There was a time when Yosemite Avenue was where the majority of gas stations in Manteca were located.

It’s because until the early 1980s, Yosemite Avenue did double duty as Highway 120 through Manteca.

And almost every one of those gas stations had a house next door or backed up to one.

A number of those gas stations are gone, converted to used car lots or, like the old Standard station that once graced the corner of Yosemite and Main Street (old Highway 120 and old Highway 99), have been torn down and converted into parking lots along Yosemite Avenue

Three years ago, the city prohibited new gas stations through special zoning adopted to govern land use in the downtown district.

On Tuesday, the current council may make it even more difficult to place new gas stations elsewhere on the Yosemite Avenue corridor by outright banning them in neighborhood commercial zones.

It is part of rule changes being proposed for gas station placement and development that are before the City Council when they meet on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

The council also will consider adopting an emergency 45-day moratorium on accepting new gas station applications to allow time to get new rules in place.

The new zoning changes would outright ban new gas stations in neighborhood commercial and manufacturing commercial zones.

They would still be allowed in general commercial and mixed use commercial. But instead of requiring only a minor use permit, they will require a much more rigorous conditional use permit that would allow elected leaders and the general public input.

The majority of the 10 parcels in the city zoned neighborhood commercial and downtown mixed use are along Yosemite Avenue.

Manteca currently has 19 general commercial parcels and four mixed use commercial parcels throughout the city where gas stations could still be located.

There are 33 existing fueling stations, five approved and four in the approval process that are not subject to the zoning changes. If the nine additional stations are built, there will be 27 percent more fueling stations in Manteca.

The majority of fueling stations in Manteca are located less than 300 feet from residential uses.

Among other proposed future restrictions for gas station site development are:
*Fueling stations must be 500 feet apart, however, two fueling stations would be allowed at the same intersection.

*Gas stations will only be along arterial and major collector roadways at signalized intersections designed to accommodate high traffic volumes, or at intersections determined by the City Engineer to safely accommodate projected traffic volumes.

*Parcels where gas stations are located must be at least 0.5 acres.

*Access points for gas stations must be a minimum of 150 feet from intersections and a minimum of 300 feet from the property line of any parcels zoned for residential use.

*Where a fueling station is located adjacent to residential zoning, a masonry wall with a minimum height of seven feet shall be constructed.

*A fueling station shall provide no less than six double-sided fuel dispensers.

*A minimum of 20% of the lot area shall be landscaped. Of that, a minimum of 70% of the landscaped area will be covered with a combination of live landscaping, such as lawn, ground cover, trees, or shrubs, and not more than 30% can be covered with impervious materials.

*Primary buildings will utilize high-quality architectural materials, including brick, stone, decorative concrete, architectural metal, glass, and stucco.

*Building will incorporate projections and recesses, changes in wall plane, parapets of varying heights, gables, canopies, awnings, recessed entrances, tower elements, decorative trim, cornices, pilasters, columns, changes in exterior materials or colors, public art, decorative lighting, and other architectural features that provide visual interest and avoid long, uninterrupted building facades. Blank wall lengths exceeding 40 feet are prohibited.

*Fuel dispensers, fueling canopies, underground storage tanks, and associated fueling equipment shall not be located within 300 feet of any adjoining property zoned for a single-family residential use.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com