The northward growth of Manteca has put securing a new community park site and creating a plan to relocate the Lovelace Transfer Station that handles tons of trash on a daily basis on the city’s “to do list” for 2026.

Manteca, as it closes in on 100,000 residents in the next two years or so, has gotten to the point it needs a second community park that is at least 50 acres.

As for the county operated trash transfer station, the orchards that surround it are destined to become housing tracts. 

There are already proposals to annex seven parcels to accommodate projects to build 818 homes in the general vicinity of the transfer station.

Three of those parcels abut the mile-long stretch of Lovelace Road while three others border nearby Airport Way.

The constant weekday movement of refuse collection trucks as well as individuals and contactors hauling, trash, and other debris to the transfer station isn’t compatible with urbanization.

City leaders and San Joaquin County have initiated preliminary discussions to relocate the transfer station.

Besides the issue of where the transfer station would be relocated, the city is likely to be asked to find ways to help fund the move.

In the past, developers interested in building homes in the area suggested placing a per lot fee on new residential projects being built nearby to help facilitate the move.

Addressing the future of the transfer station is not something expected to have a planned and site secured by year’s end or even next year.

Securing ownership of a new community park site, though, is considered do-able.

Manteca’s next 50-acre

community park site

The preferred city site is 50 acres to the southeast of Lovelace Road and Union Road that would be along the future northern extension of the Tidewater Bikeway.

Unlike Woodward Park that Manteca secured for $1 in 1989 from a developer partnership that Mike Atherton was with, the city’s second 50-acre park site will likely be purchased at market price.

Manteca has more than enough funding to acquire a site as well as pursue park development there as well as at other city parks.

The city had $25.5 million in park acquisition and improvement fees collected from growth on hand as on June 30, 2025.

Since then, funds have been committed to the water play feature at Woodward Park that is now under construction as well as other park projects.

Manteca during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2025 collected $6.4 million in growth fees that were included in the $25.5 million balance.

That said, Manteca has negotiated an agreement with the developer of a proposed 455 home subdivision on North Union Road that will pay $12,000 per home for land acquisition and development of a new community park.

At build out of the Union Ranch North neighborhood, that would generate a total of $5.46 million for the community park project.

That assures the park site, once it is acquired, will not sit for more than a decade as land for Woodward Park did without any improvements being made.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com