What does Manteca need in terms of municipal parks and recreation?

The City of Manteca hopes to use citizen input during a series of three upcoming workshops to fashion a Parks & Recreation Master Plan.

The first community workshop is Thursday, April 23, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Manteca Transit Center, 220 Moffat Blvd.

The meeting will focus on characteristics of the Manteca community and trends that affect recreation programs and facilities.

The second community meeting takes place Thursday, May 7, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Transit Center. It will focus on gathering input on Manteca Parks & Recreation facilities and programs.

The final community workshop is Thursday, May 21, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Transit Center. It is designed as a wrap-up meeting that will take input from the first two workshops and summarize them. Input will be sought on the prioritization of the needs for facilities and programs.

 Manteca hit a milestone last fall when the city opened its 63rd park facility.

Charles O. Palmer Jr. Memorial Park — named in honor of the first Manteca resident to die in the Global War on Terror — was installed as part of the Oleander Estates project where Raymus Homes is building the Raceway collection in southwest Manteca.

It is one of a growing number of new neighborhood parks where nearby homeowners and not the city general fund will foot the bill for ongoing maintenance. It is included in a community facilities district along with upkeep for sound walls and common landscaping maintenance.

Palmer Memorial Park solidifies Manteca’s position as the “park leader” among Northern San Joaquin Valley communities. Manteca has 63 parks or for every 1,090 residents. That compares to Modesto with 75 parks or one park for every 2,720 residents and Stockton with 66 parks or one park per every 4,378 residents.

Modesto with 204,000 residents has two golf courses in addition to 500 plus acres of park turf and eight lighted ballfields. Manteca with 72,000 residents has one golf course, 400 plus acres of park turf and 15 lighted ballfields (including soccer fields) plus an indoor soccer arena.

One of Manteca’s lighted baseball fields — Morezone Field — just underwent a rehab project and is now reconfigured for youth baseball play for the senior division level for the community’s three Little League organizations.

The city recently installed exercise stations at Woodward Park.

Manteca is also now renovating the group picnic structure at Lincoln Park. It will include a new shade structure, concrete flooring, and lighting, drinking foundations and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements to the restrooms.

Other projects getting underway this year is new playground equipment for Doxey, Yosemite, and Crestwood parks. New play features will include slides, climbers, interactive panels, spinning rides, and other features. It will also entail additional picnic tables, benches, and security lighting.