River Islands at Lathrop is a planned community on a 4,800-acre (7.5 sq mi; 1,900 ha) site in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in Lathrop, California, United States. [1] As of 2018, approximately 800 homes of the first-phase of 4,284 houses had been built. [2]
Plan
The developer is the Cambay Group of Walnut Creek, California which is an American subsidiary of Somerston Holdings Limited of the United Kingdom. [3] Plans call for the completion of 11,000 homes, a town center, business parks, and recreational areas over a 25-year development period. [3] In 2011, the developers stated construction of homes would not begin until late 2013 or early 2014 at the earliest." [1]
In October 2011, Banta Elementary School District approved the purchase of a 30-acre site within River Islands in Lathrop for construction of a k-8 charter school. [4] The 450-student technology school was proposed to open in August 2013 with an eventual expansion for a high school and college. [5]
In 2018, the Tri-Valley-San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority indicated its plan to run trains to River Islands as the service's initial terminus. [6]
History
The project was initially proposed in 1996 as a "mega resort" called Gold Rush City with theme parks, golf courses and private homes. [7] After substantial criticism about building within a flood plain, the plan was changed to a planned community surrounded by wide levees. [7]these levees go by "Super levees", the district protecting part of Manteca, Lathrop east of the San Joaquín River, French Camp, and Stockton’s Weston Ranch neighborhood is working toward a $270 million solution to upgrade to 200-year protection level as early as 2030. [8] Since being proposed in 2001, the development has been delayed several years due to lawsuits, concerns about flooding, environmental impact issues and a downturn in the housing market. [7] [9] To address the issues of flooding, plans call for 18 miles (29 km) of 300-foot-wide (91 m) levees to surround the community. [10] In 2003, Cambay Group settled lawsuits by the Sierra Club by establishing an $8.2 million trust for the protection of local farmland. [7] In 2009, the development company stated that construction would be further delayed because of the downturn in the housing market. [3]
References
- ^ a b Wyatt, Dennis (May 6, 2011). "The bridge to the future - River Islands bridge work starts in July". Manteca Bulletin. River Islands at Lathrop. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
- ^ Campbell, Jason (20 March 2018). "River Islands prepares to build 1,180 more homes". Manteca Bulletin. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ a b c Dennis Wyatt, "River Islands eyes 2011 start date," Manteca Bulletin, August 26 2009
- ^ Rizzo, Denise Ellen (October 15, 2011). "Banta trustees approve tech charter". Tracy Press. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
- ^ [1]. Tracy Press, Sep 22, 2011.
- ^ Wyatt, Dennis (23 June 2018). "VALLEY'S 1ST TRANSIT VILLAGE?". Mantecca Bulletin. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
- ^ a b c d "River Islands project delayed 1 year," Anna Kaplan, Stockton Record, October 11 2007
- ^ "RIVER ISLANDS : WHAT 200-YEAR FLOOD PROTECTION LOOKS LIKE". www.mantecabulletin.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
- ^ Davis Read, "Lathrop OKs River Islands," Tracy Press, January 29 2003
- ^ Cheryl Winkelman, "Developer fattens up levees, blends them in," Tri-Valley Herald, March 1, 2007