Young Park

What the public asked for

Reported to the board on October 16, 2025, after seven outreach events. The record ranks the top three priorities and no further, so this shows three — a fourth would be an order the community was never reported to have given.

What the community said is wrong with it

• The park is not feeling safe right now. 2025-10-16 p3
• The park is not well maintained. 2025-10-16 p3
• Bathrooms — "the big one" — which staff described as a challenge because they are cleaned and then someone gets them dirty again. 2025-10-16 p3
• The park is too far away from home. 2025-10-16 p3

Money and scope

Every figure the board has been given about what this park costs. There is no total, and the absence is the finding: the board was asked in May 2026 to choose among three alternatives without one.

The park, as the record describes it

A schematic built only from what was said at the meetings. The city’s consultants produced concept drawings; those are their work and are not reproduced here. Solid markers sit where the record says they go. Hollow markers are elements the record discusses without placing — their positions here mean nothing.

• Dog parkplaced by the record
  "Dog park desired on the south side of the park."
  2025-10-16 p3
• The pondposition schematic
  Over two acres. "Overall people did not see the pond as bad but see it as an amenity to keep and want some more effort into it."
  2026-05-21 p5
• Splash padplaced by the record
  The community's number one priority. Wanted near the centre of the park, or adjacent to the seating capacity.
  2025-10-16 p2
• Multiuse courtsposition schematic
  "Convert existing tennis courts into multiuse courts."
  2025-10-16 p3
• Parking lotposition schematic
  "Reduce parking lot size to allow for more green space." The neighborhood group wants a small lot; regional users want a larger one. $4.5 million.
  2026-05-21 p5
• Bathroomsposition schematic
  The community's biggest single complaint about the park as it stands.
  2025-10-16 p3
• Stage / events lawnposition schematic
  Music in the Park runs here every Sunday; Movies in the Park is at Young Park. Music, art and nature events were the most popular programming.
  2025-10-16 p2
• Crosswalks & bike linksplaced by the record
  "Improve crosswalks and sidewalks to ensure safer more accessible park entry. Improved bike connectivity to nearby streets and trails."
  2025-10-16 p3
• Lighting throughoutposition schematic
  "Better lighting throughout the park to enhance safety and useability."
  2025-10-16 p3

The master plan’s stated goals

• Improve safety
• Preserve the natural spaces
• Foster education and culture
• Improve recreation amenities

The timeline

1. 2026-08-03
   City Council minutes

   Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

   • p19 “we can come at it from a point of safety. Like what happened at Young Park and”
   • p24 “2550. Movies in the park, please head over to Young Park this Saturday, August 8th,”
   • p24 “Sunday, August 9th at Young Park starting at 7 p.m. for live performance by Pizza”
2. July 16, 2026
   The work session gets a date; the Young Park vote stays in September

   Four members met with no public participation and no vote on Young Park. Staff proposed limiting the August 20 regular meeting to the chair election and holding the promised Young Park work session immediately afterward, with the decision left on September 17. The board also learned the city's park maps are frozen pending web-accessibility rules.
3. 2026-06-08
   Work Session minutes

   Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

   • p14 “Would you consider an outdoor one? Maybe at Young Park or one of the parks.”
4. May 21, 2026
   Young Park's future gets a price tag — and a postponement

   A three-member board heard nearly two hours on a multi-million-dollar master plan for Young Park, then tabled the decision to September. The park sits in District 3, which has no board member.

   • Passed unanimously — Table this to September 17th, and have staff find an acceptable date for a work session prior to September 17th.
5. April 16, 2026
   Young Park pulled from the agenda; elections deferred for want of a board

   The board amended its own agenda to strike the Young Park item before taking it up, then deferred board elections to May because too few members were present. Three of seven seats were filled; Districts 1 and 3 are vacant.
6. 2026-04-06
   City Council minutes

   Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

   • p10 “from a recent trial of a murderer from the Young Park massacre. The court looked at”
7. 2026-03-16
   City Council minutes

   Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

   • p27 “New Mexico and also requesting and looking for funding for our Young Park, septic”
   • p27 “that as well, as March 21st will be our year since the Young Park shooting, where it”
8. 2026-03-02
   City Council minutes

   Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

   • p4 “two of the killers responsible for the Young Park massacre. I hope they are done”
9. 2026-02-23
   Work Session minutes

   Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

   • p3 “instances near the campus that have taken place since then like Young Park and”
10. 2026-02-02
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p3 “wrong place at the wrong time. Kids were buckled up on the way to Young Park,”
    • p4 “right now, and we are coming up on the year anniversary of the Young Park shooting”
    • p25 “Recreation Center and Young Park. We encourage everyone to take advantage of”
11. January 15, 2026
    55% of the city's playgrounds are 20-plus years old, and this year's replacement money did not come

    Parks Planning told the board that 55% of the city's 67 playgrounds are more than 20 years old and that a standard replacement runs about $300,000. The $1.5 million City Council granted for fiscal year 2025 was not repeated in 2025, and the director said catching up at five a year would take 13 consecutive years.
12. 2025-12-08
    Work Session minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p1 “the coordination of the Family Assistance Center after the Young Park tragedy”
    • p2 “really impressed by yourself and Joy especially in the aftermath of the Young Park”
    • p3 “Mayor Enriquez said thanks again with the Young Park incident but also for Ruidoso.”
13. 2025-11-17
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p15 “and that has been since before I started here. The Young Park shooting is a great”
14. 2025-11-10
    Work Session minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p2 “they get done it is like wow. And then as far as Young Park goes, it is a legacy park,”
    • p7 “safety. Young Park of course, there are so many. We could go down the list, the”
    • p7 “stop at those and add Young Park.”
15. October 16, 2025
    Young Park's engagement numbers land: 54 surveys, 1,100 data points, a splash pad on top

    Staff presented the draft community engagement report for the Young Park master plan, reporting 54 completed surveys, seven focus groups and over 1,100 data points, with a splash pad ranked first overall. Apodaca Park's draft construction design was described as 90% set, with shovels expected in the ground over winter. The agenda carried no action items.
16. 2025-10-06
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p20 “experience every day in places like Young Park and the other high crime areas of Las”
    • p40 “locations free of charge, Apodaca Park, Young Park, Frank O'Brien Papen”
17. 2025-09-15
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p16 “the major parks, Young Park, Apodaca, Lions, even Veterans Park but we have some”
    • p20 “locations at Henry Benavidez Community Center, Young Park, East Mesa Rec”
18. 2025-09-02
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p6 “Property crime, drive by shootings, rampant drug use, the massacre at Young Park,”
19. 2025-08-18
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p26 “three locations. East Mesa Rec Center, Frank O’Brien Papen Center and Young Park.”
    • p26 “Young Park from 7-9 p.m. The night kicks off with Flat Blacks, a band known for the”
20. 2025-08-04
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p4 “we have the ensuing shootings and problems like we had a Young Park and most”
    • p29 “summer clutter. The Young Park Parking lot, and East Mesa Recreation Center, will”
    • p29 “at Young Park for our Music in the Park Concert from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Get ready to”
21. 2025-07-07
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p11 “manner at the Young Park shooting are now the exact same people here mad and”
22. 2025-06-16
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p15 “very disturbing. On my way back from Young Park at the Music in the Park I was”
    • p15 “As I said I came up the tree while at a certain spot at Young Park and this is during”
    • p15 “headless crow is along that path that I take at Young Park to return to my tent where I”
23. 2025-06-02
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p18 “Coming up we have a couple of things. This Saturday at the Young Park, Fish with a”
    • p19 “happening that will be spread throughout either to Amador Live or Young Park and”
24. 2025-04-21
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p4 “Rangers put over at Young Park. I haven’t heard of any update on that. I know that”
    • p5 “on Young Park. My apartment sits on Young Park and to be in that neighborhood it is”
    • p5 “up through Young Park and go up through the Triviz Trail down Nevada and I told”
25. April 17, 2025
    Half the city's playgrounds are past their lifespan — and Council has not agreed to fund the fix

    Director Steven Bingham told a four-member board the city has 64 playgrounds, 32 of them 20 years or older against a typical life expectancy of 18 to 22 years, and that the recommendation is to replace five per year rather than bond for all 32 at once. Three of this year's five are being installed at East Mesa, Pioneer and Vlachakis; Apodaca and Young Park are in design. City Council has yet to agree to fund and continue that replacement.
26. 2025-04-07
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p2 “community on the Young Park massacre. I am here to provide my opinion. This is to”
    • p3 “activities, Lion’s Park, Young Park, Apodaca Park, Cardon Park, Raymond and Paz”
    • p5 “days before the Young Park incident a member on city council was screaming that our”
27. 2025-03-17
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p18 “Young Park at 850 South Walnut. KLCB will also be hosting an amnesty weekend”
28. 2025-03-03
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p10 “Young Park last week. Special thanks to Grace Tellez and Catrina for following up so”
29. 2025-01-06
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p17 “Drive, Young Park at 850 South Walnut Street, and the intersection of Motel”
30. 2024-09-16
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p22 “Saturday, September 21st at Young Park. We will be showing the Little Mermaid”
31. 2024-09-03
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p18 “Saturday, September 7th at Young Park will be showing Element, rated PG. Movie”
32. 2024-07-15
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p41 “permissible items for free. They will be located at Young Park, Tony Gomez, and”
33. 2024-06-03
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p24 “till August 25th at Young Park. So, it was well attended so please attend some of that”
34. 2024-05-20
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p6 “Lions is off the table, Young Park is being vandalized because we can’t play there. I”
    • p6 “Young Park who was not accepted. I can’t prove anything to you if you don’t accept”
    • p7 “contract. This contract says all purposes on Lions, and we need Young Park so that it”
35. May 16, 2024
    "The response was not helpful" — a neighborhood asks what the Pioneer Women's Park gazebo costs

    George Pearson, president of the Alameda Depot Neighborhood Association, told the board his association e-mailed city staff for the status of the gazebo project in Pioneer Women's Park and got an answer only after their meeting, with no specifics beyond construction starting in a month or two. He asked for the budget, the bidding schedule and estimated construction dates. No action items were on the agenda, and neither staff nor board members made any comments at the end.
36. 2024-04-22
    Work Session minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p7 “a tiny little asterisks. I think parks like Apodaca Park and Young Park are parks that”
    • p7 “us to honestly prioritize Apodaca and Young Park as we talk about these major”
    • p7 “Steven Bingham said I agree with you that Young Park has a greater need but the”
37. April 18, 2024
    Park rangers, $2.55 million for two parks, and half the playgrounds over 20 years old

    Director Steven Bingham laid out a budget request built on four priorities, including bringing back park rangers as Police Aides to monitor the skate park and higher-crime areas. Staff also presented the near-final Grindline design for the new skate park at the East Mesa Sports Complex and a ten-year wayfinding signage plan that will do ten parks at a time.
38. 2024-04-15
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p23 “Festival at Young Park. I was very pleased because that is something that is in our”
39. 2024-02-15
    Special Work Session minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p16 “City, Young Park, Apodaca Park, Lion Park, they’ve suffered the most. Young Park as”
    • p16 “months of the year because of all the problems we were having at Young Park. Then”
40. 2024-02-05
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p8 “my six-year-old son, then to Apodaca Park, to Young Park, to his swim lessons at”
41. 2023-11-06
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p16 “Pachanga was forced to move to Young Park. We have to get funds from the state for”
42. 2023-10-02
    Special Work Session minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p16 “into your area. I don’t know if you’re around Young Park I got a call about a year ago”
    • p17 “Grandmas holding it and whatever”. I went down to just south of Young Park and I got”
43. 2023-06-20
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p29 “past Sunday at Young Park and this will continue throughout summer on Sunday”
    • p29 “styles of music and LoPhat. Come and check them out evenings at Young Park on”
44. April 20, 2023
    A fee schedule passes by acclamation with its language still to be written

    The board approved the 2023-2024 Fees and Charges and Facility Use Policy "with language added regarding bathroom use and field rental process" — language that did not yet exist when the vote was taken. A motion to table the item to May died, and the reason given on the record was that the policy is already in the queue for City Council in May. Public Participation: "There was none."
45. March 16, 2023
    A finished dog park nobody can open, and a maintenance bill nobody budgeted

    Two members of the public pressed the board on the Rinconada dog park, built but padlocked because it cannot be accepted separately from the Animal Services Center. Staff walked through an FY24 budget request that includes three new positions and over $750,000 in vehicles and equipment, and a board member asked why new facilities keep coming online without a maintenance component. The parks deputy director answered with the count: 50 full-time staff for roughly 148 park areas, 60 playgrounds, 40 miles of trails and 33 ballfields.
46. September 15, 2022
    New pool, new prices, and the end of Frenger — the board sets rates for a 50-meter pool that will not pay for itself

    The board approved fees and operating hours for the Natatorium, the city's new 50-meter pool opening early January 2023, and accepted staff's recommendation to close Frenger pool when it does. Staff presented El Paso's numbers as the benchmark: $70,000 in revenue against operations over a million. The naming of a new disc golf course was tabled to October.
47. 2022-09-06
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p39 “Valley View Park and Young Park. Councilor Abeyta and I spoke at White Sands”
48. August 16, 2022
    The board kills the Veterans Park renaming on purpose — tabled indefinitely so no precedent attaches

    The Veterans Advisory Board's vice-chair asked for one more delay, then said the group is not so much seeking a name change as a change in the park's usage. The board tabled the item indefinitely, with a member stating on the record that a vote would set a precedent against any future renaming. Staff separately disclosed that the Assistant City Manager had stopped permitting Veterans Memorial Park as of August 12.
49. July 21, 2022
    Veterans want a designation, not a playground — and the director tables the name change to go ask them why

    The board tabled the renaming of Veterans Memorial Park to August after the Parks & Recreation director said she had not been part of the earlier conversations and wanted to put questions to the Veterans Advisory Board first. The Veterans Advisory Board's vice-chair told the board the group wants a special-use designation rather than a name change. Three of seven seats were filled.
50. June 16, 2022
    The park where the playground is already scheduled to disappear

    The Veterans Advisory Board asked this board to recommend that Veterans Memorial Park be designated a special use park and renamed "Veterans Memorial." Board members learned during the discussion that the adopted master plan already removes the playground, and tabled the item to July 21, asking to see the master plan and the LCPD vandalism reports first. Staff then presented a $28,040,752 FY23 budget.
51. May 26, 2022
    "Next week he will file a discrimination thing with the City"

    A former board member told the board that disabled veterans cannot use the Apodaca pickleball courts because there is no restroom and an 8.1% grade, that he would file a discrimination complaint the following week, and that the city wastes roughly a third of its GO Bond money by issuing RFPs instead of bidding work. The board then approved a $8,000 crosswalk-art project whose preparations had already begun and whose press release had already gone out.
52. April 21, 2022
    Cricket players, dog walkers and a shooting club fill the room

    A three-member board with four vacant seats took eight public speakers, then approved the 2021/2022 fees and facility use policy, master plans for Branigan, Gomez and Frenger parks, and the final design for the Pioneer Women's Park gazebo. Staff confirmed Frenger Pool is proposed for removal and would not pass inspection if the new 50-meter pool were online.
53. 2021-11-15
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p1 “Ren Faire at Young Park--looks really good, the bathrooms were cleaned,”
54. 2021-09-20
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p29 “what they quoting---I went to an event at Young Park this last Saturday for the”
    • p29 “of Young Park (which is huge), so I was a little concerned that they were”
55. 2021-08-02
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p22 “Frenger Park master plan processes. Young Park Pond: the assessment is on-”
56. 2021-07-19
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p28 “in the Park will be Sunday 7 pm at Young Park. Old Time Pharmaceuticals and”
57. July 15, 2021
    "It sounds like this meeting is in violation" — a board re-elects its chair twice and questions its own legality

    The board elected Cassie McClure chair, recorded the motion as carried unanimously, then recorded that the same motion had died for lack of a second and voted it again. Staff reported the Young Park pond lost more fish on June 28 and that replacement aerators arrived the day of the meeting, costing about $6,600. A board member said the meeting itself appeared to be in violation of the in-person requirement that returned when the state's emergency orders ceased on July 1.
58. June 17, 2021
    "It should be called The Nevada Chicane Corridor" — a project closeout, failed pond aerators, and elections postponed

    Public Works Director David Sedillo presented the closing of the Nevada Avenue Cool Corridor and was told by a member of the public that the project increases heat and should not carry the name. Staff reported that the Young Park pond aerators were removed in May as irreparable and a replacement system is on order. The board tabled its Chair and Vice Chair elections to July, saying it wanted a full complement first.
59. 2021-06-07
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p10 “Young Park. It was caused by lack of oxygenation so getting the fountain back”
60. May 20, 2021
    "The City of Las Cruces basically has blatantly lied" — a Cool Corridor complaint, and a $2.4 million parking lot

    The board met by Zoom webinar with five of seven seats present and no action items on the agenda. A member of the public told the board the Nevada Cool Corridor's costs had grown past what the city stated and that 60% of its plant life had been replaced; the director said she would bring back a full report on the project. Consultants presented a 95%-complete design for the Veterans Memorial Park parking lot and pavilion.
61. April 15, 2021
    The board un-approves its own minutes, then hears Young Park is losing water and a pavilion

    Held via Zoom webinar. The board moved to retract its previously approved February 18 minutes for corrections, corrected them, and approved them again. A member of the public objected that Young Park's pond is being refilled twice a week with approximately 27,000 gallons and that the park's community pavilion was demolished and is being replaced with a smaller structure. Staff attributed the pond incident to staff error and said Public Works would answer the pavilion questions at the next meeting.
62. February 18, 2021
    GO Bond program at 26% on time, and the District 5 park gets a number: $675,000

    Held via Zoom webinar. Public Works reported the GO Bond park program is 26% on time and 32% on cash, with Apodaca courts due in May and demolition started at Young Park. Staff said the new District 5 park has a funding source of approximately $675,000 from the Philippou settlement. Board members reported that three City Councilors each described the resolution as a one-off.
63. November 19, 2020
    A resident asks where $2.2 million went, and the board gets the whole budget — an $18 million department with closed facilities

    Meeting by Zoom with all Parks & Recreation facilities closed under the Public Health Order, the board heard a resident question the accounting on the Nevada Cool Corridor and got the Public Works director's answer on the record. Staff then walked the board through the entire FY21 budget — $11 million in general fund, a little over $18 million in total. The board approved two youth-painted murals and cancelled its own December meeting.
64. June 18, 2020
    Two GO Bond plans go forward on Zoom, and a resident asks who is paying for the entry road

    Meeting by Zoom for the first regular session since February, the board accepted the East Mesa Recreation Complex master plan presentation to move to City Council and approved the Parks & Sports Courts improvements. Three emailed public comments were read verbatim, one of them alleging that entry road funding had been taken "directly from the Go Bond funding as feared" — which the Interim Public Works Director denied on the record. A power outage cost one member his vote.
65. 2020-06-15
    City Council minutes

    Mentioned in the minutes. Not confirmed as an action on this project — read the line and judge it.

    • p1 “will be opened – that’s it; what happened to Young Park? We are not asking”
    • p1 “to open Young Park instead of the Dog Park, why not open both? We have a”
66. February 20, 2020
    "Just putting another band aid" — tennis and pickleball push back on the GO Bond court plan

    The first presentation of the GO Bond sports court rehabilitation to the board drew sustained objection from tennis and pickleball players, who said earlier meetings had led them to expect full resurfacing and professional-grade courts rather than crack repair. The board tabled the action to a special meeting and asked for two revisions — one with as much professional grade as possible, one showing what the existing money buys. A parent also told the board a discrimination complaint he filed in December 2018 was still unresolved.