Councilman Dave Breitenbucher has made it clear.
He will not be voting in favor of awarding any storefront retail marijuana permit when the council conducts a special meeting Monay.
“I’m still trying to get (the rest of the council) to change their minds,” Breitenbucher said.
He agreed that past election results on retail cannabis measures at the state and county level enjoyed the support of the majority of Manteca voters that cast ballots.
But he believes a majority of people likely don’t want retail marijuana operations in their city or at least near their neighborhood as well as stores and restaurants they frequent.
“I made it clear (to the rest of the council) I don’t want cannabis stores in my district,” Breitenbucher said Friday. “There are too many issues already in the district (such as homeless). “
Breitenbucher said it “is a very bad idea” to have a marijuana store “right around the corner” from the current homeless navigation center and the permeant location the city is pursuing.
He’s referring to the potential retail pot store site near the Dairy Queen that is roughly two blocks or so from the homeless navigation center — present and future.
“It is within walking distance,” Breitenbucher said.
The cannabis sales enabling ordinance adopted by the council prohibits locating storefront operations within 600 feet of emergency shelters as well as arcades, amusement centers, substance abuse rehabilitation centers, libraries, parks, preschools, daycares, private and public schools, places of religious assembly, or youth centers.
The emergency shelter locations are outside of that minimum but still relatively close by.
Breitenbucher said if other council members support marijuana sales in Manteca they should push for storefronts in their district.
Two of the applicants are in Breitenbucher’s district — a location near the Dairy Queen on South Main Street and another at Chuck’s Place near Home Depot.
The other two — West Yosemite Avenue near the wastewater treatment plant and in vacant space near Valley Oak Dental off of West Yosemite and Trevino avenues— happen to be in Councilman Chalie Halford’s district. Halford is a retired Manteca police chief.
Breitenbucher was the only council member voting last December against allowing retail marijuana sales in Manteca.
Four applicants have 10 minutes each to make their case to be awarded a piece of what is expected to be a multi-million dollar legal cannabis market in Manteca.
The sales pitch to open a storefront retail marijuana business at four specific locations in Manteca takes place during a City Council public hearing on Monday, Dec. 18, at 1 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.
The cannabis spiels will start the public hearing.
Then members of the public — citizens, adjoining business owners, and such — will have three minutes each to make comments.
After that, the four applicants that were recommended for council consideration by City Manager Toni Lundgren after a three-phase review process involving seven applicants overall will have five minutes each to make rebuttals to points brought up by the public.
The council, after the public hearing is closed, will then decide if any of the applicants should move forward.
There are only three permits available.
And while council members point out they have the discretion to award three, two, one or none it is highly unlikely that they won’t award at least two permits if not all three.
After the council identifies the applicants they want to move forward with, city staff will work with each party to develop a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) that will be presented to the City Council at a future date for review and approval consideration.
The CBA essentially decides what specific financial benefits the applicants will provide on an ongoing basis to the community.
Each applicant will also need to obtain a Conditional Use Permit from the Manteca Planning Commission prior to opening their business in Manteca, as well as all mandated state licenses.
A quick recap of the four sites are as follows:
Off the Charts Manteca
This is the application by Off the Charts.
The 2325 West Yosemite Avenue location they have submitted is in a small business park that has been populated over the years by auto care, construction, and other similar businesses.
It is the most highly visible of the four locations from a main arterial given there is nothing between the storefront and Yosemite Avenue other than a parking lot.
It is on the north side of Yosemite Avenue with the municipal wastewater treatment plant is to the southwest and across the street.
Embrac Manteca
Manteca Responsible and Compliant Retail’s entry is in a small retail strip center in the 1100 block of South Main Street across the street from Denny’s as well as Walmart and Safeway. The exact address is 1148 South Main Street.
It is in a building in the back of the property tucked behind Leslie’s Pool Supply and Dairy Queen.
The location currently includes medical related concerns, a pizza place, and a cosmetology supply store.
Nectar Market
The location identified by Nectar Markets of California is at 1519 Yosemite Avenue.
It is the most “hidden” of the four location.
It is in the northwestern most corner of a series of business and professional & medical buildings — including Valley Oak Dental and Central Valley Veterinary Hospital — are located on the northwest corner of Trevino and West Yosemite avenues.
The former occupant of the building was Golden Bear Physical Therapy which has since relocated to the Mission Ridge Shopping Center on South Main Street.
Stiizy Manteca
The proposed Stiizy Manteca location is at 1447 Historical Plaza across from Home Depot and Carl’s Jr. and behind the retail complex that features Chipotle’s, Scores, and Edible Arrangements.
The address currently is for Chuck’s Place.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
