Manteca’s new high profile animal shelter targeted for completion in late summer of 2011 on South Main Street at Wetmore Street could help create momentum for a dog park.
Mayor Willie Weatherford is hoping an organization such as Friends of the Manteca Animal Shelter could be formed by community members prior to the opening of the new shelter.
“The group could get us moving on a new dog park especially since we’ve had church groups express interest in helping provide labor to build it,” Weatherford said.
The mayor had tried to encourage the cobbling together of a volunteer effort to drastically reduce the $102,000 price tag of the dog park proposed for the northeast corner of Woodward Park but municipal staff was lukewarm to how effective such a strategy would be. Weatherford believes Crossrords Grace along with New Hope and Northgate Community that have harnessed 1,500 volunteers for today’s “Taking it to the Streets” community work projects demonstrates that volunteers can indeed make a big difference in helping Manteca secure more amenities.
Weatherford is hopeful that the new location with its high visibility will prompt more education programs and other activities aimed at helping people be responsible pet owners as well as increased potential for adoptions.
“It (the new animal shelter) is long overdue,” Weatherford said. “It will provide better sanitary conditions, more security to prevent people from stealing dogs as we have had in the past, and more space for dogs.”
It will also improve working conditions for the staff.
Currently, Manteca has less than 20 dog kennels of which about 25 percent at any time are occupied by stray animals collected by Lathrop. Manteca is only billing Lathrop for 17 percent of the animal shelter’s operating costs even though they are using 25 percent of it based on city reports.
Weatherford said he wants to try and get the council to direct staff to make sure that before the new shelter opens that a policy is in place that charges any other jurisdiction that uses the shelter 100 percent of the costs they incur.
The new shelter will have 52 kennels completely enclosed inside in a separate room to control diseases, reduce noise, and provide better security. There will be separate rooms for cats as well as a lobby with two animal adoption offices and space for staff. Overall, the building is just over 6,000 square feet.
The main building will be constructed using concrete masonry and wood frame. The concrete masonry is primarily around the animal holding areas for sound isolation and ease of wash down. The administration and adoption areas are primarily wood framed. Exterior materials are concrete masonry, metal siding, and cement board siding. All were chosen because they are highly durable and easily maintained.
“I wouldn’t characterize it as any particular architectural style, (although it reflects on a sustainable and modern version of the traditional “ranch” form that is prevalent in our area), but rather an architectural form that reflects its use,” project architect Eric Wohle of LDA Partners architectural firm indicated in an e-mail. “For instance, the “dog eared” roof at the entry is play on the type of use of the facility.”
Stockton-based LDA Partners is using MCR Engineering of Manteca as the project’s civil engineer. There are no architectural firms located within the City of Manteca. Wohle is an East Union High graduate.
Sub-contractors with Manteca ties are expected to be used for the actual construction of the $2.1 million animal shelter.
Among area projects that LDA partners have designed are the Tracy DMV, Wine & Rises in Lodi, the DeGroot Main Street Plaza in Manteca and a number of Stockton projects including Arnold Rue Community Center. Stribley Community Center, Van Buskirk Community Center, Podesto Teen Center (Boys & Girls Club), Stockton Downtown Marina, and Stockton Fire Station #13.
LDA Partners projects under construction or in the design phase include the Stanislaus County Animal Services Facility, Stockton Airport Hold Room Expansion, Stockton DMV, and the East Lathrop Community Complex (Lathrop Teen Center & Library).
The animal shelter’s $2.1 million price tag is being covered by growth fees collected for government facilities. It is the first phase of an expansion of the municipal public works yard straddling Wetmore Street in the Manteca Industrial Park.
Mayor Willie Weatherford is hoping an organization such as Friends of the Manteca Animal Shelter could be formed by community members prior to the opening of the new shelter.
“The group could get us moving on a new dog park especially since we’ve had church groups express interest in helping provide labor to build it,” Weatherford said.
The mayor had tried to encourage the cobbling together of a volunteer effort to drastically reduce the $102,000 price tag of the dog park proposed for the northeast corner of Woodward Park but municipal staff was lukewarm to how effective such a strategy would be. Weatherford believes Crossrords Grace along with New Hope and Northgate Community that have harnessed 1,500 volunteers for today’s “Taking it to the Streets” community work projects demonstrates that volunteers can indeed make a big difference in helping Manteca secure more amenities.
Weatherford is hopeful that the new location with its high visibility will prompt more education programs and other activities aimed at helping people be responsible pet owners as well as increased potential for adoptions.
“It (the new animal shelter) is long overdue,” Weatherford said. “It will provide better sanitary conditions, more security to prevent people from stealing dogs as we have had in the past, and more space for dogs.”
It will also improve working conditions for the staff.
Currently, Manteca has less than 20 dog kennels of which about 25 percent at any time are occupied by stray animals collected by Lathrop. Manteca is only billing Lathrop for 17 percent of the animal shelter’s operating costs even though they are using 25 percent of it based on city reports.
Weatherford said he wants to try and get the council to direct staff to make sure that before the new shelter opens that a policy is in place that charges any other jurisdiction that uses the shelter 100 percent of the costs they incur.
The new shelter will have 52 kennels completely enclosed inside in a separate room to control diseases, reduce noise, and provide better security. There will be separate rooms for cats as well as a lobby with two animal adoption offices and space for staff. Overall, the building is just over 6,000 square feet.
The main building will be constructed using concrete masonry and wood frame. The concrete masonry is primarily around the animal holding areas for sound isolation and ease of wash down. The administration and adoption areas are primarily wood framed. Exterior materials are concrete masonry, metal siding, and cement board siding. All were chosen because they are highly durable and easily maintained.
“I wouldn’t characterize it as any particular architectural style, (although it reflects on a sustainable and modern version of the traditional “ranch” form that is prevalent in our area), but rather an architectural form that reflects its use,” project architect Eric Wohle of LDA Partners architectural firm indicated in an e-mail. “For instance, the “dog eared” roof at the entry is play on the type of use of the facility.”
Stockton-based LDA Partners is using MCR Engineering of Manteca as the project’s civil engineer. There are no architectural firms located within the City of Manteca. Wohle is an East Union High graduate.
Sub-contractors with Manteca ties are expected to be used for the actual construction of the $2.1 million animal shelter.
Among area projects that LDA partners have designed are the Tracy DMV, Wine & Rises in Lodi, the DeGroot Main Street Plaza in Manteca and a number of Stockton projects including Arnold Rue Community Center. Stribley Community Center, Van Buskirk Community Center, Podesto Teen Center (Boys & Girls Club), Stockton Downtown Marina, and Stockton Fire Station #13.
LDA Partners projects under construction or in the design phase include the Stanislaus County Animal Services Facility, Stockton Airport Hold Room Expansion, Stockton DMV, and the East Lathrop Community Complex (Lathrop Teen Center & Library).
The animal shelter’s $2.1 million price tag is being covered by growth fees collected for government facilities. It is the first phase of an expansion of the municipal public works yard straddling Wetmore Street in the Manteca Industrial Park.
