Manteca may create two distinct zones in downtown in a bid to make it easier to encourage private sector investment.

The zoning change is being considered Tuesday when the City Council meets at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.

Besides making revitalization of the central district a more manageable phased endeavor it will enable the creation of an “intense retail” core that supports a pedestrian-oriented segment. It will also allow for more flexibility within those areas that do not lie within the intense retail core area of downtown.

The core is bordered by the south side of Center Street running east midway from a point between Wilson Park and the Post Office to the west side of Grant Street where it will head south. It then turns west in the alley behind Yosemite and runs east again to Lincoln Avenue. Included as it heads south on Lincoln is the area on the west side of the street. It runs to the alley south of Yosemite Avenue and generally runs all the way west to the Tidewater Bikeway except for where it juts south to take in several parcels.  It then heads northwest along the Tidewater before swinging back up along Manteca Avenue then cuts east into the alley north of Yosemite before heading north to connect with the starting point between Wilson Park and there Post office.

The core zone’s notable changes include:

uElimination of residential uses

uBar establishments must be 300 feet or more from a similar use

uAlcohol beverage sales have been better defined by specific type of beverages permitted to be sold for off-site consumption

Additional new categories are:

uBrew Pub: Allowing for small breweries producing specialty beers.

uTasting Room: Allowing for beer or wine tasting with on-site and off-site retail sales.

uBar and nightclub have been split into separate uses.

uNightclubs are not allowed.

uMany uses that are an allowed use under the current code are proposed to require a conditional use permit.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com