It’s the $6.5 million question.

And how Manteca goes about finding the answer will say a lot about those governing the city.

The $6.5 million figure references a snippet taken from the just adopted boilerplate parks and recreation master plan update.

That snippet is a recommendation to convert the underutilized lighted baseball field at Marion Elliott Park into 12 pickleball courts and additional parking at a cost of $6.5 million. More about that in a while.

The master plan is a boilerplate in that a significant chunk of identified park and recreation facilities that Manteca leaders by adopting the update have signaled the city should pursue are based on national standards.

It is important to emphasis “should” doesn’t mean “will.”

There is a lot to like about the potential projects identified.

Whether they all happen over the next 30 to 50 years has as much to do with the $930 million price tag in estimated 2025 dollars as it does with the ebb and flow of trends.

At the end of the day, it will come down to the political will and follow through of five elected council members for Manteca to chip away at the list.

The list, by the way, is clearly incomplete as it doesn’t take into account cricket that is growing exponentially with the changing make up of new residents from the Bay Area where cricket’s popularity is surging.

Cricket is not identified in the master plan listing of “deficit” facilities.

Not the end of the world, given local leaders know the lay of the land better than some boilerplate consulting firm gauging community demand.

It is local leaders that saw the growing demand for cricket.

 Not only did they convert an existing open field used for soccer at Doxey Park by adding a cricket pitch, but two neighborhood parks in the planning process for new development south of the 120 Bypass will include cricket fields.

That brings us back to the $6.5 million question.

Manteca currently has three pickleball courts.

The master plan states, based on “current demand” as of 2024, the city needs 7.3 more pickleball courts

And when everything is paved over to kingdom come at the full buildout of the city’s general plan, Manteca will be short 20 pickleball courts.

The current “shortage” of 7.3 pickleball courts was determined by applying a national standard of 1 pickleball courts per 8,850 residents as established by the National Recreation and Parks Association.

Manteca currently has 32 baseball fields between the city and school district.

The master plan states, based on “current demand” as of 2024, the city has a surplus of 10.3 baseball fields.

And at the city’s general plan buildout, Manteca will have a deficit of 17.3 baseball fields.

The current “surplus” of 10.3 baseball fields was based on a standard in the initial Manteca Parks & Recreation master plan adopted in 2016.

The “bottom line” is ultimately Manteca will have a deficit of both pickleball courts and baseball fields.

What did the consultant in the master plan recommend that the city do?

Convert the baseball field at Marion Elliott Park into 12 pickleball courts.

And, by extension, down the road build a replacement baseball field.

That defies logic.

Is there another use of the “underutilized” baseball field that could be pursued in the interim such as using the lighted field for soccer or other field sports?

Then there is the $24 million question, the suggested conversion of the lighted Moenzone baseball field on Center Street into an events center.

Why not place 12 pickleball courts there given it would complement, to a degree, the existing tennis center?

Well, there might be a reason.

Marion Elliott Park is located in a census tract with enough lower income households that it can qualify for federal funding aimed at uplifting the community.

That means there is a chance the pickleball court conversion could land some federal funds.

But that begs the question: Are the nearby older neighborhoods with a solid number of kids in walking distance of the park better served by installing pickleball courts at Marion Elliott Park or finding a different use even it is for soccer or other field sports?

It is why the city needs to really step up its use of the parks and recreation commission to truly vet a more effective use of the lighted field investment the city put in place for the expressed purpose of serving the community’s youth.

That, and a lot of other specifics in the plan, need community input that goes way beyond three community workshops.

At the same time, the current council and city management is taking a common sense and fiscally responsible approach to addressing current and future recreation needs in Manteca.

The master plan indicates the current 12 soccer fields between the city and school are not enough as “the demand” based on the 2016 city parks master plan calling for one soccer field per 3,350 residents declared there is a shortage of 13.2 soccer fields in Manteca.

The city is looking at enlarging the footprint of future neighborhood parks to accommodate soccer fields in the storm retention basins.

Perhaps those two lighted baseball fields at Marion Elliott Park and on Center Street could be converted as well to cut down the soccer field deficit.

It goes without saying converting them to soccer fields would be less expensive than $6.5 million for 12 pickleball courts and $24 million for an events center.

Six soccer fields are also envisioned as part of the family entertainment zone as a buffer of sorts between it and the wastewater treatment plant.

There is little doubt there is a demand for more soccer fields in Manteca.

And it is a safe bet there is for pickleball courts as well.

So why not place a couple in future “oversized” neighborhood parks and leave the lighted fields for the most part intact?

It is clear the master plan update is just the starting point for community engagement that is needed sooner than later so the city can start working in earnest in enhancing community recreation and park needs.

This column is the opinion of editor, Dennis Wyatt, and does not necessarily represent the opinions of The Bulletin or 209 Multimedia. He can be reached at dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com