Oakwood Trails — a new neighborhood envisioned for 676 homes — is moving a step closer to breaking ground.
The Manteca City Council last week approved allowing the developer of the 206-acre projects to put in partial streets where the property fronts Atherton Drive, McKinley Avenue, Bronzan Road, and Woodward Avenue. The balance of the streets — as is allowed under city policy providing the council gives its blessings — will be put in place when adjoining land develops.
 Oakwood Trails is bounded on the west by the gated Oakwood Shores community, on the north by Bronzan Road, on the east by McKinley Avenue, and on the west by McKinley Avenue.
The project also will include 20 acres of commercial to take advantage of city plans to create at interchange on the 120 Bypass with McKinley Avenue as well as an 11.59-acre business park.
The city has already approved 1,176 homes for the Manteca Trails project on 477 acres south of Woodward Avenue.
When the two projects are built out, more than 5,400 residents or a 14th of Manteca’s current population could one day live on 638 acres that has been mostly fallow for the past decade west of McKinley Avenue in southwest Manteca. 
Both projects are within the 200-year floodplain that may take spending upwards of $200 million to protect.
The advancement of either Oakwood Trails or Manteca Trails would significantly reduce the cost of extending sewer service to Oakwood Shores.
Oakwood Shoes homeowners have been talking off and on about annexing to the city due to a state deadline they have to stop using their current sewer system.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com