Manteca could get a second dog park by repurposing Wilson Park.

Wilson Park is the small heavily shaded park at Center Street and Sycamore Avenue behind the post office and across from the Manteca Library.

It is rarely used by the community except as a beer garden during the Crossroads Street Fair in June and the Pumpkin Fair in October.

Manteca Mayor Gary Singh said the city has been examining the possibility of converting the park.

In doing so it would:

*Draw more people into downtown.

*Add a park feature that residents in the city’s central core lack that is within an easy walking distance.

*Start addressing municipal recreational deficiencies identified in a $475,000 park master plan a previous council adopted but the city hasn’t started to implement. A second dog park is on the list of needed recreational facilities.

Singh believes the dog park could be configured in such a manner that needed facilities can be incorporated so the dog park could be temporarily closed during the two annual street events for use as a controlled venue.

Actually, the fencing a dog park would require eliminates the need for temporary fencing during events.

Singh said one strategy the city is pursuing is a partnership with a community-based organization to possibly help develop Wilson Park as a dog park.

In doing so, he hopes to be able to get a dog park in place by stretching city resources with private sector assistance.

Such a conversion to a dog park would also address a long running problem the city has with people illegally using the park after it is closed every night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. to the public regardless of housing status.

No one is allowed to be in the park at that time, but is hasn’t prevented the homeless from illegally camping there.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com