The Parks and Recreation Department learned that the initial replacement property owned by Arizona State Land and identified in the October 2020 update was no longer a viable option. The City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department is actively pursuing alternate land parcels to use as the replacement property. The department expects to provide another update by the end of 2023.
Proposed Los Olivos Park Urban Working Farm
Updates by date
The Environmental Assessment and public comments were submitted by City of Phoenix staff through Arizona State Parks and Trails to the National Park Service. City staff is awaiting a response from the National Park Service as to the status of the conversion process for this portion of Los Olivos Park.
Questions can be directed to the Parks and Recreation Department at 602-262-6862. Feedback also may be provided by e-mail to receptionist.pks@phoenix.gov.
The 30-day public review period for the draft Environmental Assessment ended November 30, 2020.
Questions can be directed to the Parks and Recreation Department at 602-262-6862. Feedback also may be provided by e-mail to receptionist.pks@phoenix.gov.
Notice of Availability
DRAFT Environmental Assessment for the Los Olivos Park Land and Water Conservation Fund 6(f) Land Conversion Project - Phoenix, Arizona
Read the Environmental Assessment (PDF)
Action. Notice of Availability (NOA) of the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) evaluating the potential impacts to the human and natural environment from the conversion of a 4.5-acre parcel of Section 6(f) Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) parkland for the development and operations of a working urban farm and concessions adjacent to an existing park.
Dates. This NOA initiates a 30-day public review period for comment on this document. Comments on the draft EA should be received by November 30, 2020, or 30 days from the publication of this notice, whichever is later.
Statutory Authority. This NOA is being issued to all interested parties in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Council on Environmental Quality regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR §1500-1508) and US Department of the Interior, NPS Guidance on public involvement (43 CFR § 46.305).
Summary of the Proposed Action. The City of Phoenix proposes to remove federal protection from approximately 4.5 acres of the existing Los Olivos Park, an existing LWCF parcel and replace it with an approximately 470-acre vacant parcel. The project would allow the City to construct and operate an agricultural education center, a two-acre working farm, and concessions where prepared food, merchandise, and other related materials would be sold to the public. The 470-acre parcel is located approximately 17 miles to the north of the 4.5-acre parcel and is primarily undeveloped native desert land crossed by several ephemeral drainages. The parcel is surrounded by undeveloped desert land and is adjacent to the City-owned Sonoran Desert Preserve and the Cave Buttes Recreation Area.
For Further Information Contact. The Phoenix Parks and Recreation is hosting a website where the EA and other project materials will be available. Additional information can be found at Phoenix.gov/Parks/Los-Olivos-Park.
Comments. All comments are welcome. Interested parties can direct e-mail comments to losolivosea@phoenix.gov (e-mail address was deactivated after November 30, 2020 when public comment period ended) or mail comments to the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department c/o Los Olivos, 200 West Washington Street, 16th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85003.
At its March 22, 2018 meeting, the Parks and Recreation Board approved for staff to enter into lease negotiations with Greenbelt Development LLC to develop and manage an urban working farm and concessions in a portion of Los Olivos Park.
Los Olivos Park is a Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) assisted site. LWCF is a federal grant program which preserves public outdoor recreation in perpetuity. LWCF allows assisted sites to be “converted” when a non-recreational use on the LWCF site is proposed. Conversion is a procedure which replaces the LWCF site with another appropriate site for public outdoor recreation use. In the case of Los Olivos, only the site upon which the Farm at Los Olivos will be located – 4.5 acres of the 26.5 acres Los Olivos Park – is proposed for conversion.
During the past 24 months, Parks and Recreation Department staff has been working with Arizona State Parks and the National Park Service, administrators of the LWCF program, to manage the conversion process for the partial Los Olivos Park site.
The city is currently completing an Environmental Assessment (EA) at the farm site at Los Olivos Park and the proposed replacement property to evaluate the environmental consequences of the Farm at Los Olivos on the human environment and allow the affected public to understand the context for the proposed conversion. This final action is needed to complete the conversion process and includes a 30-day public comment period related to the EA report. The 30-day comment period has not yet begun and information about that will be shared on this page at a later date.
At its March 22, 2018 meeting, the Parks and Recreation Board approved for staff to enter into lease negotiations with Greenbelt Development LLC to develop and manage an urban working farm and concessions in a portion of Los Olivos Park. Get the Parks and Recreation Board report.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (PDF)
The Parks and Recreation Department is exploring development of a portion of Los Olivos Park, 2802 E. Devonshire Ave., into a urban working farm, education center and market/restaurant. Through a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued in May 2017, the city sought bids from public, non-profit or private sector organizations interested in developing and operating a market-viable facility on this property. No city funds would be used to develop, operate or maintain it, and the facility would take up no more than 4.5 acres of the 26-acre park.
Following the RFP process, Greenbelt Development LLC's proposal was selected. Based off its submission, the proposed development would include a two-acre organic farm, a market farm stand where neighbors can purchase fresh produce, a full-service restaurant concept serving a farm-to-table seasonal menu and an indoor/outdoor education center. Additional information about the proposed development can be viewed at LosOlivosPark.com.
At its September 2017 meeting, the Parks and Recreation Board authorized city staff to negotiate a contract with Greenbelt Development LLC, contingent upon public support for the project. Greenbelt Development LCC held public open house meetings at Devonshire Senior Center, located adjacent to Los Olivos Park, on December 11, 2017 and January 11, 2018.
An open house meeting to discuss the proposed project will be hosted by the Parks and Recreation Department on February 27, 2018 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Devonshire Senior Center, 2802 E. Devonshire Ave. Representatives from the Parks and Recreation, Street Transportation, and Planning and Development departments will be available to provide information and answer questions. View Open House Invitation.
This item is scheduled to appear for project approval on the Parks and Recreation Board agenda at the March 22, 2018 meeting to be held in City Council Chambers, 200 W. Jefferson St., at 5 p.m.
Questions can be directed to the Parks and Recreation Department at 602-262-6862. Feedback also may be provided by e-mail to receptionist.pks@phoenix.gov.