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Dog park finally set to go to bid
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Manteca’s dog park — expected to go out to bid this week — could have a bone-themed bench for humans and play equipment for dogs.

Whether the bench and play equipment is installed depends upon how the bids come in to build the basic dog park that is going in an established grassy area on the northwest corner of the Manteca Civic Center campus at 1001 W. Center St.

The City Council is expected to authorize the call for bids when they meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. Lumped into the bid package in an effort to reduce costs is the installation of a new sign at the Manteca Golf Course.

The add-ons or alternative bids also include:

uA double pointer plank jump: Essential hurdles for dogs to clear.

uWhippet walk: It is a ramp device where a dog walks up a ramp to a level stretch about two feet above the ground and then back down a ramp mon the other side.

uA Samoyed sit and stay table: The raised square platform is a tried and true dog park furnishing that helps with obedience training.

uBow Wow Barrel: A mini pike-like tunnel.

uScottie Seesaw: Basically a teeter-totter for dogs.

The dog park itself will have a double entry gate system to prevent dogs from getting loose.

The 5-foot high fencing will employ vinyl slats with chain link fencing. There would be a drinking fountain for humans and a bowl drinking fountain for dogs as well as a trash receptacle, dog waste station, dog park rules sign, and bulletin board.

It will have two separate areas — one for larger dogs and one for smaller dogs.

Costs are being kept down as there is landscaping — turf and trees — already in place along with an irrigation system.

There are restrooms nearby as well as off-street parking.

The council has set aside up to $278,270 for a dog park that carries an annual estimated $10,000 a year cost for maintenance.

The dog park site was selected in December bb the council. It actually was the first sit picked in 2003 by a previous council. The staff at the time came back several months later and said it might interfere with future plans to expand the Civic Center complex.

It then took six years to pin down another site. The council in 2009 approved locating the dog park on the northeast corner of Woodward Park. Several months later the Great Recession hit postponing the dog park again.

Elected leaders actually embraced the idea of building a dog park 15 years ago. If all goes well it could be in place by this fall.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com