West Manteca — generally north of Yosemite Avenue and south of Lathrop Road along Airport Way — is one of the last remnants of “the sandy plains” in the urbanized area of the City of Manteca.
It consists of patches of sandy loam soil with minimal vegetation.
During high winds — especially when the land is disturbed for agricultural plowing or earth movers to prepare for today’s big cash crop of new homes — ample dust is kicked up.
Dust storms reached a crescendo two decades ago when drying, high winds whipped across areas being graded for new homes from Wawona Street to Louise Avenue created dust clouds worthy of the Grape of Wrath.
Nearby roofs and driveways were coated with dirt. Pool cleaning equipment became clogged. Keeping home interiors clean was a major challenge.
As the years have passed, the problem has diminished.
Now a series of projects being advanced or under construction will make the chances virtually nil of a recurrence of the summer of 2021 when motorists at mid-afternoon on a 90-degree day had to turn on headlights on Airport Way as well as Union Road.
The trade-off, though, is more homes.
With a 324-unit apartment complex going before the Manteca Planning Commission on Thursday, June 20, at 6 p.m. there will be 1,271 housing units built along the Airport Way corridor between Louise Avenue and the future extension of Center Street.
It includes the 760-home Villa Ticino West project on the southwest corner of Airport and Louise under construction as well as what will be the city’s largest halfplex project ever with 124 housing units just south of where construction of the 99-home Yosemite Greens neighborhood is winding down.
The 324-unit apartment complex is being proposed for West Louise Avenue west of Airport Way and across the street from the Manteca Unified School District complex.
It consists of 14 three-story residential buildings and a two-story structure housing an office, clubhouse, and gym.
The complex is on the southeast corner of Villa Ticino Drive that ties into a traffic signal directly across from the access to a business park where Medline and Amazon Prime Now are located.
The commercial property bordering the apartment projects doesn’t have a development plan yet.
However, the parcel on the southeast corner of Airport and Louise does.
The project — dubbed Villa Ticino Towne Square — is now under review in the City of Manteca Development Services Department.
It consists of nine parcels with more than 70,000 square feet.
It includes the Manteca commercial development trifecta — a gas station, a convenience store, and a car wash.
Those three uses — and a coffee purveyor — are among the users that have signed on for a 9.47-acre project.
A gas station and convenience store will go on the corner.
A separate car wash is to the east of the convenience store along Louise Avenue.
To the south of the convenience store/gas station is a 6,042-square-foot pad with a drive thru lane suitable for fast food uses as well as 6,600-square-foot pad with a 1,100-square-foot patio designed for a restaurant use.
Behind the two pads facing Airport Way are five other parcels involving two buildings.
One building is designed for four tenants. The largest space is 18,056 square feet. The other three spaces range from 8,409 square feet to 12,540 square feet.
The other parcel is designated “education” which means it could be used as a childcare facility with 10,000 square feet plus a 7,500-square-foot yard.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
