Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tulare County opens process to expand Goshen urban development boundary by roughly 718 acres
Summary
The board authorized filing a general-plan amendment application to update the Goshen community plan and broaden the urban development boundary by about 718 acres for mixed-use development, initiating an environmental review and infrastructure financing study.
VISALIA — The Tulare County Board of Supervisors on July 22 approved General Plan Initiation GPI‑25‑002, allowing county staff to file a general-plan amendment application that would modify the Goshen community plan and expand its urban development boundary by about 718 acres west and south of the unincorporated community.
Aaron Bach, assistant director with the Resource Management Agency, told the board the initiation is an early step that starts a year-long community plan update and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process focused on infrastructure studies and a financing plan for needed sewer, water and circulation improvements. Bach emphasized the initiation does not approve subdivisions or specific development maps; no tentative maps or final map applications have been filed.
The proposal would reclassify the affected parcels from Valley Agriculture to mixed-use to allow residential, commercial and industrial uses without separate rezoning for many proposals. Bach said about 1,200 acres already have been added to the Goshen urban boundary since 2018; this next expansion would include land crossing the railroad north of Road 64 and a key parcel near the Highway 99/198 interchange that developers see as a marketing asset.
Staff noted a current moratorium on new sewer connections imposed by the city (the city provides some treatment capacity) and said the moratorium, peak-flow constraints and solids-loading issues limit near-term capacity. The county and local developers discussed alternatives including shifting sewer allocations among projects, package treatment plants, and other means to supply wastewater service if city allocations are not forthcoming. Bach said the expansion might address 20%–40% of the county’s near-term housing allocation but would not be a complete solution to countywide housing needs.
Board members asked about West Goshen and other study areas; staff said West Goshen could be added as a study area if the board desired. No public comments were received on the item and the board approved the initiation by unanimous vote (4–0).
Why it matters Initiating a general-plan amendment and EIR starts a formal process that could enable large-scale new housing and commercial development in Goshen, but the planning work must address water, sewer and transportation constraints. The board’s action authorizes county staff to pursue the amendment application and begin the technical studies required by CEQA.
Speakers in the record are quoted only as they appear on the meeting transcript.
