Manteca expects to reach a milestone of 80 city parks when three of the eight parks currently in the design phase are completed in 2027.
The new parks are “neighborhood” parks that are a far cry from the basic grass, backstop, playground, picnic table, water fountain and perhaps basketball court templates of the 1970s to 1990s.
The quote marks around the word neighborhood is due to the City of Manteca’s goal is to make every neighborhood park a destination park, and not just a park neighbors use.
To be clear, anyone can access a neighborhood park even though most since the mid-2000s are having their ongoing maintenance costs covered by community facilities district fees paid by homeowners within the subdivision they are placed.
What the city is doing is working with developers to make sure new neighborhood parks have amenities beyond the basic playground, picnic tables, baseball backstop, and storm retention basins that double as impromptu playing fields for sports.
The best example is the park being developed over the next two years as part of the 818-home neighborhood — including 672 apartments — Quarterra is building on the northeast quadrant of Atherton Drive and South Main Str...