Jacob Naven — who is challenging Mayor Gary Singh in the Nov. 3 election — questions the urgency of the Manteca City Council when it comes to being serious about addressing community concerns about more gas stations in a timely manner.
At the June 16 meeting, every council member when asked indicated they were in favor of putting in place an emergency temporary moratorium on new gas station applications while determining if they want to alter rules regarding their location.
That said, they clearly weren’t gung-ho about a permanent moratorium being put in place. One council member — Charlie Halford — expressed reservations about even a short temporary moratorium but noted he might favor it to give staff time to propose rules.
The council at the start of the year cancelled the July 7, July 21, and Aug. 4.
That is why the gas station moratorium issue was put off until Aug. 18.
“If I told my clients in an emergency situation I’d get back to them in (49) days, I’d be in big trouble,” Naven said Tuesday.
Naven’s question, even though some may view it as political posturing, is not rhetorical.
Singh first advocated pursuing a gas station moratorium at the Dec. 1 council meeting.
Since then, applications involving two more gas stations were submitted to the city.
One was on the northeast corner of Lathrop Road and Airport Way and the other connected with the proposed new Super Walmart Center on the northwest corner of Atherton Drive and South Main Street.
During that time period, the applicant for a gas station as part of a neighborhood commercial endeavor on the southeast corner of Pillsbury Road and Woodward Avenue withdrew the proposal to reportedly rework it without including fueling pumps.
Developers can — with minimal investment of time — submit what is essential a pre-application of their intent to submit plans to develop a specific property before the end of business on Aug. 18.
If they did, the application would legally be grandfathered in under existing city rules for gas stations.
An urgency moratorium, if passed Aug. 18, would go into effect for 45 days.
The council would have the ability to extend it once for a maximum of 10 months and 15 days.
Naven questions whether the council is looking out for the best interests of citizens by not addressing the gas station issue in a timelier manner.
Singh was the first to bring the question of whether a moratorium should be considered on gas stations to rethink rules regarding where they can be located. He did so under council comments during a November asking for council consensus to discuss the possibility at the December meeting.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
