One of Lathrop’s largest parks is about to get a big upgrade. 

Lights. 

Mossdale Landing Community Park was the focus of the Lathrop City Council last week when they discussed several options to add lighting to the popular open space – giving residents who use the park at twilight or dusk a safer environment. 

While several options were presented – from solar lighting that doesn’t require an electrical hookup to hardwiring the lights so that they stay at the same intensity all the time – the council opted for spending $56,500 in general fund reserves that will be reimbursed by Measure C money that will place a hardwired light every 160 feet along pathways through the park. 

In all, a total of six fixtures will be installed to complement the 10 street lights that currently line the outside of the park. 

While the lighting will provide enhanced safety and security for those who use the park right up until it closes, the lighting will not mean that the park will stay open later than is currently allowed in the city’s municipal code – closing from dusk to dawn every day. 

The council’s choice will require the purchase of the new lighting fixtures as well as the trenching, wiring and repairing of the turf so that electrical conduit can be ran out along the pathway. With a 10 percent contingency for the construction cost, the lights will cost an initial $56,500 for the purchase and installation, and $450 per year will be deposited to cover the cost of the electricity to power the lights. 

By choosing the hardwired option, the city will save almost $10,000 in the cost of the initial purchase over the solar lighting option. It would take almost 20 years for the installation of those lights to pay for themselves. 

Measure C, the one percent sales tax increase that was approved by voters in 2012 to pay for essential city services and public safety, has been used for a number of projects to help cover the cost of the installation of things that weren’t previously included in the city’s budget. A number of street lights have been purchased with the money, as have other park improvements that weren’t initially planned for. 

The city will have to first purchase the lighting fixtures, and will then begin the work necessary to wire the lights to have them operational by later this year. 

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.