The Circle K convenience store/gas station being built on the southeast corner of Lathrop and Union roads will include a first for Manteca by including 6 to 8 electric vehicle charging stations.
It will not rely on PG&E to light its sign along Lathrop Road. The free-standing sign will be solar powered.
Although those two items will make the proposed 5,200 square-foot Circle K arguably the “greenest” ever built in Manteca, it did not impress Leonard Smith.
Smith questioned the Manteca Planning Commission Tuesday on the wisdom of the city continuing to approve more gas stations given air quality concerns and the state mandate that will ban the sale of new gas-powered cars in California in 2035.
He noted that although staff indicated the project will have an insignificant impact on air quality, that when lumped with other similar approved projects, it could have a significant accumulative impact.
Staff indicated regional air quality bureaucrats that must give clearance to such projects before they can proceed did not have a problem.
That said, staff indicated the city still must make sure overall all accumulative air quality standards are met citywide and that at some point it could become an issue.
Some cities have banned additional new gas fueling pumps from being installed.
Commission members noted given that is a legislative decision, it is outside of their purview. As such, a decision to ban future gas stations in Manteca, other than what have been approved, would require City Council action.
A representative of the developer indicated the Circle K will be a new generation store. As such, it will include a sandwich bar and pizza service.
There is also 12 fueling pumps and a 6,816 square-foot Auto Zone auto parts store that is part of the project.
The project, as approved, will restrict access to both Union Road and Lathrop Road with right turns in and right turns out.
A finger median will be extended on Lathrop Road to enforce the prohibition.
On Union Road, a median will be put in place that will include a left turn pocket into the Raley’s shopping enter.
That will eliminate left turns from the Raley’s center onto Union Road.
The project will also use Italian cypress along sound walls bordering nearby residential uses.
The trees were chosen as they grow at an average clip of three feet a year.
The developer’s representative indicated the name of the small retail project was being changed from Manteca Crossroads Plaza to Manteca Veterans Plaza to honor the city’s veterans.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
