Mayor Gary Singh said its time for “the talk.”

“We need to have a discussion about a moratorium on new gas stations,” Singh said during Tuesday’s Manteca City Council meeting.

The council gave its consensus for a discussion of a potential mortarium at an upcoming meeting on whether the city should do just that.

If Manteca does ban new gas stations, it would be the first city in the Central Valley to do so.

Sacramento has adopted a policy that bans new gas stations, or expansions of existing ones, if they don’t include electric vehicle charging stations.

Petaluma in 2021 was the first city in the nation to adopt an outright ban on new gas stations.

Other Northern San Francisco Bay cities — Sebastopol, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Santa Rosa, and Windsor followed suit — as did Sonoma County for all unincorporated areas.

Pinole has a temporary ban in place to address climate change.

Singh made it clear his proposal would not impact gas stations that have already been approved to be built or projects already submitted and are in the city approval process.

Singh said it wouldn’t be fair to stop such projects from going forward given they bought land that had zoning for gas station projects.

It also avoids opening the city to costly legislation.

Gas stations already approved but yet to break ground are:

*A Chevron with 16 fueling stations, an Extra Mile convenience store, and a car wash as well as a quick serve restaurant with drive thru service on the southeast corner of Airport Way and Lathrop Road.

*A gas station, convenience store, and car wash with an adjoining Sonic drive-in on the northwest corner of Daniels Street and Airport Way.

*A Circle K and gas station on the southeast corner of Lathrop Road and Union Road.

*A 7-Eleven and a gas station on the northwest corner of Lathrop Road and Union Road.

Gas stations making their way through the approval process include:

*One on the southwest corner of Louise Avenue and Airport Way that is the initial phase of Villa Ticno Village where developers are using it to leverage a supermarket, hotel, and other retail. The station will also include a car wash and a convenience store.

*A gas station, car wash, and convenience store for a development on the southeast corner of Louise Avenue and Airport Way.

*A gas station and convenience store combo in the 1800 block of East Yosemite Avenue on the south side of the street on a parcel immediately east of the entry to El Rancho Mobile Home Park. The proposal also includes a building with space for six smaller retail businesses.

*The northeast corner of Atherton Drive and Airport Way includes a gas station that is part of a retail complex that will include a hotel and car dealership across from where the Maverik gas station just opened.

*A gas station and convenience store on the southeast corner of Pillsbury Road and Woodward Avenue.

Lackey opened the door

questioning climate plan

In agreeing to the future council discission that could lead to a historic policy regarding future gas stations, no other council member made their position clear one way or another.

Councilman Charlie Halford made it a point to note it initially would be a discussion about a possible policy and not a policy per say that would be before the council.

Staff indicated they would prepare options for the council to discuss.

Councilman Mike Morowit noted “there is a lot of chatter out there” about the number of gas stations coming to Manteca.

Besides the nine at various points in the entitlement process, two have opened so far this year; the Maverick station and Rotten Robbie’s that is also on Airport Way.

Councilwoman Regina Lackey brought up the issue of additional gas stations during the previous council meeting.

She questioned the logic of the city adopting a climate change update that essentially reflects the state’s push to phase out the sale of new cars fueled by fossil fuel by 2035.

The Trump administration has revoked California’s ability to do so. That said, the state still has an extensive climate change policy in place.

That includes a directive to end all oil extraction in California by 2045.

Lackey voted against the climate change update after pointing out that it conflicts with what the city was actually doing.

She made her point after former Manteca Planning Commissioner Leonard Smith pushed for not a ban on new gas stations per se but one that required them to be more proactive in the efforts to spur a switch from fossil fuels.

Smith also wanted to limit drive-thru windows to electric vehicles and hybrids given an idling gas-powered vehicle spews more greenhouse gas emissions in one minute than turning on an engine.

Singh would allow existing

stations to modernize

Singh said he still wants to allow existing stations to modernize to meet changing air quality standards.

They could possibly allow existing stations to add more fueling pumps.

The mayor added he is leaning toward a moratorium that was reviewed annually.

It’s a nod to the likelihood Manteca’s strong growth could easily add 50,000 residents in the next 15 years that might force residents to drive long distances especially as areas in the southeast and to the northeast develop.

As such that could lead to more miles than necessary to be driven.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com