An organization representing more than 10,000 blue collar workers in San Joaquin County has come out against Delicato Vineyards’ bid to overturn the recently updated Manteca General Plan.

San Joaquin County Building & Construction Trades Council on Wednesday stated it “strongly supports the Manteca General Plan and opposes the Delicato Referendum because the city plan contains local hire provisions and promotes the use of state-accredited apprentices, which will provide residents the opportunity to work in good paying family wage jobs.”

“The (general) plan passed by the City Council will ensure our community grows healthily and sustainably so that Manteca residents have good jobs, attainable housing, new schools, and sufficient public safety to enhance the quality of life of current and future generations."

The opposition, in terms of labor impacts, pits the 10,000 construction-related jobs against the 500 plus winery jobs. All of the jobs are considered blue collar and tend to be held by those who reside in the Northern San Joaquin Valley.

City leaders believe the general plan as crafted protects both winery and construction jobs. Delicato disagrees.

Signature gathers paid with funding from Delicato are working exits and entrances of major retailers in Manteca in a bid to collect close to 4,800 signatures of valid City of Manteca registered voters the winery needs to force a referendum on the general plan.

The winery has until the end of the month to collect the needed signatures.

By opting for a referendum instead of suing the city over the approval of individual housing projects Delicato believes could possibly imperil their winery operation in  the future, the firm is seeking to toss out 7 ½ years of work to update the general plan.

The work includes strategies aimed at addressing climate change, environmental social justice, reducing potential housing by 800 to 1,000 homes to accommodate more job centers, and upgrade design standards designed to improve neighborhoods.

The city has noted if the referendum succeeds, it won’t stop growth as that would still continue under the existing general plan.

That is based on between 7,500 and 9,000 housing units is in the entitlement process and other areas designated for housing that have yet to have projects submitted.

As such, the referendum would not stop growth south of the 120 Bypass or in the central part of Manteca, east of Highway 99, and even north of Lathrop Road where Delicato is located despite inferences being made by some signature collectors.

The fight is centered around how close housing should be allowed to be built near the winery at French Camp Road and Highway 99,

Delicato wants an agricultural buffer of some sort — an area that they own some but not all of the land that is bigger than  in the updated general plan’s land use map.

The area in question  involves roughly 300 acres Delicato has for land disposal of the wastewater from the winemaking process. It is  used to irrigate almonds and vineyards as well as being applied to vacant land.

The water has a significant smell.

Eventually, the water being disposed of will be from crushing 200,000 tons of grapes annually. That’s the maximum amount the winery can eventually crush based on state permits.

The winery in recent years has undergone a $100 million expansion.

Delicato is the world’s fifth largest winery.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com