MATHER REGIONAL PARK 2 LAND USE PLAN SEPTEMBER 1995SACRAMENTO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Ist District Roger Dickinson 2nd District la Collin 3rd District Muriel P. Johnson 4th District Dave Cox Sth District ‘Don Notolli RECREATION & PARK COMMISSION Bob Bastian, Chair Diane McLaughlin Ted Robinson Art White Lou Zimmerle MATHER REGIONAL PARK ADVISORY COMMITEE ‘Marilyn Evans, Sacramento Open Space; Chairperson Linda Budge, Cordova Chamber of Commerce; Vice Chairperson Dennis Hatfield, Soccer Representative; Secretary Guy Anderson,Cordova HS & CRPD. Mike Berndt, Model Airplane Rep. Lea Brooks,Bicycle Rep. George Clark, Native Plant Society i Paul Dean, Cordova Jets Football Bill Dunbar, Golfing Rep James A. Hanson, Environment/Wildlife Bob Hyman, Sacto Open Space Rodger Hocking, Babe Ruth Baseball Bob McGarvey, Crdva Comm,Couneil Ken Mott, Trails Ross Johnson, R.C. Rotary/Business Marty Pigeon, Deputy Sheriff/K-9 Ron Radigonda, Softball f Palmer Slack, Park Operations Karen Stroth, Equestrian Elaine Vak, Audobon Society Scott Wolcott, Aggregate Industry Dwight Washabaugh, SLCC Ray Webber, Mather Redev. Committee Art White, Sacto. Cnty Parks Commissioner Alternates Tom Dahill, SLCC Claudine Desimone, Soccer Rep. : Bill Dillinger, Audobon Society Jeff Dubchanski, Softball REGIONAL PARKS, RECREATION & OPEN SPACE DEPARTMENT STAFF Gene Andal, Director Roy Imai, Deputy Director of Planning & Development Tara Gee, Associate Landscape Architect Special Thanks To: Jones & Stokes Associates Inc.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background Mather Field opened in 1918 as an Army flying school for World War I pilots, Following the war, the base was placed on inactive status where it remained until the onset of World War IL. The base was reactivated in 1941 to serve as a training facility for both pilots and navigators bound for Europe aid the Pacific. Subsequently, the base became the home of the Anmy Air Force's Bombardment School, the forerunner of the Air Force's Navigator Training School. In the late 1950s, Mather Field was renamed "Mather Air Force Base" and underwent a major renovation and expansion in order to support the B-52s and C-135s which ‘were the newest commodity in the Strategic Air Command inventory. Mather subsequently served as the training site for the majority of the Air Force's navigators. With the end of the cold war and the national effort to down-size the country’s military, Mather Air Force Base was closed in September 1993, The base conversion to civilian use commenced thereafter. Asa part of the conversion process, the County of Sacramento Department of Regional Parks, Recreation & Open Space submitted an application to the federal ‘government requesting that a portion of the base be turned ‘over to the County on the basis of a "Public Benefit Conveyance” for use as a regional park. The approved park conveyance boundary is estimated to include approximately 1,432 acres of base property, excluding the golf course. Growth in the Sacramento area has increased pressure to seek and balance both recreational and open space needs, and to distribute these facilities evenly throughout the County. The need for an active use regional park for the easter part of Sacramento County has been identified in various studies, Most recently, “Project 2000: a Master Plan for Regional Park and Recreation Programs, Facilities, & Services" identified such a need. At this time, no major sports facility is located in this part of the County. The American River Parkway is the only dedicated open space