For the city that would more than double in size if all of the planned houses were to be built, making sure that essential city services are planned for accordingly becomes critical.

And with thousands of homes slated to be built in Lathrop over the coming years, giving those new residents something to do becomes equally important.

Next month the City of Lathrop will be requesting the input of the public in a series of workshops designed to steer the consulting firm hired to write the city’s first parks and recreation master plan into the appropriate direction – from the costs associated with participating in recreational activities to the sorts of activities that are provided.

“We are seeking inputs from our residents on the programs, facilities, and services provided by the City’s Parks and Recreation Department,” Lathrop Parks and Recreation Director Zachary Jones said. “These workshops will assist us in determining the value our residents put on the individual aspects of what we offer as a City.

“The information we gather will guide our Parks and Recreation Department to serve our community for generations to come.”

The first meeting will be held on Monday, Feb. 10 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Lathrop Community Center – located at 15557 Fifth Street – while a pair of meetings will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. to allow for as many residents as possible to show up and offer their input to help shape the document.

The meeting will allow for representatives from GreenPlay LLC – the company Lathrop has hired to provide oversight of the process and to create the document that will ultimately be up for city council review and implementation – to collect input about how the parks, recreation programs, and community services benefit the community as a whole. The meeting will involve examining the various programs and services that are currently offered and to provide feedback on which sorts of services have community versus individual benefits and the importance of both in a well-rounded recreational plan.

The brainstorming and review sessions will also allow for the prioritization of potential future projects, and to develop resource allocation and cost recovery options that can be presented as a part of the proposal.

To RSVP your attendance, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 209.941.7370, or send them an email at PRMasterPlan@ci.lathrop.ca.us.  

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.