Madera Unified School District Outdoor Education Facility

The Madera Unified School District is proposing the construction and operation of the Outdoor Educational Facility Project located at the intersection of Almond Avenue and Stadium Road in Madera, California. This project involves the development of a 25.61-acre complex designed for district educational programs, youth sports, community events, and general public recreation. The facility will feature five ball fields, three soccer fields, five sand volleyball courts, a parking lot with approximately 313 spaces, and two support buildings comprising an office, training, and storage facility, as well as a ticket booth and restroom building. The scope also includes roadway, sidewalk, and utility improvements along the project frontage and the expansion of a City-owned stormwater basin. The project is governed by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), with a Draft Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration indicating that the project will not cause significant environmental harm provided specific mitigation measures are implemented. Key requirements include the use of full cut-off lighting fixtures, strict adherence to nesting bird protection windows between February and August, archaeological monitoring for excavations exceeding three feet, and paleontological discovery protocols. The project is managed by Rosalind Cox, Director of Facilities Planning, and involves coordination for potential annexation of portions of the site into the City of Madera.