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City Council receives update on major projects
Morgan Road wideningpic
The city is currently widening Morgan Road and making other improvements. It is just one of the many projects the city is involved in.

City Engineer Kevin Waugh gave the Ceres City Council a written report last week which details the projects the city is working on as well as private developments either in the plan check stage or in progress.

The list of city projects under construction includes:

1. Construction of a 3-million-gallon water reservoir and boost pump station at the Ceres River Bluff Reservoir to receive surface water from the Fox Grove plant now under construction by the Stanislaus Regional Water Project (SRWA). The tank is about 90 percent completion.

2. Construction of traffic signal at the intersection of Morgan Road and Service Road is complete and ready to be accepted as such by the city.

3. Through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, the city is installing ADA compliant pedestrian sidewalk, driveway ramps, corner ramps, and curb/gutter on Garrison Road from Moffett Road to Rose Avenue. This project is 95 percent complete.

4. Construction of rapid flashing solar-powered beacons at the Virginia Parks, Carroll Fowler and Walter White schools. This project is currently 75 percent finished.

5. Installing a city-wide intelligent transportation system (ITS) synchronization of traffic signals. The project is 95 percent complete.

6. Installing two granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration systems at Well 16 located in the alley north of Hatch Road and west of Angie Avenue in Ceres. The project is delayed.

7. Morgan Road improvements, including pedestrian facility and street improvements, including pedestrian refuge islands, crosswalk improvements, curb ramp improvements, sidewalk installation and infill, street lighting, hot mix asphalt pavement overlay and striping. The project is currently 10 percent complete.

8. Building a Fire Training Facility Tactical Tower. This project is out to bid.

9. Improvements to the Whitmore Storm Lift Station, consisting of removing the existing slab and hatch, constructing a reinforced concrete slab cover, and installing a traffic-rated access hatch. This is an urgent project for health and safety reasons and is nearly complete.

A number of city projects are being designed and are funded. They are:

1. Additional phases for sidewalk installations in the Morrow Village subdivision made possible by Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.

2. Rehabilitation of Whitmore Avenue by grinding and overlaying the street from Crows Landing to Morgan Road.

3. Extending the bike path from Eastgate Boulevard to Faith Home Road along the TID canal.

4. Installing French drains on Morgan Road to accommodate excess volume of water that causes flooding on Morgan Road during storms.

5. The installation of bike lane striping and other improvements along Herndon Avenue between Hatch Road and Central Avenue); on Eastgate Boulevard from Hatch to Helen Perry roads; and on El Camino Avenue from Second to Don Pedro streets.

6. Replacing the sidewalk on Richland Avenue between Hatch Road and Phil Way.

7. Using Measure L funds to continue sealing Ceres streets to preserve their lifespan.

8. Remove and replace failing sewer main on Lucchesi Lane from Cadillac Drive to Musick Avenue.

9. Revitalizing Smyrna Park with a Clean California Local Grant award of $2.9 million with a local match of $410,380.

A number of city projects are being designed while funding is still needed. They include:

1. Traffic calming requests. City staff will perform traffic safety & calming.

2. Remove and replace existing Sixth Street water main from Caswell Avenue to Whitmore Avenue. Also includes replace laterals to houses and meters. 

3. Rehabilitating the storm drain system within Palm Estates. It calls for removing and replacing the existing storm drain line that is failing from Standford to Pyramid Avenue.

4. Planning for landscaping and irrigation of Ochoa Park.

5. Traffic calming measures at Virginia Parks Elementary School and River Park.

6. Whitmore Avenue Median Improvements – From Mitchell Road to Rose Avenue, roadway median improvements and crosswalk installation including striping and signage.

7. Making roadway median improvements on Mitchell Road from Garrison Street to Whitmore Avenue and a crosswalk installation.

8. Replacing a failed storm drain pipe at 2022 Fourth and El Camino Avenue.

9. Continue planning for the Service/Mitchell/Highway 99 Interchange.


Currently being reviewed by city staff are a number of private developments:

1. Whitmore Ranch Phase I and II to build low- and medium-density residential units south of Whitmore Avenue. Phase I includes 107 housing units, and Phase II will see 46 units, as well as a park with playground structures, and a traffic signal at Whitmore Avenue and Boothe Road. Construction is expected to start in 2023.

2. Quick Quack Car Wash at the new Gateway Center Plaza at the southwest corner of Service/Mitchell. Construction to start this fall.

3. A project to make backbone infrastructure including water, sewer, and storm systems for the proposed commercial plaza development at the northeast corner of Hatch/Herndon. The city Engineering Department is plan checking the third submittal.

4. Raising Canes fast-food restaurant at the northeast corner of Hatch/Herndon. Construction to start in the fall.

5. Dutch Brothers at the northeast corner of Hatch/Herndon. Construction to start in the fall.

6. Public Storage at the northeast corner of Hatch/Herndon. Construction to start this fall.

7. El Rematito Parcel Map – Subdivision map is 99% ready, need to develop an Improvement Agreement.

8. 2125 Moffett Apartment Complex in plan checking the first submittal civil plans. Construction schedule is to be determined.

9. Sambella Plaza.  Plan checking is occurring on a third submittal civil plans for the commercial subdivision plaza at Rohde/Mitchell. Construction schedule is to be determined.

Private development projects in construction or soon under construction are:

1. The Ceres Gateway Center at the Mitchell and Service roads. The project is installing wet and dry utility infrastructure for In-n-Out, Chipotle, Ono Hawaiian Barbeque, Starbucks, Popeye’s Chicken, a future hotel, and retail buildings. It’s estimated that the center will be completed by the holiday season. 

2. Walmart – Project is open under a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy. Last items include programming video detection cameras for traffic signal, installing damaged fiber, and crosswalk striping. This project is at 98% completion.

3. Olive Villas townhouse units just east of the Moffett/Hatch Road intersection. This project is at 45 percent completion.

4. Cambridge Estates, a low-density residential subdivision at Hackett/Morgan. This project is at 45 percent completion.

5. Water infrastructure to provide City water to the proposed commercial development at Hatch/Herndon. This project is at 45% completion.

6. A new commercial building in the Morgan Industrial Park at 1064 Premier. Project is at 90 percent completion.

7. Two commercial buildings at 1172 Marchy Lane in the Morgan Industrial Park. Project is at 90 percent completion.

8. Nanik Plaza, an office building mirroring an existing one on Mitchell Road. This project is delayed.

9. Tuscany Village townhouse units on Whitmore Avenue, west of Railroad Avenue. This project is at 45 percent completion.

10. Reconstruction of the McDonald’s at 1324 Hatch Road taking place this fall.

11. NGB Construction is working on finalizing construction for office and warehouse at 1209 Marchy Lane. Construction is estimated to be completed by this fall.

12. Ochoa Truck Parking – Developer is working on finalizing construction at 4475 Morgan Road. The project is at 80% completion.

13. 1299 Partee Lane Ability Access – Developer is working on finalizing construction. This project is 95% completion.