffic, schools, a church and other businesses, where it meets Pyramid Highway.
In addition, commissioners approved a $65,000 agreement with the city of Sparks to install utilities at the regional park's trailhead and interpretive center.
The sports complex will include six softball fields, two baseball fields, two youth baseball fields, a stadium-sized multi-use field for soccer or football, two multi-purpose fields, four volleyball courts, bocce ball area, two concession stands, a 7,200 square-foot concession venue, and a maintenance building. All fields will be lighted, and stadium-sized bleachers and parking will be constructed.
Last week, Sparks Planning Commissioners rejected a proposal by developer Harvey Whittemore to allow for medium-density development on 60 acres of land wedged between the park and undeveloped BLM land. The Sparks Master Plan currently designates the land for two residential dwelling units per acre — know to planners as low-density residential.
Whittemore’s proposed Master Plan change would have allowed between 14 and 20 dwelling units per acre — a designation conducive to projects like apartments or condominiums. The proposal is headed to the Sparks City Council for a final vote. A separate zoning change on the land would be needed to move forward with proposed development plans, and may be sought later.
In addition to the trail system, Golden Eagle will feature a Washoe County regional park and interpretive center.
The interpretive center will include a 3,000 square-foot outdoor classroom plaza with a stepped, seating-wall type of amphitheater. A three-quarter mile paved trail will be constructed, along with native landscaping, interpretive signs, restrooms and parking.
Preliminary work on the new Pah Rah Trailhead and Interpretive Facility has already begun. Washoe County Commissioners last spring approved a $97,000 contract with MACTEC Engineering and Consulting for the design and engineering work.
Under an agreement approved by the Sparks City Council on Feb. 26, the city will manage and maintain the park; the county will manage and maintain the trailhead and interpretive facility.
Currently assigned Pah Rah ranger staff will conduct maintenance work and host programs at the interpretive center.
Golden Eagle will replace the softball fields of Don Mello Sports Complex. The city sold Don Mello to RED Development for $17.7 million to construct the Legends at Sparks Marina retail and entertainment complex. The new sports complex is larger than Don Mello, adding two more softball fields to the area, and also adds flexibility to sports programming.
The softball fields — set to open in March 2008 — come just in time to satisfy a growing local interest in the sport. Sparks boasts one of the largest adult softball programs per capita in the nation, with nearly 700 teams playing every year.
The sports complex is unique in that it uses artificial turf on all of its sports fields. More than 1.2 million square feet will be used: the largest turf project of its kind in the United States. Turf eliminates the waiting period that sod requires to become established before the fields can be used. In addition, the city will save on watering costs.
The sports complex will feature energy-efficient lighting, which uses one-tenth of the power used by Don Mello, and is designed to cut light pollution to surrounding neighborhoods.
The entire sports complex will be completed by fall 2008, Sparks officials said.
The regional park is funded through $1.8 million from parks and open space bond funds approved by voters in 2000, and state conservation grants. The remainder of funding comes from $3.4 million in park impact fees paid by developers.
As population growth continues and more funds become available, the park will add more sports fields and possibly an equestrian park.
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