The first three-story apartments north of the 120 Bypass are being proposed along Lathrop Road backing up to Del Webb at Woodbridge west of Union Road and east of the city fire station.
Plans for the envisioned Manteca Luxury Apartments are being reviewed by the Manteca Planning Commission when they meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center council chambers, 1001 W. Center St.
The project consists of 140 apartment units on 5.55 acres in six, three-story buildings totaling 125,712 square feet, a two-story community center consisting of 8,998 square feet that also will accommodate a fitness center and rental office, as well as an outdoor swimming pool. There will be 72 one-bedroom units consisting of 740 square feet each and 72 two-bedroom units consisting of 1,006 square feet each. Each of the six buildings will have 12 one-bedroom units and 12 two-bedroom units.
The plan calls for 144 covered parking stalls and 180 uncovered parking stalls. They also have the option to add solar panels to the buildings, constructing solar carports and adding electric car charging stations as well.
The community center and fitness building and swimming pool will be at the front of the site near West Lathrop Road. A six-foot wrought iron fence will run along the front of the gated community with an 8-foot block wall with a decorative cap along the remaining three sides of the 5.55 acres.
Buildings will feature Spanish style concrete tile roofs with feathered stucco walls. Black steel will be used for patio railings while stone veneer and window trimming will be added to the buildings that will feature grey tone colors.
There is one entrance to the proposed complex roughly midway between Madison Grove Avenue and Union Road. While a bike path that connects with the Tidewater Bikeway and eventually will connect with another bike path along the city’s western edge to eventually cross under the 120 Bypass at McKinley Avenue runs directly behind the apartment complex and the southern edge of the Del Webb neighborhood, there are no plans to provide direct access to it for apartment residents.
Land on both sides of the site that has been zoned high density residential since 2005 has been designated for commercial uses.
It was part of the overall masterplan for the area that includes Del Webb at Woodbridge and Union Ranch. Both the northwest and northeast corners of the Union Road and Lathrop Road intersection were master planned for what the city at the time called “smart growth”. That means basic retail services such as grocery shopping, drug stores and food services are within walking distance of the apartment complex. The complex is also situated to serve as a buffer between the single family homes of Union Ranch to the north and the retail complex.
The city several years ago extended the map for the proposed Woodbridge Apartments planned at 925 West Lathrop Road to the east of Woodbridge Shopping center anchored by CVS Drugs and north of Lathrop Road. The 128-unit garden apartment complex includes a 3,800 square-foot community center with a swimming pool and spa. There also would be a mail kiosk, enclosed garages, carports and extensive landscaping and landscaping improvements.
Just like the proposed Manteca Luxury Apartments being reviewed Tuesday by the Planning Commission, the Woodbridge Apartments in part would buffer single family homes from commercial areas. The Raley’s shopping center is on the southwest corner of the intersection while subsidized senior apartments are near the southeast corner. A assisted senior living complex — The Commons at Union Ranch — is north of the intersection.
The commission has received at least one letter commenting on the Manteca Luxury Apartments.
Del Webb resident Donald McClure raises several concerns.
One focuses on the design of westbound Lathrop Road that encourages cars to speed around trucks before Lathrop Road goes down to one lane just west of Madison Grove Avenue. McClure repeats an observation that many others living in the area have in regards to cars driving too fast and coming up on vehicles signaling to turn right onto Madison Grove.
McClure also asked about school housing for elementary and middle school students from the proposed housing complex.

Other apartments,
condos planned
elsewhere in Manteca
Developers are moving toward breaking ground on the 157-unit Tesoro Apartments this year south of the 120 Bypass fronting Atherton Drive next to Juniper Apartments and across Van Ryn Avenue from the Paseo Villas. AKF Development built the last at-market apartments in Manteca 13 years ago at Paseo Villas.
The city in 2014 also approved two other apartments and/or condo projects that have yet to move forward.
The Brocchini Family Partnership obtained approval for 184 condos on 10.86 acres straddling both sides of Center Street as it is extended westward to a point 350 feet east of St. Dominic’s Drive. It is part of a parcel sandwiched between Kaiser’s medical offices on the west  the commercial/offices on the east where Valley Dental and AAA are located, the golf course on the north and Yosemite Avenue on the south. The plan is for the 5.84 acres bordering Yosemite Avenue to be developed in the future as commercial.
The Brocchini Family Partnership project is dubbed Alma’s Place. It will consist of two-story buildings with one-, two, and three-bedroom units. The plan calls fore a separate community center and a separate recreation facility with a gym, swimming pool, tot lot, and BBQ area for residents. The proposal includes 184 covered parking lots and 230 uncovered stalls.
There is also a bus turnout planned for the extension of Center Street.
If that plan ever moves forward, it would create the largest concentration of multiple family residences in Manteca’s between Magnolia Place on the west side of the Civic Center and Airport Way. Stonegate Apartments, Westwood Village Apartments, Union North, and Fairway Estates are already located on that stretch of Center Street.
The 200-unit Terra Ranch apartment complex proposed south of Woodward Avenue at the new alignment for McKinley Avenue has also been approved by the city,
It would consist of 12 apartment buildings with 190,596 square feet. The buildings will be built with two and three story versions using a plaster finish with Spanish-style roofs and earth tone colors.
A 4,999-square-foot community center that includes a fitness center and a swimming pool are planned as well.
The project being advanced by TR Lands Company will have extensive trees along perimeter streets. It also will have 200 carport spaces, 200 uncovered parking spaces, and 50 garages.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com