Manteca elected leaders, in the next year or so, are expected to make a decision about where a second skatepark will be built.
The city’s second skate park was “promised” in 2023 when the City Council committed $100,000 in leftover federal COVID funds to go toward it.
It is unlikely the project will be far enough along in the planning stages by year’s end to still use the money.
That said, council members have indicated they still support the idea of a second skate park.
And several have noted they are open to possibly including an outdoor roller skating rink to go along with it.
Whatever happens, the city wants to make sure there is robust community input on what it should entail and where it should go.
“It should have a lot of community vetting,” notes Manteca Councilman Mike Morowit.
Morowit believes the exploration, if you will, for a site should take place through the Parks & Recreation Commission that should also weigh in on the design and such.
By tasking them with narrowing down potential sites to one, Morowit believes the city will avoid political pitfalls that led to the current skatepark being located in arguably the least inaccessible piece of city property that was considered.
It is a sentiment shared by Mayor Gary Singh who led the charge to earmark the $100,000 COVID seed money for the skate park so “the city could do it right this time” compared to the process that led to the current skatepark being tucked between the railroads tracks and PG&E substation in the late 1990s with access via the Tidewater Bikeway from Center Street.
The city is in the process of developing and updated park masterplan.
The master plan is likely to delineate needed and desired recreation and park facilities and not deal in specific locations.
City leaders said when the time comes to narrow down locations, all potential sites — existing city property and parks as well as future park sites — will be considered.
The existing location where the current skatepark was finished in 1997, was the result of a major political rift.
The late Councilman Wayne Flores launched a community based effort to get a skate park after the idea was first rejected by the majority of the council.
The majority that opposed it were being pressure by other community members who characterized skaters at the time as vandals for damages they were creating around downtown business by grinding down concrete and riding down stair rails.
After the council approved the concept of a skate park, the majority vowed to place it away from anyone that had an objection.
The city dismissed three sites in total — on Moffat Boulevard, in the grassy area in front of the golf course along Union Road, and where the dog park is now at the Civic Center — before settling on the current location.
There also was zero input from the skaters or the community on what was to be built in what was presented as a two-phase project.
The only phase built was done so using “bonus bucks” paid by developers to assure the ability to connect future housing to the wastewater treatment facility.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
