SAFFORD – The city of Safford has officially named two new parks currently in development.

In a recent vote, the council chose to name the park on 8th Avenue Jason Coots Park, while the park planned for 14th Avenue and El Paso Boulevard will be called Owens Family Park. The vote was 6-1.

Planning and community development director Jaime Embick mentioned that the naming process involved several months of soliciting feedback from residents. This included online surveys, paper ballots available in libraries, and public meetings at events like Salsa Fest, Harvest Fest, and Oktoberfest, as well as outreach through various media.

Ultimately, the result was 97 votes favoring Jason Coote’s name for the park and eight votes for the Owens family.

However, council member Dusty Brantner expressed concerns about the public input process, indicating that many people seemed unaware of it. She pointed out that with only 97 votes from a population of 10,000, it doesn’t quite reflect what could be considered a majority.

Deputy Mayor Arnold Lopez also suggested that the naming decision might need to be postponed. But Public Works Director Lane Henry clarified that further construction on the parks would be stalled until the council finalized the names. Once that decision is taken, the project can proceed.

The council’s vote solidified the name selection, although Brantner was against it.

The master plan for Kouts Park includes a variety of amenities, such as a play area, splash pads, pickleball courts, a space for food trucks, walking trails, and an amphitheater complete with lawn seating.