A year ago there was only one place on Main Street north of North Street that you could buy gas.
By early 2022, there will be four locations.
Crews have demolished a former Long John Silver’s where Taqueria La Estrella operated a Mexican restaurant since 2011 to make room for the city’s fifth 7-Eleven. It will also be the fourth 7-Eleven with gas pumps.
The 3,010-square-foot 7-Eleven convenience store and fueling station will have six pumps and a canopy. It will be three quarters of a mile to the south of an existing 7-Eleven on Main Street at Northgate Drive. A Southland Corporation representative said the Main and Northgate store will continue to operate.
The other three 7-Eleven stores are all located on Yosemite Avenue.
The new 7-Eleven that’s being built will help reduce the potential for traffic accidents at Louise Avenue at North Main Street.
The Manteca Planning Commission added the requirement that the construction of the convenience store includes placing a raised concrete median to prevent left turns into and out of the 7-Eleven parking lot from Louise Avenue.
Commission shared how confusing and dangerous Louise Avenue just east of Main Street can be with drivers turning left across Louise Avenue to access three driveways for commercial properties within 300 plus feet of the intersection.
The situation is made worse by the fact the two heaviest used driveways — accessing the center anchored by SaveMart and the other anchored by California Fitness — are across from each other without being aligned. The intersection also had the highest daily vehicle count the last time Manteca conducted citywide traffic counts.
A similar problem on Louise Avenue immediately west of the intersection was addressed more than 12 years ago when a Shell station was torn down and replaced with a Walgreens drug store kitty corner from where the 7-Eleven is being built. That median eliminated left turns in and out of not just the Walgreens but also Jack in the Box and the now shuttered Orchard Supply Hardware store. In the case of Walgreen’s the chain was also required to extend the median on Main Street to prevent left turns at their driveway on Main Street as well.
An ongoing issue with sidewalk maintenance was also addressed with the approval of the 7-Eleven building plan. Two existing trees in sidewalk wells will be taken out and the hole cemented other. At the same time 7-Eleven is being required to plant and maintain 24 trees behind the sidewalk.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
