Park hopping is the next big thing
No, it is not traveling south to Anaheim and taking in Disneyland and then heading over to the California Adventure Park.
Instead, it is heading to the growing number of Manteca neighborhood parks that have been added in recent years that each have their own unique amenities.
One could have a circuit of outdoor exercise equipment.
Another may have a corn hole game.
You might find concrete table tennis and an outdoor yoga pad at another.
The days of new neighborhood parks being cookie cutter designs — an expansive green storm basin, playground equipment, a few picnic tables, trees, water fountain, and perhaps a back stop or even basketball courts — are over.
“You may go to one for a basketball court and then another with a sand volleyball court,” noted Brandy Clark, the new director overseeing parks, recreation, and transit for the City if Manteca.
Future neighborhood parks have been approved with pollinator gardens for bees and hummingbirds with shady seating, multi-use basketball/pickle ball courts, interactive water play features, cricket pitches, and even long sought restrooms that have been a request of walkers and families that are using parks in greater numbers.
And even those storm basins that some city critics have maligned as just being open space and not park space to allegedly “let developers get by on the cheap” are being rethought where possible.
Some neighborhood parks are being made large enough to accommodate soccer fields complete with goals.
It is to provide more fields for practices and games. And it also takes advantage that neighborhood parks have the built-in ample street parking along their perimeters.
The strategy maximizes what money there is to develop neighborhood parks by providing more options.
Manteca addressed the ongoing maintenance expense issue by requiring new neighborhood parks to have upkeep and maintenance costs covered in community facilities districts involving homes that were approved in conjunction with a park.
Those CFD fees assessed on homes tied into parks includes street light power costs and maintenance as well as the upkeep of common landscaping such as along sound walls.
In some cases, such as the oversized neighborhood developers agreed to build in conjunction with the 818-housing unit Quarterra project in the northeast corner of Atherton Drive and South Main Street, will include a long list of recreation facilities that will be maintained on the dime of the owners of what will be 672 apartments and accessible to the entire community.
Those facilities include a water play feature, restrooms, a cricket pitch, a pickleball court, sand volleyball courts, playground equipment, a dog park, picnic tables with a shade cover, walking paths, and lighting.
Making the most
of new amenities
The philosophy of maximizing what facilities the city has — or will have — is also reflected in plans for two new amenities at Woodward Park.
Those amenities are the outdoor fitness court with an adjoining group exercise area complete with shade structures and custom interactive water play feature.
Clark said staff plans to have an annual Splash Pad Bash Aug. 1 aimed at getting families to use the water feature in an event style setting with food trucks, vendors, and more.
The outdoor fitness court, just like the water play area, will be available for drop by use.
But it also can be reserved and rented for classes by the private sector or programmed by the city for group classes running the gamut from aerobics and yoga to tai chi.
It will essentially provide some of the functions as a community center would for such recreation classes.
“It gives us another space to use,” Clark said.
She noted it doesn’t replace the need for a community center at some point.
Instead, it allows the city to offer programs sooner than later. And it also means the city will have multiple locations it can use including an option for outdoor programming to take advantage of the weather in spring, summer, and the fall.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
