There are 144,000 vehicles that pass through Ripon on Highway 99 on an average day.

And they could be a partial answer to the city’s need to expand sales tax receipts to help pay for municipal services such as police plus parks and street maintenance.

It is one of the reasons the Ripon City Council on Tuesday approved spending $558,290 to hire the Miniter Harrish consulting firm to prepare the Westside Area Plan for roughly 1,800 acres.

The plan will put Ripon in the driver’s seat in terms of how the roughly three square miles will develop over the years rather than allowing the private sector to piecemeal development.

When it is done, it will serve as a framework where major arterials need to go as well as infrastructure including possibly a third interchange. It also will include future land zoning

It would also give the city a base to determine how growth fees would need to be adjusted or put in place to finance some of the improvements.

The strategic importance of developing the area when it comes to Ripon’s future can’t be overstated.

Ripon Planning Director Kurt Zuidervaart Tuesday noted it represents the last segment along the Highway 99 corridor that has yet to develop.

As such, it is an opportunity to lure sales tax generators to Ripon as it would provide an opportunity to tap into regional consumers given 144,000 vehicles currently pass through Ripon on any given day via Highway 99.

Commercial friendly locations in urban areas along freeways are relatively limited.

The long-term value for retail and such is why Manteca planned nearly a quarter of a century ago to make sure 2.5 miles of land on the south side of the 120 Bypass was set aside with zoning for that purpose as houses were built farther south.

Today, three new large scale shopping centers are being built to join the 787,000 square-foot Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley anchored by Bass Pro Shops that broke ground 20 years ago.

Walmart plans to build a 181,000 square-foot Supercenter fronting the 120 Bypass on the southwest corner of Main Street and the 120 Bypass that will have 11 other retail and dining tenants.

The writing is on the wall for Ripon in terms of shifting revenue sources.

Ten years ago, 63 percent of the city’s sales tax came from truck stop fuel sales as well as those at Ripon’s gas stations. Today, it is down to 40 percent.

City sales tax receipts after reaching a record $4.5 million in 2021-2022 dropped to $4.04 million. Sales tax receipts are now in excess of $4 million and expected to grow 3.7 percent this year.

Sales tax accounts for 22 percent of Ripon’s general fund.

Ripon needs to not just replace diminishing sales tax from fuel purchases but also secure new revenue streams to help maintain and possibly even expand municipal services.

At the same time city leaders want to do so with a development pattern that Ripon can direct in a matter that it fits into the community.

The Westside Area Plan is not being developed in a vacuum.

Input from property owners in the area as well as Ripon citizens overall will be sought through workshops, public meetings, and website feedback.

The Westside Area Plan is bounded by:

*Jack Tone Road on the east.

*a point midway between Olive Avenue and Frederick Avenue in the west roughly half a mile east of Austin Road as well as where the city’s sphere of influence — areas identified as a high likelihood of being annexed in the future to the city.
*roughly midway between West Ripon Road and Highway 99 to the south.

*a point a fifth of a mile north of Graves Road — between roughly 1.5 miles east of Austin Road and North Ripon Road — on the north.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com