Tulare County planning commission approves two mobile homes to replace units lost in fire

On Sept. 24, 2025, the Tulare County Planning Commission approved Special Use Permit and Final Site Plan PSP25-051PSR to allow two mobile homes to replace units that burned in 2024 at 179 East Gibbons Avenue in the Porterville urban area.

The permit applies to a parcel in the RA-217 (rural residential, 217,000-square-foot minimum) zone. Staff said the applicant seeks to replace two of three destroyed mobile homes with 27-by-56-foot double-wide manufactured homes. A final site plan is required under section 15 of the Tulare County Zoning Ordinance when more than two dwelling units are proposed in the RA-217 zone; staff reported that section 15(a)(6)(C) allows the decision-making body to approve modifications when consistent with the ordinance purposes.

Resource Management Agency project processing staff reported the site had three mobile homes that were demolished in 2024 (demolition permit numbers referenced in staff materials). The county mailed public notice to surrounding property owners and published notice in the Exeter Sun Gazette. Staff reported no written comments had been received before the hearing.

The item was placed on the consent calendar and approved with the consent motion; the vote was recorded as 7 yes, 0 no, 0 abstentions. The action was taken as part of the consent calendar; no substantive public comment was made on the item during the meeting.

Next steps described by staff include the applicant pursuing any required building permits and compliance with the approved final site plan; specific building-permit timelines were not specified in the hearing record.