Excessive land acquired by the City of Manteca to construct the McKinley Avenue/120 Bypass is being used in a no-cost land swap with a private developer to secure a “strategic strong” location for the city’s next fire station.
That swap gives the city 1.82 acres from a 17-acre parcel owned by Danna LCC north of Woodward Avenue and west of McKinley Avenue.
In addition, roughly an acre elongated parcel that is 50 feet wide from the Manteca Unified’s adjoining site for a TK-8 elementary school will be combined with the land the city is getting from Danna in the swap.
Danna will then receive roughly 0.82 acres from that one acre parcel leaving the city with a two acre fire station site.
The 0.94 acres the city now owns on the southeast corner of the interchange along with the 0.82 acres from the school district that the city will take possession has been determined to be equal value to the land Manteca will retain for the fire station.
As a result, the new fire station site will not cost the city any money.
The various transactions are before the City Council for approval when they meet tonight at 6 p.m.
In a nutshell, the end result will be:
*A station location that provides the maximum effective response time to reach points in southwest Manteca within the targeted 5 minute response time from dispatch to arrival on scene allowing for the best possible outcomes in medical emergencies and fires.
*A school site that can ultimately be expanded to 1,300 students if needed. The initial phase will accommodate 1,000 students. There is still room on site for support fields and well as an additional cluster of 10 classrooms.
*A private developer will be able to develop/market what is arguably the most strategic highway/commercial parcel left along the 120 Bypass. It is nestled against the eastbound offramp and Bronzan Road. The means future sales tax generation for the City of Manteca.
The two small parcels the city owns by the interchange are remnants of two residential parcels that had homes. The northern part of each parcel was needed to accommodate the off ramp.
The school district has indicated deeding the 50-foot wide parcel will not impact the ability to provide a robust school site that can eventually accommodate 1,300 students. It essentially eliminate a non-usable grass area due to its narrow nature that would have to be watered and maintained.
The city initiated the land swap in connection with the sweeping Qualex agreement regarding 555 Industrial Park Drive where the 58,000 square-foot former photo processing plant is being converted into a permanent homeless navigation facility.
The district tried to secure the site for central warehouses for food services.
The understanding included:
*The school district dropping its pursuit of the site.
*Manteca Unified forgoing its prorated 51 percent share of the value of 555 Industrial Park property being sold by the redevelopment successor agency to reduce the cost of the city’s acquisition of the building to house the homeless navigation center.
*Resolving conflicts regarding water connection fees involving modernization projects at the Manteca and East Union high school campuses.
*Covering potential fees with the new southwest school suite development or connection fees.
*The city covering the cost of Chardonnay Avenue street improvements for the relocated Joshoa Cowell Schol bus drop off zone.
The school district expects to start physical construction work on the mew elementary school by the start 2027.
Groundbreaking for the new fire station is set for Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 10 a.m. at the corner o Woodward Avenue and Joshua Street.
The $12 million plus cost is being covered by the Measure Q sales tax and fees collected on growth.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
