Tulare County holds informational hearing on contractor yard after years of neighbor complaints

On Sept. 24, 2025, the Tulare County Planning Commission held an informational public hearing on Special Use Permit PSP22-098, a contractor storage yard and service operation run by Samuel Cortez (Sam's Air Conditioning) on Avenue 196 in Strathmore. The hearing examined a multi‑year pattern of neighbor complaints alleging noise, after‑hours unloading of air conditioners, parking on the frontage road, dust and harassment between adjacent property owners.

Planning staff and code‑enforcement officials described a long history of complaints and inspections. David Alexander (planning staff) and Hector Ramos (chief building official) told the commission that code enforcement has responded repeatedly to complaints but that most inspections found no ongoing violations; staff said one code case led to a minor modification of the permit. Ramos told the commission that inspections are unannounced and that, where noncompliance was found, the owner came into compliance; he said most…