Unless there is an abrupt, tectonic 9.0 Richter Scale seismic shift in the attitude of the majority of local residents regarding marijuana, there will be storefront cannabis sales in Manteca by the end of 2024.
It is why if you’re not crazy about marijuana being legally available in a retail store in Manteca, you need to switch gears.
That means taking a pragmatic approach.
The battle to allow legal marijuana sales is over.
The battle that you can now wage and potentially realize a certain degree of success has to do with how obtrusive such sales are and making sure the city’s promises on security and scrutiny are ironclad.
The most effective battleground to do that is on Monday, Dec. 18, at 1 p.m.
That is when the Manteca City Council is having a public hearing during a special meeting to vet the locations the four still-standing applications have for storefront sales.
Keep in mind only a maximum of three applications will prevail.
The council could approve three, two, one, or none.
It is likely three sites will pass the test.
But there is a good chance if a strong enough case can be made by the public in terms of the weakness of two potential locations, the city could end up issuing just two permits.
It is a plausible outcome that is unlikely to dilute whatever revenue the city may get from cannabis sales.
It also would likely benefit the two entities that win the golden ticket, so to speak.
That is because cannabis store traffic is driven by apps, the Internet, referrals, and repeat business.
It doesn’t rely on snagging customers seeing a sign as they drive past the store.
The areas that were 100 percent off limits to locating a marijuana store were based on zoning and a minimum 600 feet distance from specific existing uses as opposed to future uses.
Those existing uses are arcades, amusement centers, emergency shelters, substance abuse rehabilitation centers, libraries, parks, preschools, daycares, private and public schools, places of religious assembly, or youth centers.
All four of the locations being vetted meet those minimums.
Now weigh the four locations that are proposed.
All four are not along any walk-to-school routes.
The closest one is to a sidewalk along a street is one proposed for South Main Street. And that location is in the back of a strip mall development.
Off the Charts Manteca
This is the application by Off the Charts.
The 2325 West Yosemite Avenue location they have submitted is in a small business park that has been populated over the years by auto care, construction, and other similar businesses.
It is the most highly visible of the four locations from a main arterial given there is nothing between the storefront and Yosemite Avenue other than a parking lot.
It is on the north side of Yosemite Avenue with the municipal wastewater treatment plant is to the southwest and across the street.
The bottom line is it as close to being in the middle of nowhere you can get in Manteca without being in a middle of nowhere.
It is not hard to access.
And it is not so far off the beaten track given Costco is just a mile away.
Embrac Manteca
Manteca Responsible and Compliant Retail’s entry is in a small retail strip center in the 1100 block of South Main Street across the street from Denny’s as well as Walmart and Safeway. The exact address is 1148 South Main Street.
It is in a building in the back of the property tucked behind Leslie’s Pool Supply and Dairy Queen.
The location currently includes medical related concerns, a pizza place, and a cosmetology supply store.
Yes, there is a Dairy Queen.
But keep it in perspective.
Most of their orders are drive-thru and delivery service. There is not an outside playground.
And not even the area of the parking lot that would be used by prospective cannabis customers would overlap with the Dairy Queen.
Nectar Market
The location identified by Nectar Markets of California is at 1519 Yosemite Avenue.
It is the most “hidden” of the four locations.
It is in the northwestern most corner of a series of business and professional & medical buildings — including Valley Oak Dental and Central Valley Veterinary Hospital — are located on the northwest corner of Trevino and West Yosemite avenues.
The former occupant of the building was Golden Bear Physical Therapy which has since relocated to the Mission Ridge Shopping Center on South Main Street.
The drawback may be the fact it is somewhat hidden. The odds are security measures imposed by law enforcement on all retail pot operations would adequately address any drawbacks of it not being visible from a street.
It also backs up to a residential area — the Stonegate Apartments. It is the only location that is that close to residential.
Stiizy Manteca
The proposed Stiizy Manteca location is at 1447 Historical Plaza across from Home Depot and Carl’s Jr. and behind the retail complex that features Chipotle’s, Scores, and Edible Arrangements.
The address currently is for Chuck’s Place.
It is in the middle of one of the highest trafficked areas in Manteca yet the small strip center its located in the equivalent of the proverbial eye of a hurricane. It has never gotten much traction in terms of customer traffic.
From an applicant’s standpoint, it may be the best situated to snag transit cannabis buyers in terms of those heading to or from the Sierra.
Given Yosemite Avenue is where north 120 Bypass and Highway 99 traffic gets off freeways to take standard highways to the Sierra and a popular stopover with no less than 30 dining/coffee/juice offerings within three blocks of the interchange, it could snag travelers using apps.
Being completely flippant, with Mikey D’s, Chick-fil-A, In-n-Out Burger, Panda Express, Chipotle’s, and Carl’s Jr. to name a few basically next door it is a good place to combine a cannabis run with a munchies trip.
Beyond consideration of location, the City Council can — and for the most part already has — restrict sign size, ban any on-site advertising, control the name so it may not seem to entice kids such as “Cookies” or even bar the use of outrageous exterior paint colors to attract attention.
On the last point given the locations chosen, the property owners already probably would not allow a bright paint over such as the Cookies cannabis store in Modesto.
Say what you want, but Manteca has been deliberate and transparent in getting to this point.
It was two years ago this month that council first indicated they wanted to move toward having legal storefront marijuana sales in Manteca.
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
