99 WIDENING

NEWS

Caltrans begins southbound expansion of Highway 99

BY CHRISTOPHER CORREA

209 Business Journal

Caltrans District 10 has officially began the process of widening State Route 99 (SR99) going southbound between Turlock and Livingston, adding a third lane for a nine-mile stretch. The southbound expansion is the second phase of a greater project that saw a similar highway widening going northbound from Livingston to Turlock, which took place from November 2019 to April 2021.

The southbound widening will be completed within a similar timeframe, beginning last week with an expected finish in January 2024. Funds for the southbound project construction were designated in the 2018 State Transportation Improvement Program.

The Caltrans said the project is necessary to address freeway capacity restrictions, which is anticipated to reach or exceed existing capacity on or before 2030. Additionally, Caltrans has viewed the nine mile stretch as a bottleneck for drivers as it is the only stretch of freeway between Turlock and Livingston that is currently two lanes wide.

Caltrans District 10 Director Dennis T. Agar spoke about the benefits the project can potentially bring to commuters once it is completed in early 2024.

“This project will benefit commuters, local traffic, and of course, Merced County’s important farming communities,” Agar said. “Upon completion, trucks carrying Central Valley goods such as almonds, grapes, dairy and tomatoes will move more efficiently throughout the state.”

According to Caltrans, construction crews are scheduled to conduct most of their work during weekdays, performing temporary lane, ramp and shoulder closures. It is stressed that no two consecutive ramps will be closed simultaneously. Caltrans added that there are no current plans for full highway closures on SR-99.

With construction underway and an increased presence of workers on the highway, drivers can expect reduced speed limits throughout the work zone. Those commuting are encouraged to plan ahead and at times use alternate routes.

More information on the SR99 southbound project can be found by going to www.dot. ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-10 and selecting “Merced” under the Current Projects tab.

Drivers are also encouraged to follow @CaltransDist10 on Twitter and “Like” Caltrans, District 10 on Facebook for the latest traffic updates as it relates to the construction between Turlock and Livingston.

Image contributed

The map provided by Caltrans shows the nine-mile stretch of highway that will be widened to include a third lane

Area’s groundwater sustainability projects among nearly 3,000 tracked on new mapping tool

BY SABRA STAFFORD

209 Business Journal

The California Department of Water Resources has launched a new mapping tool that will allow people to get information on groundwater sustainability projects.

The web-based tool developed by the DWR will allow the public to explore thousands of groundwater projects across California to get a better understanding of one of the state’s most critical water supply resources. The virtual mapping tool is part of the State’s ongoing commitment to develop new, innovative solutions to provide information and resources to address the effects of California’s changing climate and ongoing severe drought.

The California Groundwater Projects Tool is an interactive mapping tool that allows users to explore a database of nearly 3,000 projects initiated in California over the last decade to protect groundwater resources. The mapping tool features projects that were funded by DWR and external sources such as federal or local funding. The database will include information about project benefits and effectiveness in relation to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Users can also access more than 20 project case studies and get guidance on how to measure and track benefits of projects following construction.

“Dry conditions continue to test our communities statewide, especially those that rely heavily on groundwater for multiple needs,” said DWR Sustainable Groundwater Management Deputy Director Paul Gosselin. “This new mapping tool will allow users to view and access information on thousands of groundwater projects being implemented within their local communities and throughout the state. We are encouraged and inspired that groundwater managers and communities are advancing solutions and planning projects within their basins to help achieve groundwater sustainability.”

The web-based tool is intended for anyone interested in learning more about state and local investments in groundwater sustainability and the return on those investments. This information may be considered useful to groundwater sustainability agencies, water agencies, organizations, legislators, Tribes, and the general public.

Groundwater is a critical component of California’s water supply, accounting for 40 percent in a normal year and up to 60 percent during dry conditions. Nearly 85 percent of all Californians rely on groundwater for at least some portion of their water supply. The state is currently seeing the adverse impacts of decades of over pumping groundwater basins including dry drinking water wells and land subsidence. This is exacerbated with climate change and the current prolonged extreme drought conditions. Grant funding for sustainable groundwater management projects has been critical to helping local water agencies address these impacts. The new tool will track the progress of these projects and inform state and local agencies on the types of projects that are making the most positive impacts.

DWR has prioritized developing new web-based tools and resources for well owners, groundwater users and local drought managers to help them prepare for current and future drought conditions. Last month, DWR, in coordination with the State Water Resources Control Board, launched a new Dry Well Susceptibility Tool that identifies areas in groundwater basins across the state that may be prone to domestic well outages. This mapping tool has been developed as a resource for local monitoring and early warning to help increase general awareness of where domestic water wells may be susceptible to going dry to help communities proactively plan for potential well outages.

To help Tribes and underrepresented communities who are experiencing difficulties implementing SGMA in their region, DWR is also offering support through the Underrepresented Community Technical Assistance program. The program offers free needs assessments and preliminary engineering reports to help communities identify needs and develop potential groundwater projects for future funding.

To view the map, visit https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/00197adac 22f4b06a3f410068d43a641/.

NEWS

Manteca retail project includes tribute to torn down Spreckels Sugar plant

BY DENNIS WYATT

209 Business Journal

The bricks salvaged from the old Spreckels Sugar warehouse will be part of the base of a tribute to the sugar beet processing plant that for years was Manteca’s biggest private sector employer.

That’s the plan of the developer who is removing the Spreckels Historical Plaza at Historical Plaza Way and Spreckels Avenue to build, a 7,560-square-foot retail building.

Brian Heron shared his plans with the Manteca planning Commission on Thursday when they approved the project directly behind the Chevron station.

The proposed building is big enough for two suites. Heron indicated one of them is already preleased.

The target to complete the building is June 2023.

Heron explained he was approached by Mayor Ben Cantu who asked if the developer would consider putting in place some type of tribute to Spreckels Sugar given the role it played in Manteca’s early economic development.

Spreckels in 1917 located a plant on what was the outskirts of Manteca after a farming boom triggered by South San Joaquin Irrigation District delivering irrigation water in the area quadrupled the size of Manteca’s commercial area over a two-year period.

Spreckels shuttered the plant in 1997. It eventually was developed into a 360-acre multi-use project by Mike Atherton, Bing Kirk and Bill Filios. The project includes 166 homes, the Target-Home DepotFood-4-Less commercial area, as well as the business park anchored by the Ford Motor parts distribution center. Heron said he was more than happy to accommodate the mayor’s suggestion. He is looking at either artistically reducing old photos of the plant or possibly doing a mural.

The AKF partners created the privately maintained historical plaza as a gift to the people of Manteca after they were inundated with requests to create some type of tribute to Spreckels Sugar.

They hired an architect that came up with the idea of using four oversized storm drain popes set on their ends to replicate the image of the four 15-stoiry sugar silos that once dominated the Manteca skyline.

The bricks used for the base of the curved landscaping planter/bench area in front of the silos were salvaged from the old Spreckels Sugar brick warehouse.

Trellises were added as was a large pole that displayed a large lighted America flag for years.

The project cost the developers $200,000 at the time.

Bricks from the factory were also part of the remodeled burned out shell of the old El Rey Theatre when it opened in 1999 as Kelley Brothers Brewing Co. that has since been remodeled as the Veranda Event Center in downtown Manteca.

Some of the bricks made their way to patio projects around Manteca while the rest were sold to an Oakland savage company.

At one point Atherton had lined up a title company to lease a twostory building that he envisioned would also house AKF development on the site.

The office was designed to look like the main factory building with its large windows.

Atherton saved a number of items from the factory that he hoped to incorporate into the building including the large brass plaque commemorating the sugar plant’s founding

The project fell through when the Great Recession hit.

Homeless also started taking over the plaza vandalizing lights, sprinklers, and using the grounds to defecate and urinate as well as to camp illegally.

That led it to being fenced off in 2016.

It was eventually sold to the current owner.

The retail building will cover most of the footprint of the plaza as well as create additional parking in addition n to stalls that are already part of the parcel that was sold.

TOP: Employees of Amazon fulfillment center MCE 1 pose next to a B-52 Stratofortress as Amazon spokesperson Nicole Banke snaps photos. RIGHT: Amazon employee Josh Payne, a former Captain in the U.S. Army, hoses down a B-17 Flying Fortress.

JOE CORTEZ/209 BusinessJournal

AMAZON

FROM PAGE 1

Castle Air Force Base, the museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the base, which was shuttered in 1995, and the history of military aviation.

With approximately 25 acres of grounds and more than 80 planes on site, there’s always plenty of clean-up work to be done by the nonprofit organization.

That’s where volunteers like the Warriors come into play.

“We usually get individuals volunteering to help,” said Joe Pruzzo, executive director of the museum. “And from time to time, some small group or association will volunteer their services, but this is one of the largest groups we’ve had out here.”

The Amazon group spent the morning pulling weeds, pruning bushes, raking flower beds and spraying down the aircraft. Josh Payne, who attained the rank of captain after 11 years in the U.S. Army, was on hand to help in any way he could.

“Actually,” Payne confessed as he was hosing down a B-17 Flying Fortress, “I thought we were just here to get a tour. But I’m glad to help.”

After the work was completed, Pruzzo gave the volunteers a guided tour, which started with the B-24 Liberator, a plane that served in all theaters during World War II.

“It was truly a global bomber for us during World War II,” said Pruzzo.

The B-24 needs about $50,000 to $60,000 worth of work to maintain its 1940s appearance. Amazon donated about half that amount with a check for $25,000.

“It’s amazing to work for a company that enables us to get involved in the local community and give back to local organizations,” said Norris. “Being from Atwater myself, and having gone to the museum my entire life, it really meant a lot to me to have the opportunity to volunteer with my team and have Amazon donate $25,000 to Castle Air Museum.”

Other highlights for the Warriors included seeing the B-58 Hustler — “a very touchy plane with a very high accident rate,” according to Pruzzo — and the RB-36 Peacemaker, a behemoth that weighs more than 350,000 pounds, has a wingspan nearly 80 yards wide and propellers that measure 19 feet in diameter.

“It took 11 railroad cars to transport it to Castle,” said Pruzzo, “and two and half years to reassemble it.”

However, the star of the show was the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a plane so fast that it outrun a surface-to-air missile.

“It once flew over the state of Nebraska in 6 minutes,” said Pruzzo. “It was built in 1962 and it remains the fastest plane ever built ... that we know of.”

The group finished their day with a peek inside Air Force One — this particular version carried presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, every vice president from Water Mondale to Dick Cheney, and every first lady from Rosalynn Carter to Laura Bush — and a visit to the restoration hangar to meet the veterans who do the work preserving the aircraft.

“It was an honor to meet the veterans who restored these planes … for future generations,” said Norris.

The MCE 1 fulfillment center, located at 3200 Fulkerth Rd. in Turlock, will open later in 2022.