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City Parks Master Plan Workshops Begin
workshop
Members of the city Parks and Recreation Department hosted the first of several workshops that hope to determine what Riverbank citizens would like to see in a redesigned and reorganized Community Center Park. The city is planning to apply for a grant from state Prop 68 funds in August that would pay for expansion of the swimming pool, adding a water feature, and relocating and updating the playground equipment. Ric McGinnis/The News
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Riverbank citizens can view potential equipment choices and playground layouts at local workshops held by the Riverbank Parks and Recreation Department this summer. Ric McGinnis/The News

The City of Riverbank Parks and Recreation Department has begun a series of workshops to prepare for a funding request to create a city-wide parks master plan. The first event was held Saturday, May 18, at the Community Center Park.

California voters passed Proposition 68, the Parks, Environment, and Water Bond, that was on the ballot on June 5, 2018. It was a legislatively referred bond act that was approved 57 percent to 43 percent. It authorized $4 billion in general obligation bonds for state and local parks, environmental protection projects, water infrastructure projects, and flood protection projects.

Parks and Recreation Director Sue Fitzpatrick said the city is working towards getting its share of that money by hosting workshops in the months leading up to the August deadline for applications.

She noted that Riverbank meets the qualifications set out to get the grant, both in population size and median income.

The department hosted its first workshop for the public on Saturday morning, May 18, next to the Community Swimming Pool. There, residents were told of possibilities a parks master plan could bring to facilities that would be paid for by a successful grant from state Prop 68 funds.

Part of the grant would pay for an upgrade and redesign of the Community Pool, Fitzpatrick said. It would be widened to eight lanes in the one end, and a possible water feature added where the playground equipment is now in the adjacent park.

That would require the equipment removal, with relocation and upgrade, with some new playground equipment purchased. She said that there were plans also to add a half court basketball feature on the south side of the Teen Center, with the possibility of additional exercise equipment being installed in the grassy area there, near Sixth and Stanislaus streets, the opposite corner of the block from where the playground now exists.

Fitzpatrick said her department is planning a series of workshops around the city to gain input from citizens on what they would like to see in this and other parks in town.