Richland Properties is proposing what Mayor Ben Cantu calls “attainable, quality at-market” homes.

It is part of a redesigned plan for the development of the 184-acre Hat Ranch in southeast Manteca that would offer the strongest mix of housing types in a range of at-market price points ever offered in a single development within the city.

There are four lot sizes for traditional single family homes ranging from 7,000 feet that will back up to existing homes on the same sized lots already in place  to 4,500-square-foot lots. There are 112 half-plex units proposed. The new plan with an envisioned 739 homes has less housing units that previous proposed.

Cantu said such a mixture is critical to meet the demand for at-market quality housing that people earning decent paychecks at jobs in Manteca and elsewhere in the area can afford to purchase. Much of the housing that is now being built is being purchased by those with more robust Bay Area paychecks who are being forced out of the housing market west of the Altamont where new single family home prices in the Santa Clara Valley and Tri-Valley region now run from $850,000 to $1.1 million.

Once stay-at-home orders have been lifted, Richland Planned Communities consultant Brian Cooley said community outreach meetings will be conducted so nearby residents are aware of what is being proposed and to receive feedback.

More than half of the dwelling units — 410 homes — will be east of Pillsbury where the bulk of the higher density housing would be built along with a future elementary school site for the Ripon Unified School District. That is being done in an effort to get most trips to and from those homes to use the extension of Atherton Drive south of Woodward Avenue. Atherton Drive will have a connection built by Caltrans to Austin Road as part of the third phase of the $154 million Highway 99/120 Bypass interchange access to provide the shortest distance to local freeways.

Given the entire southern part of the neighborhood borders the alignment for the Raymus Expressway section that will be built is also key to minimizing traffic impacts on the existing section of Pillsbury Road as well as streets in adjacent neighborhoods.

Raymus Expressway would be the quickest route for future residents to take to reach the 120 Bypass to head toward Tracy and the Bay Area or connect with Interstate 5 until such time the third phase of the Caltrans project at Highway 99 and the 120 Bypass is completed. It can be reached by taking one of two proposed neighborhood streets or the extension of Pillsbury Road and then heading west on the Raymus Expressway. Motorists could then connect to the freeway or reaach shopping and other amenities in Manteca by turning north off of Raymus Express to take either Main Street, Union Road, or Airport Way.

It effectively takes pressure off of Pillsbury Road that T-intersects into Woodward Avenue.

The neighborhood — if annexed and developed — greatly increases the prospects for Ripon Unified to develop an elementary campus. That’s because at buildout between existing students in the area — many who are within two blocks walking distance to Woodward School that is part of the Manteca Unified School District —  and future families will put the student enrollment at a tipping point to justify an elementary school to effectively end busing more than five miles one way.

The project includes two park sites. One would more than double the existing Pillsbury Estates Park while the second would be adjacent to the school site that is less than a block west of Atherton Drive.

Forty-eight of the half-plex units would be along the extension of Polk Street that is now stubbed at the eastern boundary of Evans Estates. The design of interior streets in the Evans Estates neighborhood and the Hat Ranch project makes the most direct and fastest way for future half-plex owners to get in and out of the neighborhood to use the Raymus Expressway.

The 77 dwelling units described as “half-plex court” homes will back up to Raymus Expressway and Atherton Drive in the southwest corner of the neighborhood across from the school and second park site.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com