Lathrop City Council Approves River Islands Phase 5 EIR — Adds 2,100 Units Over Environmental Objections

<p><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</strong><br>May 28, 2026<br>Contact: newsroom@dismalfreedompress.org</p><p>The Lathrop City Council voted 3-2 on May 27 to certify the Environmental Impact Report for Phase 5 of the River Islands master-planned community, approving approximately 2,100 additional residential units on the Mossdale Island site.</p><p>The San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) submitted formal written objections to the EIR on May 15, citing failure to adequately model traffic impacts on SR-120 and the Austin Road interchange and noting that Manteca Unified School District had not confirmed capacity for the projected student generation rate.</p><p>Mayor Pro Tem Sonny Dhaliwal and Councilmember Jesse Casarez voted against certification. Councilmembers Alyssa Gaeta, David De La Cruz, and Mayor Timothy Walsh voted to certify.</p><p>River Islands Development LLC, the project developer, projects Phase 5 build-out over seven years. DFP has requested the full EIR comment-response record and the developer's impact fee agreement under CPRA.</p><p>###</p>