Two more parks are on target to have aging playground equipment replaced.

The City Council on Tuesday is expected to award a $14,780 contract to Shawn T. Gardner Builders that submitted the lowest bid to install equipment at Springtime Estates Park and Sequoia Park.

Springtime Estates is in the neighborhood by the same name northwest of Louise Avenue and Main Street.

Sequoia Park is off Wawona Avenue between Sequoia School and Union Road.

The city this summer completed work on Baccilieri Park in the triangle bounded by Vine, Stockton, and Wetmore streets that included new playground equipment. They have also moved forward on replacing playground equipment that had been destroyed by an arsonist at Quail Ridge Park on Mission Ridge Drive just two blocks east of Union Road.

The city also has recently replaced playground equipment at Bay Meadows Park adjacent to the Boys & Girls Club on Alameda Street and Shasta Park adjacent to Shasta School.

The Manteca Parks and Recreation Commission has previously recommended that 11 other parks get funded for new playground equipment. The recommended parks, although not in any particular order, are Union West, William Martin, Cotta, Walnut Place, Button Estates, Gonsalves Estates, Quail Ridge, Franciscan, Yosemite Village, St. Francis, and Crestwood.

The establishment of new safety standards in 2000 by the State of California and Consumer Product Safety Commission prompted the City of Manteca to evaluate all of the playgrounds.

Since July 2000, the city has renovated seven playgrounds at a cost of $1.6 million. Another three playground renovations have been budgeted at a cost of $600,000 and are in various stages of design or construction.

There are 15 parks left to go on the list that would cost an estimated $4 million. The approach since 2000 has been to go in and upgrade everything in a park — play equipment, accessible walks, drinking fountains, benches, lighting, playing surfaces, and paving at an average cost of $200,000 per park.

Staff has noted in the past they are receiving a growing number of complaints and concerns from citizens.

They have suggested modified approach where all 15 parks could have playground equipment needs addressed only at an estimated cost of $1 million to accelerate the replacement effort.

Non general fund money that has either been earmarked by the federal government for such purposes or fees collected from developers are paying for the projects.

Once the two new playgrounds are in place, it is estimated it will cost $15,200 a year per playground to battle graffiti and to keep the equipment maintained.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, e-mail dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com