Field day for ideas on Maxwell Park

Sonoma Valley BMX riders, Frisbee golf enthusiasts, dog lovers and tennis players seem to readily agree on one thing, Maxwell Farms Regional Park could offer a lot more to local residents.

More than 50 people crowded into a meeting room at the Boys & Girls Club last Wednesday, Jan. 14, to discuss their wish lists for the 85-acre park that was described as being “at the crossroads of Sonoma Valley life.”

Led by project manager Scott Wilkinson and park planner Steve Ehret, attendees discussed the mission of the park, its perceived problems, desired features and an overall vision for the space. About half of the parkland is designated as protected conservation land with limitations on what can be utilized there.

Early discussion centered on a few negatives – the park’s lack of convenient parking, the condition of the restrooms, the need for better lighting, as well as general safety issues. Illicit activities in the back of the park – ranging from the possible presence of gang activity to homelessness to drug use – were also touched upon.

The conversation quickly turned to opportunities to add features to the park, however, project coordinators cautioned that in all likelihood, only some – certainly not all – of the ideas would be feasible. The ideas with the most momentum were:

Disc golf

Sonoma Valley currently has no disc-golf, also known as Frisbee-golf, courses. The United Flyers of Sonoma claims to be the very first Frisbee-golf club in America and they are eager to build an 18-hole course at Maxwell. UFOS wants to use some of the 45 acres of the park’s protected conservation easement land to develop the Valley’s first course. Beyond tee signs and baskets, a course is very low impact, they said. Their pitch was that disc golf is low-cost fun for the entire family, popular with tourists and could bring in visitors from all over the country for competitions.

Bike park

A large contingent of BMX bikers have long campaigned to install a pump track with jumps near the existing skateboard park. Their pitch was that teens in Sonoma need more safe, fun things to do and places to congregate. They pointed out that planned and existing bike trails run into and out of the park, so a jump track would make a natural fit.

Community garden

Several groups discussed their eagerness to preserve the park as a “sonic refuge” and to protect the creek, tree canopy, trails and wildlife. Specific options mentioned included a demonstration garden and botanical gardens that could include educational programs.

Soccer and athletic fields

There was enthusiastic support for improving and expanding the existing athletic fields at Maxwell.

Tennis

Representatives from the Sonoma Valley Tennis Association were on hand to propose two additional tennis courts at Maxwell, lights for two courts or the renovation of the courts at nearby Larson Park. “We’re flexible,” said Isaac Raboy of the Tennis Association. “We’re just passionate about making tennis readily available for all ages in Sonoma.”

Off-leash dog park

There was support from several groups for an off-leash dog park. This suggestion was heralded for its low cost and the fact that it could possibly be permitted on the conservation land.

Pedestrian/bike overpass

Finally, attendees noted that crucial to the success of these projects is an improvement in how visitors access the park. The idea of a pedestrian and bike overpass from the bike trail was suggested.

Wilkinson said that they hope to have the revised Master Plan completed by the fall, followed by an environmental impact review and then approval from the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.

Features that are incorporated in the Master Plan could possibly be fast-tracked for permission to proceed in early 2016, but Wilkinson was clear that these ideas would need to be self-funded. “We can sometimes apply for grants to cover some costs, “ he said, “but generally community groups would need to raise the money for their approved projects.” Several groups in attendance had formal proposals in hand, mapping out their funding strategies.

Residents can email comments to Wilkinson at Scott.Wilkinson@sonoma-county.org or call him at 565-2734. He urged the community to share their ideas in an online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/maxwellparksurvey and in Spanish at www.surveymonkey.com/s/encuestasobreparquemaxwell through the end of February. Additional community meetings will be scheduled for the spring.