Downtown Manteca doesn’t have a parking problem.

But it definitely needs one.

There will be people who disagree with that premise.

Their perspective, whether it is right or wrong, is rooted in the small city downtowns of the 1960s.

It was back when supermarkets were in the downtown mix.

There were drug stores, general clothing purveyors, shoe stores,  hardware stores, and such that for the most part have all fled to shopping centers of all shapes and sizes.

Basically, downtowns were historically full of stores addressing everyday needs and wants. People wanted to get their shopping done with as quickly as possible.

It is why shopping centers with vast parking lots that allow you to park directly in front of stores, make your purchases, and go on your way as quickly as possible led to downtowns’ collective downfall as major retail hubs.

What many profess to want for downtown Manteca — including those holding onto 1960s parking standards —  is a destination type of place.

That runs the gamut from specialty markets, dining, and entertainment venues to specialty shops suited for browsing, which is a form of entertainment.

This is not to say in a healthy city center surrounded by neighborhoods won’t have successful ventures such as laundromats and such.

Those looking to buy toothpaste and associated items and that’s it, want to go in and out. Parking a block away from an entrance to a drug store and battling traffic on narrow two lanes streets to get there is not going to cut it for them.

A case in point, is an exchange at a Manteca City Council meeting in mid-1991 where a woman resident who was slamming the city for a lack of parking downtown.

She shared that because it was difficult to park near the Hancock Fabrics store where Manteca Bedquarters is today in the 100 block of West Yosemite Avenue that she was “forced” to shop at Walmart for fabrics and sewing materials.

It is highly doubtful parking per se was why she was longer patronizing the downtown store.

That’s because when Walmart was carrying fabrics at their Manteca in 1991, the section was located in the farthest corner from the entrance.

It meant if the lady scored the nearest parking space to the front of the Walmart store, she’d easily have to walk the equivalent of two downtown blocks to reach it.

Then Mayor Frank Warren pointed out there was a parking area right next door to the fabric store. She replied it was too much of a hassle to get in and out of the parking lot.

It’s likely the real reasons why she stopped shopping at the downtown store had to do with hours, prices, selection, or the fact she couldn’t combine her fabric shopping with a trip to the same store to pick up shampoo, laundry detergent, and a pair of sneakers.

Fast forward to today.

People that are moving into $800,000 new homes in southwest Manteca aren’t shunning downtown because of the lack of parking, perceived or otherwise.

They likely have no idea what is downtown.

Many in downtown over the years have operated on the assumption that since they are there, people will come.

It helps explain why downtown Manteca collectively has a zilch social media presence,

You can’t Google downtown Manteca and find a search that includes a go-to place with one initial click allowing you to access listings on what dining options, stores, entertainment venues, services, attractions, and events are available there.

In many cases such downtown home pages having the clickable word “parking” where it details where one can find parking complete with a map.

Most of the people that downtown needs to reach have no idea Manteca has had “a parking problem for years” mainly because they have no idea what downtown has to offer.

That is one of the things the property and business improvement district (PBID) that is in the process of being formed will be able to address.

Most of the disposable income of new residents, especially those with coveted household income considerably north of Manteca’s median of $89,000 need to be snagged on their time table.

That means primarily weekends with evenings during the week following that.

The reason is simple. Most of the new residents are commuting to and from the Bay Area.

Keep in mind there is a difference between banks plus services as opposed to specialized retail  and dining/entertainment .

They have much different parking demands that include when it is needed.

As such, bank parking — think Bank of America — has the potential to work for other purposes in the evening on weekends although it will require some effort to secure.

And if you think people having to walk two or three blocks or — heaven forbid — six or more to reach a place they really want to go kills off a business, then you’ve never spent much time on a weekend or even some weeknights in downtown Livermore and Pleasanton.

Those are two cities where no one can dispute they have a thriving downtown.

And by the standards of those who queue up complaints about downtown Manteca’s “parking  problem” like a broken record, Livermore and Pleasanton would have an “atrocious” parking problem.

Yet people still flock there.

Why?

Besides the fact those downtowns have more of the things that will lure people there, they are walkable.

That means hoofing it a ways to your ultimate destination is a pleasant experience.

The sidewalks are inviting, there are shady trees, you can find mini parks or mini plazas that beckon, there are colorful flowers, and it is clean.

Also making it pleasant are browsable specialty shops along the way you can duck into and often times end up parting with more money than you expected to do so in a trip downtown.

And to further underscore the point, the Manteca Chamber of Commerce’s most successful street fair ever earlier this month drew record crowds despite the loss of available on-street and off-street parking to stage the event.

Downtown needs a parking problem.

And if there is any pressing “infrastructure” problem, downtown needs sidewalks that are walkable.

This column is the opinion of editor, Dennis Wyatt, and does not necessarily represent the opinions of The Bulletin or 209 Multimedia. He can be reached at dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com