There is a design element in the conceptual architectural drawing for Manteca’s new police station that kind of got glossed over.

It was the possible placement of a blue light beam on top of the station that could be turned on to point to the heavens at night.

In retrospect, it wasn’t a novelty.

It was clearly meant to serve as a beacon so the residents of Manteca could find the police station in the darkness and perhaps inclement weather given the location chosen redefines the concept of off the beaten track.

To the credit of city leaders, they have determined the “chosen” site isn’t all that great.

A council ad hoc committee is now going to look at other possible city property to recommend another site and do so in a timely manner to avoid delaying and inflating the $56 million project.

Why the change of heart?

Gee, could it be that it backs up to the wastewater treatment plant that constitutes a subliminal message if there ever was one?

Perhaps it was located in a place that likely isn’t to have neighbors for a couple of decades given it is an area problematic for luring private sector investment given its sweeping panoramic views of the apparatus needed to treat what is flushed down the toilet?

It might have something to do with needing to squander a lot of Measure Q sales tax in order to extend streets and major infrastructure such as sewer and water lines to make it developable. In order to do so, of course, that means some pressing existing street needs would have to go unfunded.

Or it might have something to do with the fact it is virtually four blocks, if that, from the City of Lathrop boundaries meaning you couldn’t pick a site less friendly to Manteca residents.

Let’s talk about Manteca residents.

There were five other nearby sites in the running that were scratched.

One was another parcel next to the sewer plant.

The other four were along Daniels Street, three within the family entertainment zone and one near Sizzler.

Those four were taken off the list because the city believes, accurately it might be added, that they are prime development sites to snare private sector investment as Manteca grows.

But there is a flip side to that argument.

And it says the priority involved in making the decision to eliminate those four sites is not the people who live in Manteca but the regional dollars the city could draw.

In all honestly, that likely never crossed anyone’s mind given how laser focused the city is in making sure the FEZ develops properly for the maximum economic benefit of the community.

Let’s be clear.

Arguably, the most-high profile department in the City of Manteca is the police department.

The argument that the station can be located anywhere given patrol units are mobile offices and people who need to contact police in person don’t do so every day is true.

But then why not build a big bland box sans architectural niceties more in line with the exterior appeal of the Manteca Home Depot next to the wastewater treatment plant?

It doesn’t matter, after all, what the police station looks like as civic pride isn’t high on the list given the city was more than willing at one point to build it next to the sewer plant.

In fairness, the police station design doesn’t channel architects gone wild. It’s nice without being excessive.

It’s just that if you are going to transform Manteca from simply being a sprawling, oversized town into a small city that could very well be just a hundred or so people shy of 100,000 residents when the new police station is finished you need to think of giving the community a stronger sense of pride.

Tucking the police department into a hard-to-find corner of the city doesn’t contribute to a sense of community.

Pride or sense of community can be an abstract concept

But then again, previous city leaders understood what it can mean when they chose the final design for the transit station nearly 15 years ago.

They ditched a modern glass and steel design for an iconic look that reflects more Grand Central Station vibes as opposed to a unitarian design reflecting 1950s era Soviet Union sensibilities.

They wanted an iconic design because they wanted to help instill a sense of community pride.

Why not treat the police station the same?

It’s got an appealing design but by relegating it to the boonies it is out of sight, out of mind.

It happens the city has an 8 acre just down Main Street from the transit station.

That is key because it has been decided an 8 acre site is a must for the police station being built now and potential expansions as the city grows.

It would also be an extension of Manteca’s de facto civic complex or sorts on Main Street.

In quick succession there would be the transit station with its adjoining ACE platform coming next year, the animal shelter, the vehicle maintenance facility, and the police station.

You will note the city located the animal shelter in Main Street about as close to the center of downtown you can get.

Other cities typically place them near wastewater treatment plants where the city wanted to locate the police station.

Lathrop made it clear how much they value their police.

The new station was literally built overlooking what will be the River Islands town center, a community park, plus a baseball field-football, stadium complex.

Ripon built there police station near the heart of the city and a commercial area.

A Lathrop resident from either side of the river can find the Lathrop police station with relative ease given it is just off a major four-lane arterial in the form of River Islands Parkway.

In Ripon, the police station is within a block of that community’s four-lane segment of Main Street just outside of downtown.

In Manteca, most residents would have to rely on GPS to find the proposed police station adjoining the backside of the wastewater treatment plant.

The wild card, of course, is the homeless navigation center that we have been told repeatedly is not tied specifically in the language of the $16 million state grant to the city property at 682 South Main Street.

Given it is not a drop-in shelter and it doesn’t have high traffic, why not locate it on city property near the entrance of the wastewater treatment plant off of Yosemite Avenue as opposed to the eastern edge of the facility as was proposed for the police station?

We have repeatedly been told the navigation center would be operated in such a manner there would be absolutely zero tolerance of on street camping in the general vicinity.

And if it is secured by masonry walls, it would not be visible from West Yosemite Avenue.

It would require a driveway to reach Yosemite Avenue that also has sewer and water lines in place.

The question now is what is the city’s top priority — the police station being located where it can best serve the community and be a source of pride or is it the homeless and future out-of-town users of the family entertainment zone?

This column is the opinion of editor, Dennis Wyatt, and does not necessarily represent the opinions of The Bulletin or 209 Multimedia. He can be reached at dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com