Chandler, Arizona - Community Services Department

Community Services Department

The Chandler Community Services Department serves residents and visitors in a variety of ways by providing recreation, fitness, cultural, artistic and educational opportunities along with classes, programs and special events. The Community Services Department, located in Old Downtown Chandler, operates the community center, senior center, dozens of local neighborhood and community parks, two recreation centers and six aquatic centers.

Chandler's recreational offerings provide residents and visitors of all ages, interests and abilities with the facilities to participate in many sports, activities and special events. The Department publishes a quarterly recreation magazine called Break Time that is distributed free at many City facilities and through a free subscription service to residents.

A sampling of programs available through the Community Services Department and its Parks and Recreation Divisions includes: swim lessons; junior tennis clinics and leagues; youth classes and programs; youth sports; after-school teen programs; summer youth sports camps and arts camps; fitness classes; group aerobics and dance classes; nature and sustainable living courses; adult classes, sports leagues and outdoor recreation programs; active adult activities; therapeutic recreation special events and Special Olympics fundraising programs.

Chandler's regional Tumbleweed Park hosts a variety of special events throughout the year, including the annual Ostrich Festival, the Fourth of July Fireworks Festival and the fifth annual Day of Play, attended by more than 5,000 people, was held on Saturday, October 22, 2011 at Tumbleweed Park.

On September 6, 2008, the Environmental Education Center at Veterans Oasis Park, a shared-use site with the Municipal Utilities Division and the Chandler Police Department, won the Valley Forward Association's prestigious Crescordia Environmental Excellence Award in the category of "Site Development and Landscape for Parks." In 2008, Chandler also received the American Crown Community Award for Outstanding Leadership in Local Government for Veterans Oasis Park, located at the northwest corner of Chandler Heights and Lindsay roads. This facility and park were an integral part of Chandler's 2010 All-America City award presentation. The city was one of 10 across the U.S. to receive the All-America City honor on June 18, 2010, in Kansas City, Missouri. Veterans Oasis Park is also the site of the city's highest point, at 1,214 feet (370 m).

The Historic McCullough-Price House, a 1938 Pueblo Revival-style home, was donated to the city by the Price-Propstra family in 2001. The city renovated and opened it to the public in 2007. On June 12, 2009, the McCullough-Price House was added to the National Register of Historic Places, the official listing of America’s historic and cultural resources worthy of preservation. The city of Chandler operates the facility, which is located southwest of Chandler Fashion Center at 300 S. Chandler Village Dr.

On August 28, 2009, Chandler's Community Services Department received three Arizona Parks & Recreation Association (APRA) Awards: Outstanding Facility - Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center; Outstanding Community Special Event - Woofstock; and Outstanding Active Adult Program - (Chandler Senior Center Patriot Project).

On September 25, 2009, the Chandler Parks Division was honored for its efforts to preserve more than 250 native trees by transplanting and using them for multiple park beautification efforts. The Arizona Community Tree Council, Inc., in cooperation with the Arizona State Land Department – Urban & Community Forestry, presented Chandler with its top award in the Municipal Government Agencies category at its annual meeting in September. The Council recognized 18 other individual, civic, and corporate entities for their efforts to enhance and beautify the local environment with trees. The ACTC noted that Chandler was creative and resourceful in transplanting native trees during the construction and grading for the first phase of Mesquite Groves Park and Aquatic Center.

On September 2, 2010, the Chandler Parks Division received the Natural Resources Award from the Arizona Parks & Recreation Association for the development of Paseo Vista Recreation Area on top of a closed landfill at the northwest corner of McQueen and Ocotillo roads. On October 2, 2010, the Paso Vista project also received the prestigious Crescordia Environmental Excellence Award from the Valley Forward Association.

On September 23, 2011, Chandler's Channel 11 and Chandler Recreation received a second-place finish in the 2011 NATOA (National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors) Government Programming Awards NATOA in the magazine format series category for the bi-monthly "Come Out & Play Chandler!" show's January episode that profiled the November 2010 inaugural Chandler Chuck Wagon Cook-Off event at Tumbleweed Ranch.

On October 12, 2011, Chandler was named one of the 2011 100 Best Communities for Young People, marking the fifth time that the City received this designation by the America’s Promise Alliance and Ing. The award program honors communities across America for their commitment to provide healthy, safe and caring environments for young people. Chandler was recognized for its collaborative efforts between the city, schools, non-profit organizations and community members. Programs such as ICAN, the Mayor’s Youth Commission, Chandler CARE Center and the Youth Enhancement Program are just some of the highlights of Chandler’s success.

On May 1, 2012, KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit parks and recreation advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., announced that Chandler was a 2012 Playful City USA community, marking the sixth consecutive year the city earned the distinction (one of just 19 U.S. cities to receive the honor six consecutive years since the program was initiated in 2007). Chandler was recognized for taking an innovative approach to making play a priority throughout the city with its many recreational amenities, parks and aquatic centers. The Playful City USA designation will be celebrated at the sixth annual "ShapeUp Arizona at Chandler's Day of Play" on Saturday, October 27, 2012 (9 a.m.-1 p.m.) at Tumbleweed Park.