Manteca’s municipal leadership is pursuing a general plan update that would allow the city to swell to 206,381 residents.

It would also take the traffic count of the 120 Bypass on a typical day that in 2019 was 82,200 vehicle trips and 7,080 truck trips between McKinley Avenue and Airport Way to 232,700 vehicle trips and 11,530 truck trips at the buildout of the proposed general plan.
The Bypass corridor can likely accommodate four more travel lanes — two in each direction — within the center median. However the long range goal to take the 120 Bypass to six lanes by 2040 calls for the two additional lanes being added at that time to be reserved for high occupancy vehicles during commute hours.

To give you an idea of how aggressive the preferred general plan update of city officials is, within the current city limits Manteca would be able to add 58,639 residents. Combine that with an existing population DeNova Planning — the architect of the general plan update — places at 89,835 and that would allow Manteca without expanding its city limits to reach 116,545 residents.

Toss in the so-called planning area — land designated for future annexation and development — and Manteca leaders are planning for 206,381 residents.

The environmental impact report attached to the proposed general plan update contends traffic, air quality and greenhouse gases will get worse if Manteca doesn’t expand beyond its city limits while all three areas of concerns will get better as Manteca grows to the edges of the planning area. That would be as far north as French Camp Road, roughly a half mile east of Austin Road and south toward West Ripon Road.

The proposed general plan update and its accompanying environmental impact report and fiscal analysis are being reviewed tonight at 6 p.m. during a joint Manteca City Council/Manteca Planning Commission workshop at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.

Growth can’t occur without a number of things in place. The general plan is the foundation document designed somewhat like a blueprint outlining general policies and objectives as well as underlying land use. It is also supposed to demonstrate all state mandates from noise and housing to air quality are obtained. The general plan essentially needs to demonstrate the city has a game plan and is prepared to execute it.

General plans are fashioned for a 20- to 30-year planning horizon. That does not mean all of land targeted will be developed.

However given Manteca’s historic growth rate, the city could come close.

*Manteca grew 98 percent from 1980 to 2000 going from 24,925 to 49,258 residents.

*Manteca grew 72 percent from 2000 to 2020 going from 49,255 to 84,800 residents,

Based on the growth rate of 3.1 percent during the last 20 years Manteca will add over 55,000 residents by 2040 to create a city of 145,000.

The preferred general plan update — as identified previously by the City Council — would allow that to happen. The other notable option — not changing the general plan parameters beyond current city limits — would stop growth at 116,545 people.

Essentially that means adopted the preferred plan gives market forces, developers and the city the green light to take Manteca to 145,000 residents based on the current 3.1 percent annual growth rate and possibly beyond to 206,381 people over the next 20 to 30 years.

At the buildout of the updated general plan it would convert 3.57 square miles of prime farmland and farmland of statewide significance into housing, streets, commercial and industrial uses. To put that in perspective the area bordered by Airport Way on the west, Louise Avenue on the north, Main Street on the east and Woodward Avenue on the south represents 4.0 square miles.

When combined with general plans in place for Stockton and Ripon the preferred general plan update for Manteca would create a 100 percent urbanized Highway 99 corridor from Ceres in the south to Morada just to the north of Stockton.

Major traffic increases

yet better traffic circulation

Although the proposed general plan update’s environmental impact report delineates major upticks of traffic through the city, it also proclaims traffic circulation will get significantly better while not growing behind 116,000 residents as is now possible within existing city limits would make it worse.

 That’s because the consultants have drawn lines on maps where major arterials should be as well as new interchanges. They then run their models based on textbook planning and not necessarily routes that people will end up taking instead for a wide variety of reasons.

Based on the EIR, the following are average daily traffic counts at select locations of vehicles and trucks in 2019 and projected at the general plan buildout:

*Main Street north of the 120 Bypass will go from 27,580 vehicle trips and 2,250 truck trips in 2019 to 39,090 vehicle trips and 2,250 truck trips at buildout. It is the only road within the EIR that is not expected to see an increase in truck traffic.

*Airport Way north of the Daisywood Drive at Del Webb will go from 10,130 vehicle trips and 2,090 truck trips in 2019 to 45,440 vehicle trips and 4,240 truck trips at buildout.

*Airport Way north of the Crom Street will go from 14,290 vehicle trips and 1,790 truck trips in 2019 to 43,190 vehicle trips and 4,240 truck trips at buildout.

*Yosemite Avenue west of El Rancho Drive will go from 27,090 vehicle trips and 2,050 truck trips in 2019 to 81,490 vehicle trips and 4,230 truck trips at buildout.

*Louise Avenue west of Airport Way will go from 12,730 vehicle trips and 590 truck trips in 2019 to 47,870 vehicle trips and 2,690 truck trips at buildout.

*Lathrop Road west of Sherwood Avenue will go from 21,100 vehicle trips and 1,810 truck trips in 2019 to 57,290  vehicle trips and 2,270 truck trips at buildout.

*French Camp Road west of Highway 99 will go from 10,780 vehicle trips and 1,660 truck trips in 2019 to 21,740  vehicle trips and 4,280  truck trips at buildout.

*Roth Road west of Airport Way will go from 8,620  vehicle trips and 1,720  truck trips in 2019 to 32,700  vehicle trips and 4,910 truck trips at buildout.

*Highway 99 north of Yosemite Avenue will go from 78,740 vehicle trips and 8,160 truck trips in 2019 to 143,460  vehicle trips and 9,630  truck trips at buildout.

Keep in mind the increased traffic — vehicles and trucks — on the 120 Bypass, Highway 99 and East Highway 120 (East Yosemite Avenue east of Highway 99 — are modeled on vehicle and truck traffic generated by the preferred Manteca general plan update and does not include regional growth,

How to comment

during workshop

There are four other ways for the public to make comments and have them included as part of the record.

*The first is in person. The Council Chambers will be open with limited capacity. Masks are required to be worn at all times. Social distancing will be practiced.

*Call or log into the Zoom Webinar (Meeting ID: 823 4033 5130 — Phone number: (669) 900-6833). To speak during an item you must use the Raise Your Hand feature. If dialing in, press *9 to Raise               Your Hand. Please remain muted until called upon. If you have questions on the Zoom Webinar process, please email: mayorcouncilclerk@ci.manteca.ca.us or call (209) 456-8010.

*Use the first is eComment where you call up the agenda on the city’s website. New users will need to follow instructions to make an account. The comments are made by going down the agenda on the website and clicking on the eComment icon. Only one comment is allowed per agenda items of up to 500 characters. Any eComment can be at any time up to the item being heard by the council.

*Emailing a comment to mayorcouncilclerk@ci.manteca.ca.us up until two hours before the meeting. Comments 250 words and under will be read into the record while those over 250 words will be made a part of the official record but not publically read. Copies of the email comments over 250 words will be provided to council members.

*Mail comments to the City Clerk’s office at 1001 W. Center St, Ste. B, Manteca, CA, 95337 that is received up to two hours before the meeting start. The same email word rules apply.

*Hand delivered comments to the city clerk’s door drop slot no later than two hours prior to the meeting. The same email world rules apply.

Comment period on draft

general plan underway

The draft general plan review period is now underway. It closes on Thursday, May 6. The General Plan and EIR can be viewed on the city’s website at: https://manteca.generalplan.org/content/documents. Submit written responses by 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 6, to J.D. Hightower, Deputy Director, at the address above or by email at jhightower@ci.manteca.ca.us

For more information contact the Development Services Department, 1512 W. Center Street, Suite 201, Manteca, CA 95337. Phone: (209) 456-8500. Fax: (209) 923-8949. 

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantcabulletin.com