Think of a downtown gateway arch, and some see just a bunch of brick and steel.

Councilman Mike Morowit sees something else.

He sees a potential source of community pride.

“It’s a nice thing,” Morowit said.

Morowit said the city is fixing streets and doing other things as promised.

He noted people also want to see amenities of which he believes the arch falls into the same category.

The proposal for the $600,000 downtown gateway arch envisioned on South Main Street between Wetmore Street and the railroad tracks was removed from the City Council agenda on Tuesday.

It is expected to be brought back before the council in October so they can consider moving forward via the bid process.

Morowit said he agreed with the decision to make sure the required process of going to bid is used on projects that exceed a specific dollar threshold.

The arch, which would simply read “Manteca” going in both directions, would have cutting edge light technology.

As such its lights could use different colors and coordinate with various events and holidays.

The highest profile could be tying the arch lighting scheme into the 11 days each year the Manteca Chamber of Commerce places 2,400 flags primarily on Main Street and Yosemite Avenue.

Those days range from Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and the Fourth of July to Juneteenth and Flag Day.

The arch lights could, on such days, be red, white, and blue.

Orange, as example, would tie in with the downtown Pumpkin Fair.

Morowit notes half the funds would come from residual American Recovery Act funds and the rest from the general fund.

The council several years ago unanimously decided to commit $2.5 million of the $14 million that wasn’t used to cover municipal revenue losses and additional expenses incurred with the pandemic or spent on equipment replacement and such to pay for — or to partially underwrite — one time amenities the city otherwise wouldn’t fund.

He noted some believe the arch is a waste of money.

Morowit pointed one of the projects the American Recovery Act funds made possible was the cricket pitch at Doxey Park.

It was blasted as a waste of money.

Now, Morowit said, weekends are filled with cricket matches while weekdays see heavy use for cricket team practices.

Given the city has plenty of options for soccer fields, those that had been using Doxey Park for soccer have been able to use other parks in Manteca.

Councilwoman Regina Lackey, after Tuesday’s meeting, said she was not ready yet to decide one way or another on the arch expenditure.

She did understand, however, that it helps identify downtown and as such puts a focus on the central district.

The location of the arch next to the animal shelter was chosen because existing sidewalk was wide enough and the city had adequate right-of-way.

It also might be considered the gateway as well to an emerging civic complex that could see two high use public facilities a block away on the last remaining large parcel in the central city.

One is the new police headquarters breaking ground next year.

The other endeavor on the 8 acre South Main Street site could be a combined library/community/performing arts center.

The city, besides having an animal shelter next to the sign, has its transit center and vehicle maintenance facility within several hundred yards plus solid waste and streets division nearby.

And if it were to become an iconic municipal landmark of sorts, it would be in the shadow of the water tower that over a decade ago was a push to restore and repaint it to create a structure identified with Manteca.

The water tower hasn’t been used to pressurize the municipal water system for years after an engineering report determined it was structurally unsound to withstand a significant earthquake if it were filled with water.

The tower is currently used to place antennas for municipal communication systems.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com

Think of a downtown gateway arch, and some see just a bunch of brick and steel.

Councilman Mike Morowit sees something else.

He sees a potential source of community pride.

“It’s a nice thing,” Morowit said.

Morowit said the city is fixing streets and doing other things as promised.

He noted people also want to see amenities of which he believes the arch falls into the same category.

The proposal for the $600,000 downtown gateway arch envisioned on South Main Street between Wetmore Street and the railroad tracks was removed from the City Council agenda on Tuesday.

It is expected to be brought back before the council in October so they can consider moving forward via the bid process.

Morowit said he agreed with the decision to make sure the required process of going to bid is used on projects that exceed a specific dollar threshold.

The arch, which would simply read “Manteca” going in both directions, would have cutting edge light technology.

As such its lights could use different colors and coordinate with various events and holidays.

The highest profile could be tying the arch lighting scheme into the 11 days each year the Manteca Chamber of Commerce places 2,400 flags primarily on Main Street and Yosemite Avenue.

Those days range from Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and the Fourth of July to Juneteenth and Flag Day.

The arch lights could, on such days, be red, white, and blue.

Orange, as example, would tie in with the downtown Pumpkin Fair.

Morowit notes half the funds would come from residual American Recovery Act funds and the rest from the general fund.

The council several years ago unanimously decided to commit $2.5 million of the $14 million that wasn’t used to cover municipal revenue losses and additional expenses incurred with the pandemic or spent on equipment replacement and such to pay for — or to partially underwrite — one time amenities the city otherwise wouldn’t fund.

He noted some believe the arch is a waste of money.

Morowit pointed one of the projects the American Recovery Act funds made possible was the cricket pitch at Doxey Park.

It was blasted as a waste of money.

Now, Morowit said, weekends are filled with cricket matches while weekdays see heavy use for cricket team practices.

Given the city has plenty of options for soccer fields, those that had been using Doxey Park for soccer have been able to use other parks in Manteca.

Councilwoman Regina Lackey, after Tuesday’s meeting, said she was not ready yet to decide one way or another on the arch expenditure.

She did understand, however, that it helps identify downtown and as such puts a focus on the central district.

The location of the arch next to the animal shelter was chosen because existing sidewalk was wide enough and the city had adequate right-of-way.

It also might be considered the gateway as well to an emerging civic complex that could see two high use public facilities a block away on the last remaining large parcel in the central city.

One is the new police headquarters breaking ground next year.

The other endeavor on the 8 acre South Main Street site could be a combined library/community/performing arts center.

The city, besides having an animal shelter next to the sign, has its transit center and vehicle maintenance facility within several hundred yards plus solid waste and streets division nearby.

And if it were to become an iconic municipal landmark of sorts, it would be in the shadow of the water tower that over a decade ago was a push to restore and repaint it to create a structure identified with Manteca.

The water tower hasn’t been used to pressurize the municipal water system for years after an engineering report determined it was structurally unsound to withstand a significant earthquake if it were filled with water.

The tower is currently used to place antennas for municipal communication systems.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com

Think of a downtown gateway arch, and some see just a bunch of brick and steel.

Councilman Mike Morowit sees something else.

He sees a potential source of community pride.

“It’s a nice thing,” Morowit said.

Morowit said the city is fixing streets and doing other things as promised.

He noted people also want to see amenities of which he believes the arch falls into the same category.

The proposal for the $600,000 downtown gateway arch envisioned on South Main Street between Wetmore Street and the railroad tracks was removed from the City Council agenda on Tuesday.

It is expected to be brought back before the council in October so they can consider moving forward via the bid process.

Morowit said he agreed with the decision to make sure the required process of going to bid is used on projects that exceed a specific dollar threshold.

The arch, which would simply read “Manteca” going in both directions, would have cutting edge light technology.

As such its lights could use different colors and coordinate with various events and holidays.

The highest profile could be tying the arch lighting scheme into the 11 days each year the Manteca Chamber of Commerce places 2,400 flags primarily on Main Street and Yosemite Avenue.

Those days range from Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and the Fourth of July to Juneteenth and Flag Day.

The arch lights could, on such days, be red, white, and blue.

Orange, as example, would tie in with the downtown Pumpkin Fair.

Morowit notes half the funds would come from residual American Recovery Act funds and the rest from the general fund.

The council several years ago unanimously decided to commit $2.5 million of the $14 million that wasn’t used to cover municipal revenue losses and additional expenses incurred with the pandemic or spent on equipment replacement and such to pay for — or to partially underwrite — one time amenities the city otherwise wouldn’t fund.

He noted some believe the arch is a waste of money.

Morowit pointed one of the projects the American Recovery Act funds made possible was the cricket pitch at Doxey Park.

It was blasted as a waste of money.

Now, Morowit said, weekends are filled with cricket matches while weekdays see heavy use for cricket team practices.

Given the city has plenty of options for soccer fields, those that had been using Doxey Park for soccer have been able to use other parks in Manteca.

Councilwoman Regina Lackey, after Tuesday’s meeting, said she was not ready yet to decide one way or another on the arch expenditure.

She did understand, however, that it helps identify downtown and as such puts a focus on the central district.

The location of the arch next to the animal shelter was chosen because existing sidewalk was wide enough and the city had adequate right-of-way.

It also might be considered the gateway as well to an emerging civic complex that could see two high use public facilities a block away on the last remaining large parcel in the central city.

One is the new police headquarters breaking ground next year.

The other endeavor on the 8 acre South Main Street site could be a combined library/community/performing arts center.

The city, besides having an animal shelter next to the sign, has its transit center and vehicle maintenance facility within several hundred yards plus solid waste and streets division nearby.

And if it were to become an iconic municipal landmark of sorts, it would be in the shadow of the water tower that over a decade ago was a push to restore and repaint it to create a structure identified with Manteca.

The water tower hasn’t been used to pressurize the municipal water system for years after an engineering report determined it was structurally unsound to withstand a significant earthquake if it were filled with water.

The tower is currently used to place antennas for municipal communication systems.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com