Manteca has made a $22 million down payment on a proposed $56 million state-of-the-art facility to replace the city’s 48-year-old, outdated and inadequate police station.
If the 20-year Measure Q, which would increase the sales tax by three-quarters of a cent, is passed on November 5, the estimated annual revenue of $13 million will be used to finance a bond issue to build the police building.
In addition, there are other public safety requirements, such as the construction of a sixth fire station, the provision of round-the-clock staff for this station, road construction and other requirements.
The city government is committed to applying for all available state and federal grants to build a new police station to ease the burden on local taxpayers.
Typically, a revenue source such as a sales tax helps to effectively use such subsidies.
For example, the statewide half-cent sales tax Measure K was used to finance the $496 million Highway 99 widening project in 2011 from the Crosstown Freeway in Stockton to Yosemite Avenue in Manteca.
The Proposition 1B bond project would not have moved forward without local participation, which secured over $400 million in state funds for improvements along the 13-mile corridor.
Any grant money the city can obtain for the proposed police station, planned on a 1.98-acre site north of the Big League Dreams sports complex at the intersection of the future extensions of Milo Candini Drive and Wawona Street, will reduce the loan amount required for the project.
The $22 million represents the current balance of a state facility fee levied on growth.
The cost per square meter for new buildings varies by category (residential, commercial, office and industrial) and subcategories such as low density to multi-family residential buildings.
An example of the costs of growth can be seen in low-density residential development, the area where most housing is being built in Manteca overall, at four to seven per acre.
The current state facility fee is $2.48 per square foot, which equates to $496 for a new 2,000-square-foot home.
The council on Tuesday removed an item from the agenda to increase the fee by 27 percent to $3.16 per square foot. That would mean $632 for a new 2,000-square-foot home.
This came after the Building Industry Association of the Great Valley questioned some of the justifications for the 27 percent fee increase.
The BIA represents the homebuilding industry in the northern San Joaquin Valley.
The increase is largely due to rising construction costs. Even more drastic are the costs for government buildings such as police buildings and fire stations, which must meet even stricter earthquake standards than the residential buildings built by developers.
City Manager Toni Lundgren expects the proposed increase in the state facilities fee will be brought up for consideration again on the next City Council agenda.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email [email protected]
