Two of Manteca’s most vexing blight problems — homeless encampments and illegal dumping — will be reduced somewhat along segments of the 120 Bypass due to a 59-acre residential development.

For years, the parcel on the southeast corner of the 120 Bypass and South Main Street that stretches east to the 298-unit Paseo Villas apartment complex and south to Atherton Road has been used for illegal dumping.

It has also been a haven for illegal homeless encampments.

While the Supreme Court ruling earlier this year allowed the city to more aggressively eradicate makeshift shelters within its jurisdiction including on the property in question, it hasn’t deterred the homeless from walking across the acreage to set up encampments in state right-of-way between the 120 Bypass and the Paseo Villas sounds wall.

The Quarterra project — 818 living units including 672 apartments, 48 duplexes and 91 single family homes — breaking ground in early 2025 will greatly reduce and possibly eliminate both problems in the immediate area.

Addressing encampments elsewhere further east along the south side of the Bypass is more of a challenge.

The homeless have cut through wrought iron fencing Caltrans  installed to block access to freeway right-of-way from Moffat Boulevard.

Councilman Dave Breitenbucher, who volunteers with community outreach organizations working to get the homeless off the streets, said he plans to bring the issue to the attention of Caltrans representatives to see if they can repair the fence.

Breitenbucher, however, pointed out that once the first phase work that deals directly with the transition ramps from the Bypass to Highway 99 starts the expectation is problems in that area will go away.

It is because it will be an active construction zone.

There will still be challenges, especially with illegal dumping.

“It (illegal dumping) is a citywide problem,” Breitenbucher said.

And it can be brazen —  especially in areas that aren’t high trafficked at night.

Crossroads Community Church, as an example, has been plagued with illegal dumping in their storm retention basin.

The placement of cameras revealed the culprit — a private landscape maintenance company apparently not wanting to pay tipping fees at the Lovelace Transfer Station.

The church has since barricaded access to the area.

The city — as well as Caltrans  — being able to act more assertively thanks to the court ruling and the pending development should also make it safer for the homeless and the traveling public on the 120 Bypass.

Two homeless were killed 38 months apart just east of the Main Street over-crossing as they were illegally crossing the Bypass in an apparent shortcut between homeless encampments that in the recent past flanked both sides of the freeway.

Over the years, local residents who drive the Bypass have reported encountering homeless in the median with water jugs and more waiting for a break in the traffic to reach the far shoulder.

The Quarterra project will leave a rectangular parcel along the freeway that is sandwiched between part of the housing development and Paseo Villas.

Two streets of the new development will be stubbed on the southern edge of the parcel. 

One of those streets will be the northerly extension of Buena Vista Drive.

Given the 672 apartments would cut off accessing the area from Quintal Road plus it would require walking through a neighborhood to reach it from Atherton Drive, homeless accessing the area is not expected to be an issue.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@manetcabulletin.com