Manteca’s first new Manteca subdivision modified so future traffic does not impact the quality of life of an existing neighborhood is back before the Manteca Planning Commission on Tuesday.
The 154-home North Main Street Commons originally called for extending Northgate Drive to connect with Aksland Drive to provide a secondary access from Louise Avenue.
Existing Springtime Estates residents concerned about the road connection increasing traffic were irked when a traffic consultant contended connecting the two streets would not increase traffic.
The City Council sided with existing residents and directed the street connection to be replaced with an emergency vehicle access. Essentially the two streets will “dead end” into an area that may be designed somewhat like a plaza blocked off with bollards that emergency personnel can unlock if needed. It would still allow pedestrians and bicyclists to pass through.
The extension of Northgate across Main Street is the only access to serve 154 homes that will be built on 23.72 acres. All of the 154 homes being proposed would be to the south of the extension tying into the Northgate Drive and North Main Street intersection. There are no other access points to North Main Street that is the heaviest traveled north-south corridor in Manteca.
Aksland Drive does not connect directly with Louise Avenue. That said, a half block drive from where Aksland T-intersects into April Way is Springtime Avenue that is straight shot to Louise Avenue and intersects with Lancaster Drive that ties into North Main Street with a traffic signal.
The extension also raised concerns with Springtime Estates residents for what is proposed on the north side of the Aksland Drive.
The subdivision itself will require 23.72 acres of 30.7 acres to be rezoned from commercial mixed use to light density residential. The remaining 6.45 acres north would remain commercial mixed use. That means future development of those 6.45 acres coupled with another roughly 8 acres north of that with the same zoning that is currently Caltrans surplus property after the flyover ramp and off ramp for the Lathrop Road interchange was removed could have drawn additional traffic through the Springtime neighborhood.
At one point D.R. Horton — America’s largest home builder that now has the land owned by the Rossi Trust in escrow — said it would not participate in a community facilities district to help Manteca Unified house 77 more kindergarten through eighth grade students and 37 high school students the project is expected to generate Students would attend New Haven School and East Union High.
Since then property owner Toinette Rossi has worked to get the future homes into a community facilities district in addition to the future builder paying $1.93 per square foot when each home is built for school mitigation fees. That agreement is before the Manteca Unified board on Tuesday.
The district can currently legally charge $3.48 per square foot.
The commission meets Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center council chambers, 1001 W. Center St.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
