Paseo Vista Recreation Area
Built atop the former City Landfill
Chandler residents can now enjoy the unique amenities of the long-awaited Paseo Vista! This 64-acre special-use park was built on top of the City landfill which ceased public operations in 2005. The facility includes an archery range, disc golf course, dog park, playground, picnic areas and more than a mile of walking trails.
Paseo Vista Recreation Area
3850 S. McQueen Rd.
Northwest Corner of McQueen Rd. and Ocotillo Rd.
For nearly 30 years it was a working landfill, a large man-made dirt mound with sloping sides rising above the streets and nearby houses. Then the people of Chandler made the investment to give this place a new purpose. Today, the slopes still dominate the landscape but they are covered with boulders encased in wire to help control erosion, decomposed granite, wildflowers and other plants.
Most of the new amenities are not visible from the streets below. But Chandler residents who make the worthwhile walk, ride or drive to the top of the hill will be able to appreciate and enjoy the Paseo Vista Recreation Area for many years to come.
Vehicle access is off McQueen Rd., ¼-mile north of Ocotillo Rd., and there are more than 330 parking spaces. Direct access is also available to bicyclists, joggers and others via the adjacent Paseo Trail along the Consolidated Canal. Additional pedestrian access points will be opened when the McQueen Rd. widening project is completed later this year.
PASEO VISTA AMENITIES
- Bark Park
One of four Dog Parks in Chandler.
- Disc Golf Course
View the Course Layout (PDF).
- Archery Range
Archery classes will be offered through the Chandler Recreation Division and listed in the Break Time Recreation Guide.
- Playground
The children’s play area includes swings, slides, climbing rocks, a large spherical jungle gym made of cables, and an educational “trash wall.”
- Great Views!
The prominent 40-foot-high lookout point is accessible by a curving walking path and provides spectacular 360-degree views of the East Valley.
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
The project was funded through the sale of General Obligation Bonds approved by Chandler voters in May 2004.
The landfill was closed to the public in October 2005. After several more months of work to cap the site according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards – with more than 300,000 cubic yards of clay and soil – the Municipal Utilities Department turned the land over to the Parks Division for further development. Nearly 200,000 additional tons of dirt were hauled to the site to increase the soil depth throughout the area for a variety of landscaping and aesthetic needs.
Because of federal landfill closure regulations, and due to settling and drainage issues, the development of typical park amenities was limited on this site. The Paseo Vista Recreational Area does not have some of the typical amenities found in many Chandler parks, such as sport courts, large trees and grass areas requiring extensive irrigation. In addition, permanent structures such as restrooms were limited in size, light fixtures and shade ramadas were built on large “floating” concrete slabs, and asphalt and concrete use was held to a minimum.
In many cases, the building materials used on the site, such as crushed concrete, asphalt and tires, were recycled from other construction projects instead of being sent to another landfill.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
The EPA requires the City to maintain the site through 2035 and monitor methane gas production, liquid seepage and any impact on groundwater. Under the Paseo Vista Recreation Area is a system of wells, monitors and pipes to control the gas that is a byproduct of the decomposing trash. The gas is diverted to a collection point on the east side of the park, where it is vented and burned inside a chimneystack.
For more information on the Paseo Vista Recreation Area, contact 480-782-2754.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Several local media outlets have been reporting on the Paseo Vista Recreation Area, including this report by ABC15 News:
The completed design of the Paseo Vista Recreation Area is very close to what was presented in the Paseo Vista Recreation Area Preliminary Plan (PDF), which is also viewable below.
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