Lathrop’s one step closer to getting a Panda Express. 

Last week the Lathrop City Council approved a resolution accepting the dedication of public right-of-way and the public easement for Lathrop and South Harlan Roads – the second time this year the popular eatery has cleared a regulatory hurdle in its pursuit of opening in the growing community.

As a condition of approval, the developer will include frontage improvements along both W. Lathrop and Old Harlan Roads – to include curbs and gutters and a sidewalk – and the site improvements will include paving, landscaping, and trash enclosures. There will be 40 parking spaces available – the city’s municipal code requires one parking space for every two seats in a restaurant and one space for every employee on a maximum working shift – and two of them will be dedicated handicapped parking spaces. The site itself is currently three parcels, and the project is conditioned to include a lot line adjustment and merger so that the restaurant will stand on its own legal parcel. 

The project will also include the dedication of 1,609 square feet of property along the northern portion of the project to accommodate the future widening of W. Lathrop Road. The busy thoroughfare is only two lanes wide traveling east from I-5 until just east of the proposed project site, and then becomes four lanes wide until traffic reaches to eastern side of the first railroad flyover bridge past Woodfield Estates. 

The council’s decision was more of a technical item since the Lathrop Planning Commission already reviewed the development back in January. Construction on the restaurant, which will include a drive-thru to cater to traffic along the busy I-5 corridor, is expected to begin soon. 

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.