The splash pad at Lathrop’s Sangalang Park was a huge hit with residents when it opened in time for Labor Day weekend and a scorching heat wave that burned up the Northern San Joaquin Valley and forced residents to do anything they could to seek relief.
And now it’s done for the season.
Just one month after the city installed the final pieces of the East Lathrop park to make sure that residents got a chance to enjoy it, the park’s splash pad has closed due to new construction and additional upgrades that can’t be made while the water feature is operational.
The splash pads at Mossdale Landing Community Park and Manuel Valverde Park will remain open through Oct. 15.
Located at the corner of Slate Street and Deerwood Way, the park – which was known as Stonebridge Park before it was renamed for Apolinar Sangalang, the first Filipino-American mayor in the United States – received nearly $2 million worth of upgrades including the splash pad and other amenities that are now largely standard additions to municipal parks that open with new development.
The city’s dedication to providing recreational amenities to residents that live on the east side of I-5 – an area comprised of Woodfield Estates, Stonebridge, and Historic Lathrop – aims to ensure that all residents, regardless of address, have access to state-of-the-art facilities.
While Mossdale, Central Lathrop, and River Islands are all known for their glimmering new facilities, the City of Lathrop and the elected officials who represent the city have gone out of their way to ensure that no portion of the city is left behind as development continues at a blazing pace.
In addition of the nearly $2 million the council dedicated to Sangalang Park, the Lathrop Manteca Fire District recently invested approximately $4 million to overhaul Fire Station 31 on J Street – which for years served as the administrative offices of the independent district. In addition to adding modern amenities and expanding the bunk space for more personnel, the building got a cosmetic overhaul that makes it look more like the new stations in Mossdale and River Islands – part of the district’s ongoing dedication to ensure that all residents receive the same standard of service.
While the opening of Sangalang Park was delayed due to pandemic-related shipping issues and supply chain disruptions, the park has been a huge hit with residents who packed in over the four weekends that it has been operational since it reopened to the public.
To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
