Councilwoman Peggy Neely's
Tatum Sun Times Column
Dove Valley Park Opens in Northeast Phoenix
Last month, at the grand opening celebration of Dove Valley Park, community activists saw five years of work come to fruition. In 2002, after learning that a park was no longer part of the master plan for Dove Ranch and Dove Ranch Estates, I was proud to appoint the following residents – Paula Weiss-Cohen, Kathy Hulka, Kathy Vitale, Mike Rich and Beth Rossell, to serve as an advisory committee to help develop a park. This group would work closely together with one vision in mind. That vision was to have a neighborhood park for residents in their community to enjoy.
Luckily, the only ideal parcel available for a park was currently owned by the city with future plans for a fire station. But residents insisted they needed a place for children and families to gather and enjoy all the amenities that a neighborhood park could offer. The land was eventually transferred to the Parks and Recreation Department and the planning for Dove Valley Park began.
The tight group was in constant conversation with my office and parks staff with their ideas. They developed a survey and sought the input of their neighbors. “The city was able to see our passion for this project and they gave us the opportunity to create a much-needed park for our children,” said Paula Weiss-Cohen. “We were in touch with the community and Dove Valley Park is the result of our residents’ ideas. I have a new-found respect for the city and how it works. They helped us make our dream a reality.”
Dove Valley Park is located at 4740 E. Rancho Paloma Drive – west of Cave Creek Road and north of Lone Mountain Road. The nearly five-acre park includes a playground, ramada, basketball court, two open turf play areas and a multi-use trail. I am committed to neighborhood parks and open spaces for our community to enjoy. I encourage you to visit Dove Valley Park, the third park this year to open in our northeast Phoenix community.
Phoenix City Councilwoman Peggy Neely represents District 2, which includes most of northeast Phoenix. She can be reached at 602-262-7445 or through e-mail at council.district.2@phoenix.gov.
