Neighbors urge limits on large events at Woodward Park, cite traffic, noise and trespass

A Manteca resident told the City Council on Sept. 16 that residents near Woodward Park have grown concerned about several large events held at the facility, saying those events have at times brought "over 10,000 people" and strained city resources.

Trey, a resident of the Woodward Park neighborhood who said he has lived in Manteca for more than 20 years, described blocked driveways, cars parked without permission in residential driveways, loud amplified sound that echoed through streets and large amounts of trash discarded in yards. He asked the council to seek alternative venues for very large events, to review city ordinances governing park use, noise and capacity, and to "consider the needs of the effects of the neighborhood first."

Parks staff told the council that Woodward Park is one of the city’s largest facilities and that event requirements are set on an event-by-event basis depending on expected attendance, amplification, porta-potty needs and whether vehicles are driven on fields. Staff said the city meets with each event organizer and that staff is "fine tuning some of the policies right now" in response to issues that have emerged from large soccer tournaments and other events.

Councilmembers said the city tries to keep very large events out of neighborhood parks and pushes them to community parks like Woodward, but acknowledged the city has limited alternative locations for large gatherings. Councilmember Morwitt thanked staff for the recent Park Palooza event and noted organizers finished amplified music at designated cutoff times.

Staff offered to follow up with the resident to discuss specific incidents and said updates to event policies are underway.