Manteca’s elected leaders took steps earlier this month to provide zoning changes that would seamlessly allow Kaiser Permanente to expand its West Yosemite Avenue campus.
The City Council approved general plan zoning changes that placed all nine Kaiser parcels into a public-quasi public zoning instead of some being designated as business professional.
It means Kaiser would not need a rezone when they decide to expand.
The move eliminates uncertainty about the healthcare concern’s ability to grow at their present Manteca location.
Earlier this year, elected leaders approached Kaiser about the need to expand given requests they have been receiving from community members.
Kaiser currently has medical offices, a pharmacy, and hospital in Manteca.
The non-profit has indicated they are working regionally to enhance healthcare options and to address growth demands.
Manteca and Lathrop have been consistently among the fastest growing cities in California.
Last year, as an example, the two cities added roughly 4,200 residents.
Kaiser isn’t the only major healthcare looking to step up its presence in Manteca.
Sutter Health is in the process of remodeling 17,000-square-foot space at Orchard Valley near JC Penney.
The location will offer primary care, imaging and lab services as part of a major undertaking to bring healthcare services closer to communities in the rapidly growing Northern San Joaquín Valley.
The free-standing building will accommodate 14 physicians with a healthcare support staff of 30 to 40 employees
The health care center is targeted to open in spring of 2025.
Future plans include having additional specialty care services such as Ob/Gyn and orthopedics.
Sutter Health will retain its current location at 165 St. Dominic’s Drive near Kaiser Hospital.
Once the Orchard Valley location is opened, Sutter Health will convert its space on St. Domnic’s Drive next to Kaiser into a behavioral health care center to meet the growing demand for such services.
Altogether, Sutter Health is pursuing 32 projects in the Central Valley to step up and expand services provided to various communities
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
