Richard Silverman is frustrated.

The former Manteca councilman believes traffic signals at Woodward Avenue and Main Street are long overdue.

So do a lot of other people.

It is why when he first decided to run for the Manteca City Council Area 2 seat on Nov. 5 — before he dropped out — Silverman made that a major issue.

“They should have been in place years ago,” Silverman said on Thursday.

Those who reside in Area 2, which is primarily southeast Manteca east of Union Road and south of the 120 Bypass, understand the hot mess the Woodward-Main intersection is today without traffic signals.

Residents are paying the price in a reduced quality of living standard thanks to congestion issues that has been created with each new home built in the area during the past three or so years.

It is why they need to ask the three people vying for their vote to get elected to the City Council — Judith Blumhorst, Regina Lackey, and Gabriel Galletta — whether they will “fight” to get the traffic signals in place.

And the fight is for those responsible for putting the traffic signals in is to do so without further delay.

In this case, the responsibility falls on several different developments that can’t build homes after a certain number is reached or else like the Hat Ranch project that can’t sell any homes until the signals are in at Woodward and Main.

The Hat Ranch is a good two years or so from being close to that point.

Not the case with other home building tied into the intersection.

Developers agreed to do the work, which includes the cost for right of way, so what’s the hang up?

It is reasonable if a property owner has a request that if a wall in a needed easement has to be taken out that it should be replaced with the proper setback, plus they should be compensated at market value for land.

The city isn’t the party that is responsible for that. The developer is.

Likewise, if the developer submits construction plans for needed improvements, the city needs to fast track them even if they have to pay outside engineering help from the municipal coffers.

After all, if the City of Lathrop could move the approval process for construction of the Wayfair distribution center to the point it was done in a week’s time, the City of Manteca can do so for a road widening project that includes traffic signals a major intersection.

First, of course, the developer has to secure the right-of-way.

The only help the city should lend to that process is eminent domain, if it is needed.

That is, of course, a costly and time consuming process.

Delays only add to the construction cost for the developer.

The city has said it is more than willing to eliminate any possible delays that could crop up including the installation of a new major sewer line on Woodward Avenue.

The solution would be to put the section in place beneath the section of Woodward including the Main Street intersection in place and capping it on both ends for when work can be done on the rest of the line.

The signals should be in now.

And whoever is elected to the Area 2 seat if they are truly looking out for their neighbors and the welfare of the city as a whole should not hesitate to apply pressure to the developer to make it happen.

They agreed to it.

They should do it.

And it should be on their dime as they agreed to do.

The mess — and it is one at Woodward and Main — is exactly why Silverman lauds the current council led by Mayor Gary Singh for implementing policies that require developers to put in all-required off-site improvements such as traffic signals and street widening in place before the first home can be sold.

Silverman proved in four years on the council that he has the proverbial back of Manteca residents.

It was Silverman who was the council architect of the 2018 Measure J room tax that increases be city’s hotel room tax from 9 percent to 12 percent.

It is a tax that is paid by city visitors almost exclusively and not city residents.

The increase brought the city closer in line with other California cities that get a lot of destination travel involving tourism and resorts.

That meant Mantecans that paid significantly higher room taxes when they traveled to help fund services in other jurisdictions were essentially living in a town that gave everyone visiting here a tax break that they don’t enjoy.

And because Measure J was not subject to the 35-year room tax sharing deal with Great Wolf for their guests, Manteca is now enjoying in excess of $1 million more in annual general fund revenue that they weren’t back in 2018.

Silverman is also part of the council that made sure the Great Wolf deal  didn’t put Manteca on the hook for a single penny.

It is true that the room tax sharing deal that ends after 25 years provided funding to help with the resort construction and allowed the city to land Great Wolf.

But the city was only giving up a portion of what they were due for a 25-year period from revenue they would not have received if Great Wolf didn’t open here.

Meanwhile, the city benefits from sales tax, 500 jobs, and the ability to use Great Wolf to lure other private sector investments to the family entertainment zone such as the nearby Loma Brewery that recently broke ground.

By not issuing bonds for infrastructure related to the resort as Garden Grove did to the tune of $40 million to secure Great Wolf, when the pandemic hit Manteca had no bond pavements to cover when Great Wolf couldn’t open.

Garden Grove did.

True, Manteca didn’t have Great Wolf room tax flowing but it also incurred no expenses to the general fund.

“We (the council) were adamant that Manteca wouldn’t be on the hook,” Silverman said.

It is why Kalahari Resorts that wanted to build a much larger resort with 900 rooms with indoor/outdoor water park features and other recreation amenities such as amusement rides, miniature golf course, go-karts, and such ended negotiations with the city.

One additional note from Silverman, and it has to do with Great Wolf indirectly.

He supports the three-quarter cent sales tax hike on the Nov. 5 ballot for Manteca.

Silverman said there is no question there is government waste of tax dollars on the state and federal level.

He stressed that is not the case in Manteca where he has no doubt there is a serious need for more funds to provide citizens with public safety and other services such as good roads they need and use daily.

Silverman notes Measure’s Q sunsets after 20 years which is right when the Great Wolf room tax split ends.

Between what Manteca would get with 100 percent of the Great Wolf room tax and whatever other commercial sales tax revenue the resort’s presence can help the city leverage for the family entertainment zone, the loss of Measure Q revenue in 2045 would be backfilled.

 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