Starting this week, you can buy day passes to the Manteca Great Wolf Indoor Water Park.
One of the biggest complaints about the 500-room resort building in Manteca came from some local residents who were irked they couldn’t access the self-contained resort without booking a room.
The one-day passes start at $50 per person.
The number of waterpark day passes will be monitored each day to ensure the number of visitors at the waterpark is actively managed. The quantity of water park day passes available on a given day is based on the projected number of rooms occupied at the resort on that day. This controlled approach allows Great Wolf Lodge to maintain a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable waterpark experience for all guests.
To check the availability and pricing of waterpark day passes for a particular day, guests can visit greatwolf.com. Waterpark day passes are only available online and cannot be purchased at the resort. Passes are not required for toddlers two or under when accompanied by an adult pass holder.
Passes, when they are available, tend to be less expensive on weekdays. The pricing — just like demand pricing at other resorts — goes up on heavy use days.
‘The Scoop’ behind need for
downtown housing rule
Some members of the Manteca City Council wanted to delay a proposed city ordinance change that would allow second floor housing as long as units have their own kitchens and bathrooms as well as working thermostats that allows occupants in each unit to control the temperature of heating and air conditioning.
The reason was simple. They wanted to find ways to encourage more housing development not in the downtown core by changing height restrictions and such.
Given staff was pushing for the council to consider it Tuesday for adoption instead of delaying action, elected officials wanted to know why.
It’s because the owner of the building that years ago once housed “The Scoop” ice cream parlor on the ground floor on the northeast corner of Yosemite and Sycamore avenues and was gutted by fire several years ago is preparing to remodel the structure.
Second floor housing had been banned several years ago in a bid to eliminate problematic boarding house style units.
To allow the owner to restore the units, the city staff felt the city needed rules in place that would encourage housing more conducive to future plans to make downtown more of a city hub with housing — and consumers — that would complement efforts to bring more dining options and such into the area.
The growing trend of transit villages in California — where housing is clustered above stores and offices near passenger stops on light and heavy rail commuter lines — is seen as a game changer for downtown Manteca.
That’s because when expanded Altamont Corridor Express service starts in 2023 you will be able to board a train and reach job centers in San Jose and Sacramento from the downtown transit center.
The Manteca Planning Commission recommended the City Council approve changes to municipal rules about what is allowed to be built and open in the downtown core. It’s a special overall zoning district that is almost all within a quarter mile walk to the transit center.
New housing was banned in the city’s heart several years ago in a bid to combat issues with boarding house style apartments downtown.
Over the years poorly managed second floor housing led to a concentration of individuals that were substance abusers that in turn exacerbated the downtown homeless problem.
The second floor living quarters are also home to those that don’t create issues such as farm workers and those needing shelter that have minimum financial resources.
The new rule being proposed will allow second floor housing as long as units have their own kitchens and bathrooms as well as working thermostats that allows occupants in each unit to control the temperature of heating and air conditioning.
Many of the units now in use in second floor space are simply rooms — sometimes just big enough for a bed dresser, and chair. Tenants share a common bathroom. In most cases there is not a cooking area provided meaning they need to resort to hot plates and microwaves.
The rule change — just like the zoning prohibition for the core district that eliminated housing as a use — doesn’t impact such operations already in place. They are grandfathered in as a non-complying use.
However, new housing that fails to meet the proposed stipulations would be allowed.
The rule change would allow owners of existing buildings — or those that would build new structures — the ability to have housing above store and commercial space.
The environmental report for the ACE service extension to Ceres and Sacramento projects as many as 1,500 initial weekday boardings at the downtown Manteca transit center. The city has been buying land to expand the existing parking lot to accommodate commuters.
Most are expected to either drive or be dropped off at the Manteca station. The city also intends to make Manteca Transit service more muscular to accommodate train arrivals and departures.
Based on what has happened in other communities, state officials anticipate that areas within a mile of the transit station will see an increased interest over time in existing housing from transit-orientated people that could eventually lead to tear downs with replacement housing being designed with multiple units.
Much of that area is just outside the core district near Manteca High.
Ice arena proposal for
Family Zone is dead
Although talks stopped last year, it is clear plans for an ice arena being built in the city’s family entertainment zone west of Great Wolf is dead.
The city had been exploring some type of partnership with the Stockton Heat for an ice arena they could use as a practice facility. When not being used by the Heat, the idea was to use is as an ice rink/events center for the general public
That’s because the Calgary Flames are relocating their minor league hockey team to Canada.
More kudos for city’s
diverging diamond
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Sacramento Section last month named the City of Manteca’s 120 Bypass/Union Road diverging diamond interchange as a 2021 "Outstanding Project of the Year."
The project was a collaborative effort by the City of Manteca, Caltrans District 10 and the San Joaquin Council of Governments to improve safety and traffic flow at the interchange. The project is the first diverging diamond interchange in the State of California and was completed in November 2020.
Based on the area’s projected growth in employment as well as the anticipated residential and commercial developments, the city first identified the interchange in its general plan as an area of improvement. Prior to construction, drivers in the area experienced heavy traffic and long delays during rush hours. The upgraded interchange prioritizes safety by making left turns less hazardous and reducing potential conflict points by 50%. The project has also incorporated a bikeway at Union Road across the freeway to safely accommodate alternative forms of transportation, including bikes and pedestrians.
"Our goal was to build a safer, cost-effective solution for our residents and all those passing through our city," said Engineering Director, Kevin Jorgensen. "I'm thrilled that our team of engineers are being recognized for their innovation and hard work."
The city’s engineers and project consultants will be honored at the ASCE Sacramento Section’s Awards Banquet this spring.
The state’s second diverging diamond interchange is moving forward in Tracy von Interstate 580 at the International Business Parkway with a third planned for Ceres on Highway 99 at Hatch Road.
Manteca also is getting ready for preliminary studies to add diverging diamonds on the 120 Bypass at Airport Way as well as Main Street.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
