Holly Creek Park will be located in the Holly Creek subdivision near Oakley Road and Empire Avenue. Nutmeg Park will be built at Nutmeg Drive and Mercedes Lane just south of Laurel Elementary School.
City Manager Bryan Montgomery said preliminary work on the parks is set to begin within a few weeks and that the parks should be completed in about six months.
"They'll be ready just in time for summer," he said.
Nutmeg Park will be about two and a half acres, with a walkway leading to the school. It will also feature a basketball court, skate area, covered picnic tables and a children's play structure.
Holly Creek Park is in a basin and will be about seven acres. It will feature barbecue grills, covered picnic tables, a play structure, swings and toddler rocks. Montgomery said a hiking trail eventually will be built around the rim of the park.
The city manager told the council that there is $1.2 million in the Lighting and Landscape District fund for the parks, and an additional $800,000 or more in grants that should be awarded by the time the money is needed for the projects. The City Council authorized him to make some short-term internal loans if necessary to cover the costs.
Montgomery said that Discovery Builders is providing approximately $100,000 for trees and emergency access to Holly Creek Park. Goodland Landscape Construction, Inc. of Tracy has been tapped to build the two parks.
In other business at Monday night's council meeting, Oakley Permit Manager Gary Smith introduced a proposed ordinance requiring builders of new homes to install fire sprinkler systems.
"Research has shown that home fire sprinklers can contain and even extinguish a fire in less time than it takes for the fire department to arrive at the scene," Smith states in his report to the council. "Fire sprinklers save lives, reduce property loss and can even cut homeowner insurance premiums."
Smith pointed out that home fire sprinklers are technologically advanced but are actually simple in construction. They have no moving parts, he said, adding that they act only as a water plug that releases water at a set temperature. He said the likelihood that they will accidentally discharge is extremely remote.
Shea Homes is requesting an exemption, however, for homes that are close to a fire station. Rob Wainwright, senior community development manager for Shea Homes, wrote in a letter to the city that Shea is supportive of fire safety measures and is building a fire station to serve its Summer Lake subdivision and surrounding communities.
"Additionally, Shea Homes is providing the station with a new fire truck as well as $95,000 for staffing," Wainwright states in the letter.
The City Council asked Smith to conduct further study of the proposed ordinance and bring it back for further consideration at a later date.
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