Manteca years ago was considered the “RV/Trailer Capital of Northern California.”

In a three block stretch of East Yosemite Avenue that doubles as East Highway 120 east of Highway 120 there was an RV dealership, two sellers of trailers and modular homes, and two mobile home parks.

It got to the point where the San Francisco Chronicle’s in-house comic strip dubbed “Farley” had a character named Velma Melmac — named after the  indestructible dishwater with the same name from the 1950s — who liked in a mobile home in Manteca.

The sassy, chain cigarette smoking Velma Melmac dressed in pedal pushers and had.a Chihuahua called Max.

Every summer Velma would load up Max in her supersized RV equipped with satellite dish and commune with nature at a Yosemite Valley campground. And the first thing she would do is light up a cigarette, plug a vacuum cleaner into a generator and start cleaning up nature’s mess, pine needles and all.

If Farley were around today, the strip would need to be updated. Velma would be working in a 7-Eleven.

On Thursday, April 16, the Manteca Planning Commission will review the site plan for yet another 7-Eleven/gas station combo when they meet at 6 p.m. at the Civic Center.

This time it includes a car wash as well.

And it is going on the site of a former modular homes sale lot at 1901 East Yosemite Avenue backing up to the Almond Blossom Mobile Home Park.

If it ends up being built along with one already approved minus a car wash on the northwest corner of Lathrop and Union roads and kitty corner from a planned Circle K convenience store car wash in the northwest area of the city, it will bring the number of 7-Elevens in Manteca to six, with five of them having gas pumps.

That would include three on Yosemite Avenue, two on North Main Street roughly a half mile from each other and the Lathrop/Union location.

There’s also a possibility a seventh 7-Eleven could pop up along the Airport Way corridor.

There are two convenience store/gas combos already approved — one at Lathrop Road and another at Daniels Street that also includes a gas station.

Two more convenience stores/gas station sites have been proposed but not yet approved by the city along Airport Way. They are on the southeast corner of the intersection with Atherton Drive and the southeast corner of the intersection with Louise Avenue.

That is in addition to a Maverick gas station approved on the northwest corner of Airport Way and Atherton Drive and the Rotten Robbie’s at Wawona Street and Airport Way.

If the approved 7-Eleven/gas station combo at Union and Lathrop roads is built along with the one the commission is reviewing next Thursday, 7-Eleven would have just one less gas station location in Manteca than Chevron that has six.

And if all proposed and approved has stations are built, Manteca will have 41 gas stations.

The East Yosemite

Avenue project

When the project before the planning commission Thursday was first proposed, the developer hoped to secure a fast food style dining option.

It could still happen.

That’s because the commission is being asked to subdivide the rectangular parcel between Vasconcellos and Pestana avenues into two lots.

The parcel along Pestana Avenue includes the proposed 7-Eleven, 12 fueling stations, and car wash is proposed.

The proposed 5,054-square-foot building is somewhat larger than a standard 7-Eleven and could therefore also be combined with a small fast food operation.

The car wash is 1.320 square feet.

The remaining parcel that would be developed at later date could possibly accommodate a fast food concern.

The stretch of East Yosemite Avenue that doubles as East Highway 120 already has extensive weekday traffic that surges during the weekends.

Throughout the spring to mid-fall, it isn’t unusual for Sunday afternoon traffic heading back to the Bay Area to back up as far to the east where East Highway 120 widens to four lanes.

The developer will be required to repave both Pestana and Vasconcellos avenues along the property to the centerline.

Also sidewalk that is in disrepair will be replaced.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com