Paul Webb and his wife moved into the Del Webb at Woodbridge neighborhood in Manteca because of its peaceful and quiet atmosphere. They also felt safe here and they liked the clean air of the countryside.
Rudy Lara was thinking about the same thing when he left the rat race and noise pollution in the Bay Area by purchasing a home at Del Webb where he can enjoy his retirement without any of the jarring accoutrements of modern day’s concrete jungle.
Their stories are echoed by many residents at the age-restricted community on South Union Road.
Now, the residents feel those desirable amenities that attracted them to Manteca in the first place are being threatened by the proposed expansion of the Lathrop Intermodal Terminal just across Airport Way which marks the west end of their retirement Shangri-la.
For these mostly retired residents at the well-appointed community, that’s just too close for comfort. They worry, not only about the noise and air pollution that would be generated by the increased number of train and truck traffic but also about the project’s impact on the traffic at Airport Way and Lathrop Road which border the west and south ends of the Del Webb development.
And that’s why dozens of them turned out at the meeting Monday night at Del Webb with representatives of the Union Pacific Railroad, which is spearheading the expansion and “modernization” of the intermodal terminal, and the San Joaquin County Community Development Department headed by director Kerry Sullivan.
“I’m here to learn as much as I can because you hear all kinds of things,” said Webb, a retired pastor.
Like the rest of the residents who showed up at the meeting, Webb was concerned about the possible noise, air pollution, and traffic congestion that could result from the proposed expansion of the intermodal terminal next door to their community.
“We’re mostly retired people who came here for quiet and safety and the clean air. Plus, people here turn in early in the evening,” Webb said.
Several of the residents also wanted to know who or what agency will be responsible in patrolling the truck traffic on Airport Way and Lathrop Road.
“These are the kinds of questions we’re concerned about,” Webb said.
Traffic on Airport Way
big concern for residents
With the anticipated traffic congestion at Del Webb’s two main egress and ingress, Lara said he is worried about the possible traffic congestion and wanted to know if part of the terminal’s expansion project will involve the widening of Airport Way.
Bill Barnhart, resident director of the Woodbridge Owners’ Association, said those concerns are precisely the reason for the informational gathering held Monday night so that solutions can be found to address them.
Barnhart and other concerned residents have been attending the “scoping” meetings held preparatory to the project’s environmental impact report (EIR). Issues brought up at those meetings prompted Barnhart to set up the meeting Monday night.
Kerrigan explained to those who were at the meeting that they will have plenty of time to comment on the project during the processing of the EIR. This document will identify issues related to the project that are significant and issues that will need mitigation, among others, she explained.
“You have not missed out on the opportunities to comment. We’re here in the spirit of cooperation and full transparency,” she added, referring to all of the possible impacts of the project on the environment that would be included in the report.
This EIR study, which is expected to take seven months to complete before it goes before the county Planning Commission, will cost more than $500,000 and will be “very exhaustive,” Kerrigan said. The cost will be borne by the developers, not county taxpayers, she said.
Even after the commission has looked at the EIR, there will still be ample time for comments during the appeal process, should there be an appeal to be made before the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, Sullivan said.
Terminal expansion
is in county jurisdiction
Since the intermodal terminal is located in an unincorporated area next to the former Sharpe Army Depot between Lathrop Road and Roth Road, the project is being processed by the county.
The residents had many reasons to be concerned about Union Pacific’s plan to expand and modernize the intermodal terminal. As Union Pacific’s Gerry Bisaillon explained, the plan is to increase the terminal’s annual capacity from 270,000 to 730,000 units within a 10-year period. However, that increase in train traffic at the terminal, at the same time, will mean a decrease in truck traffic along major highways thereby mitigating traffic congestion and decreasing fuel consumption, not to mention highway maintenance related to road wear and tear. Bisaillon pointed out that one freight train can do the work of more than 280 trucks.
The project is also expected to generate a $24 million income annually for the county, plus $43 million in annual tax revenue, Bisaillon said. The other economic plus is that this project is expected to create 387 jobs during construction between 2011 and 2013.
Del Webb resident Lara is sold on that economic-stimulus aspect of the project.
“I’m mainly concerned about the noise and traffic congestion, but this is good for the economy and the area. We need jobs and revenue for the cities and the county,” said Lara who is retired from the Department of Social Services in Santa Clara County.
Rudy Lara was thinking about the same thing when he left the rat race and noise pollution in the Bay Area by purchasing a home at Del Webb where he can enjoy his retirement without any of the jarring accoutrements of modern day’s concrete jungle.
Their stories are echoed by many residents at the age-restricted community on South Union Road.
Now, the residents feel those desirable amenities that attracted them to Manteca in the first place are being threatened by the proposed expansion of the Lathrop Intermodal Terminal just across Airport Way which marks the west end of their retirement Shangri-la.
For these mostly retired residents at the well-appointed community, that’s just too close for comfort. They worry, not only about the noise and air pollution that would be generated by the increased number of train and truck traffic but also about the project’s impact on the traffic at Airport Way and Lathrop Road which border the west and south ends of the Del Webb development.
And that’s why dozens of them turned out at the meeting Monday night at Del Webb with representatives of the Union Pacific Railroad, which is spearheading the expansion and “modernization” of the intermodal terminal, and the San Joaquin County Community Development Department headed by director Kerry Sullivan.
“I’m here to learn as much as I can because you hear all kinds of things,” said Webb, a retired pastor.
Like the rest of the residents who showed up at the meeting, Webb was concerned about the possible noise, air pollution, and traffic congestion that could result from the proposed expansion of the intermodal terminal next door to their community.
“We’re mostly retired people who came here for quiet and safety and the clean air. Plus, people here turn in early in the evening,” Webb said.
Several of the residents also wanted to know who or what agency will be responsible in patrolling the truck traffic on Airport Way and Lathrop Road.
“These are the kinds of questions we’re concerned about,” Webb said.
Traffic on Airport Way
big concern for residents
With the anticipated traffic congestion at Del Webb’s two main egress and ingress, Lara said he is worried about the possible traffic congestion and wanted to know if part of the terminal’s expansion project will involve the widening of Airport Way.
Bill Barnhart, resident director of the Woodbridge Owners’ Association, said those concerns are precisely the reason for the informational gathering held Monday night so that solutions can be found to address them.
Barnhart and other concerned residents have been attending the “scoping” meetings held preparatory to the project’s environmental impact report (EIR). Issues brought up at those meetings prompted Barnhart to set up the meeting Monday night.
Kerrigan explained to those who were at the meeting that they will have plenty of time to comment on the project during the processing of the EIR. This document will identify issues related to the project that are significant and issues that will need mitigation, among others, she explained.
“You have not missed out on the opportunities to comment. We’re here in the spirit of cooperation and full transparency,” she added, referring to all of the possible impacts of the project on the environment that would be included in the report.
This EIR study, which is expected to take seven months to complete before it goes before the county Planning Commission, will cost more than $500,000 and will be “very exhaustive,” Kerrigan said. The cost will be borne by the developers, not county taxpayers, she said.
Even after the commission has looked at the EIR, there will still be ample time for comments during the appeal process, should there be an appeal to be made before the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, Sullivan said.
Terminal expansion
is in county jurisdiction
Since the intermodal terminal is located in an unincorporated area next to the former Sharpe Army Depot between Lathrop Road and Roth Road, the project is being processed by the county.
The residents had many reasons to be concerned about Union Pacific’s plan to expand and modernize the intermodal terminal. As Union Pacific’s Gerry Bisaillon explained, the plan is to increase the terminal’s annual capacity from 270,000 to 730,000 units within a 10-year period. However, that increase in train traffic at the terminal, at the same time, will mean a decrease in truck traffic along major highways thereby mitigating traffic congestion and decreasing fuel consumption, not to mention highway maintenance related to road wear and tear. Bisaillon pointed out that one freight train can do the work of more than 280 trucks.
The project is also expected to generate a $24 million income annually for the county, plus $43 million in annual tax revenue, Bisaillon said. The other economic plus is that this project is expected to create 387 jobs during construction between 2011 and 2013.
Del Webb resident Lara is sold on that economic-stimulus aspect of the project.
“I’m mainly concerned about the noise and traffic congestion, but this is good for the economy and the area. We need jobs and revenue for the cities and the county,” said Lara who is retired from the Department of Social Services in Santa Clara County.
