The Manteca City Council Tuesday will decide whether an office/warehouse will be allowed to be built on a vacant lot in the 600 block of East Yosemite Avenue that is often used as an illegal dumping site.

Raymus LCC — a firm that rents and maintains numerous homes in Manteca — is appealing a Planning Commission decision to have the project returned to them with façade upgrades, inclusion of solar, and rethinking alley access.

Instead of returning the project to the commission Raymus LCC opted to appeal it directly to the City Council.

The commission saw the 600 block of East Yosemite Avenue where Raymus  LCC — the property management of the original Raymus Development home building endeavor — wants to build a warehouse as part of downtown Manteca.

The warehouse would be used to store supplies to maintain numerous rental homes Raymus LCC owns. The office will house the property management endeavors as well as the Raymus Foundation.

The zoning allows for the 3,200-square-foot warehouse with an attached 238-square-foot office Raymus LCC is seeking to build at 617 West Yosemite.

Ann Sugar of Raymus LCC explained to the commission they wanted to put the vacant lot they owned to good use. They tore down an old house that was on the lot. Since then people have been dumping trash and abandoning old cars on the parcel that, as property owners, they routinely get cited by the city to remove.

In their appeal they noted:

*commissioner Ron Laffranchi did not recuse himself from discussion on the project although he had a conflict of interest. That is considered a denial of due process and is automatic ground for a new hearing by the planning commission of the City Council.

*the project is consistent with the general plan.

*it is an appropriate use for the zoning on the land at is primary use is as an office and not a warehouse. Storage is an ancillary use.

*commission questioned the architecture and suggested they incorporate a mural or other decorative touches were inappropriate as the proposed architecture is modern.

*the request for solar to be added is not required in the building code.

*the block is not within the designated downtown district boundaries.

*alley access is appropriate as the storage area will be used just two to three times a day.

Several commission members were concerned that accessing the storage area from the alley would create issues for those that reside in granny flat or auxiliary dwelling units that are along the alley.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com