NEWMAN – The city will start with the basics as it begins development of the five-acre site where it envisions a new aquatic center, community center and park taking shape in the years ahead.

After gaining long-sought approval from the state to switch a $300,000 park grant from a city-owned site on West Mariposa to the Merced Street location, the city will waste no time in putting the funds to use.

City Manager Michael Holland said the grant will be spent on developing the early stages of the park side of planned complex, with work to begin in coming months.

“We will be doing the sod, trees and the irrigation on about 1.8 acres on the eastern side of the property,” he explained. “We may have a little bit of money remaining for some hardscape, such as sidewalks, but for the most part it will be for landscaping only.”

Time is a consideration, the city manager stressed.

“We were under a strict deadline. If we don’t spend those funds by May or June we will lose them, and the last thing we want to do is to lose any funding,” he stated.

The council last week approved the environmental documents required for development of the Howard B. Hill Jr. Park to move forward.

Holland said he anticipates the work going out to bid in the next 60 days.

“It will be a nice first step in the overall development of the property,” he reflected. “It will give the landscaping time to mature before the aquatic center is developed.”

The city had initially applied for the grant in order to help develop a 10-acre park planned for its West Mariposa site. That property is no longer planned as a park location, Holland said, and will be put on the market.

Quality of life ordinances

The council last week adopted two “quality of life” ordinances, including one which requires adequate maintenance and security of vacant property.

“This ordinance ensures that properties are kept up, and we are going to be very aggressive in enforcing it,” Holland said.

In cases of bank or absentee ownership, the owner of vacant property is required to contract for management services and post the property manager contact information on the premises.

If not maintained and kept properly secured, city officials say, vacant properties can lead to a number of problems which impact the surrounding neighborhood.

“This is a direct result of the foreclosure crisis,” Holland commented.

The council also adopted an ordinance which prohibits “dumpster diving” without the owner’s permission. Complaints about scavengers going through private trash in search of recyclables, the mess often left behind and worries about identity theft were among the reasons for the ordinance.