Planning commission backs repeal of old campus ordinance and approves Kaiser emergency department expansion

The City of Manteca Planning Commission on Oct. 16 voted to recommend that the City Council repeal a 1997 Planned Development ordinance governing the St. Dominic’s healthcare campus and approved environmental clearance and entitlements for Kaiser Permanente’s planned 27,476-square-foot emergency department expansion.

The action included a resolution finding the repeal request exempt from further review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) “common-sense” exemption (CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3)) and a separate resolution adopting an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH 2025080633) and approving site plan and design review (SPC-24-81), a conditional use permit (UPJ-25-02), a lot line adjustment (LLA-24-82) and a master sign program (MSP-25-05) for the Kaiser project.

Why it matters: The planning commission’s actions clear the way for a sizable ED expansion at the St. Dominic’s / Kaiser campus in Manteca while removing an older Planned Development ordinance and the campus-specific design guidelines that remain on record despite a citywide rezoning completed in December 2024. The entitlements include site redesigns, off-site street and drainage work, and conditions that must be completed as part of the approvals.

Kaiser representatives said the project will expand emergency treatment capacity and add related parking, landscaping and lighting. “The emergency department expansion … is a 27,500-square-foot new state-of-the-art emergency department expansion, increasing our treatment base from 11 to 34,” Andrea Cotter, a Kaiser Permanente representative, said during the commission presentation. Kaiser staff said the work would reconfigure building entry, create a separate ambulance entrance and relocate displaced parking to the east along St. Dominic’s Drive.

Staff presentation and CEQA: Deputy Director Jesus Orozco and…