Manteca’s effort to encourage redevelopment-style infill development to address housing needs is bringing a three-story four-plex to the 400 block of Sutter Street.

The project, dubbed Sarene Place, is before the Manteca Planning Commission when they meet Thursday at 6 p.m.

A new 3,690 square foot building will replace an existing 1,328 square-foot single family home with an attached garage as well as a 634 square-foot detached shop.

There will be covered parking as well as onsite parking. There will be two apartments on the third floor and one each on the ground floor and second floor.

The remaining open space area will cover 5,480 square feet.

The location between Sherman Avenue and Fremont Street is north of downtown in Central Manteca.

New housing starts in established neighborhoods in Manteca hit a record 143 housing units in 2025.

The infill housing included:

*33 auxiliary dwellings units, sometimes referred to as granny flats.

*10 single family home starts either on what were vacant parcels or replacing aging houses.

*100 affordable apartment units in the Los Robles complex being built behind commercial development at North Main Street and Lancaster Drive.

Manteca, between all types of housing, had 973 units that were started last year. That included 840 single family homes.

Of the 10 infill homes, four are being built on a private street off of Alameda Street west of Fremont Street where a single house once stood on a large parcel.

Another four were built in the 300 block of Maple Avenue, also replacing an existing home.

Infill and ADU housing are the somewhat abstract result of municipal policies for smart growth.

Smart growth basically means making the community more livable while encouraging development that slows down the conversion of farmland.

They are “abstract” in the sense it does not involve a large swath of basically undeveloped land where cookie-cutter-style projects can take place.

Infill projects are also somewhat elusive because of their scale.

Due to involving significantly smaller parcels that need projects that work in concert with existing development that surrounds it, they do not attract larger development concerns.

As such, they do not have a large enough potential “payday” to get a lot of attention from bigger players.

That said, they can work for what might be called “mom and pop” developers who may build a single house, a duplex, a small apartment complex, and similar endeavors.

Manteca is doing what it can to encourage infill including a fee reduction program.

The reason is simple.

It helps compete and/or improve urbanization of older segments of the community.

And when it does, it helps maximize the use of expensive infrastructure and services that helps lower long-term city costs, strengthens economic opportunities for nearby businesses, and adds to the tax base.

When you say “infill”, many people assume it is a reference to vacant lots or parcels.

But in the world of California planning, it also means redeveloping property by replacing existing uses with high density uses.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com