Manteca Neighborhood Stuck Paying For Park That Doesn't Exist
MANTECA (CBS13) - Bruce Lownsbery moved into the Union Ranch East Subdivision in Manteca to live across the street from a state-of-the-art park. Complete with a basketball court, playgrounds, even a 35-foot-wide canopy.
Instead, he's just got one big eyesore outside of his front window.
"I'm standing in the weeds right across from my home and in a park that was supposed to be finished by now and it's just now a bunch of weeds," Lownsbery said as he showed the park to CBS13 on Thursday.
When Lownsbery and his neighbors bought their homes, it meant paying an extra fee of nearly $500 a year to maintain a park that's never existed.
"They were taxing us before we were getting any benefit and the California constitution says you're not supposed to do that," said Lownsbery.
The problem arose when the developers didn't finish the project last year, so the city stepped in. It was supposed to be ready to go in March, but legal issues have pushed back the finish date.
Council member Steve Debrum says what's happened to Union Ranch East homeowners is simply unfair.
"As a homeowner myself, I found it very difficult to even, if I was to place myself in the position or anyone else, say why am I paying for something and I do not have the benefit of a park in the neighborhood?" said Debrum.
So this week the City Council approved the next step in refunding part of the money to homeowners for a service they never received.
But people here say its time for the city to stop playing around and finally get to building.
"If I went to McDonald's and ordered something and paid, I want my food I paid for. I want my park," said Lownsbery.
Now the city says is going to build the park and that it should be ready by September, but all things considered, people out here just don't believe it anymore.
