Tulare County OKs eminent-domain step to replace century-old Mineral King bridge

TULARE — The Tulare County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday adopted a resolution of necessity to begin eminent-domain proceedings to acquire property needed to build a new bridge near Mineral King, saying the existing 1923 span is structurally unsalvageable and that replacement is required to preserve access.

County engineers told the board the Oak Grove/Mineral King bridge shows severe concrete deterioration that cannot be repaired and that a new bridge, set just upstream of the current crossing, will allow continuous access during construction. The board voted unanimously to authorize staff and counsel to proceed with the acquisition and deposit probable compensation.

The county’s Resource Management Agency presentation said the bridge exhibits alkali-silica reactivity and carbonate damage — described in the presentation as forms of “concrete cancer” — and that repair or rehabilitation of the original structure is not a feasible option. Reed Chenkie, county engineer, said the project includes a slight realignment of the roadway and requires permanent right of way and a temporary construction easement to allow staging and embankment work.

Chenkie told the board the permanent acquisition requested is roughly 0.6 acres and the temporary construction easement is roughly 1.8 acres; a mitigated negative declaration under CEQA was adopted by the board in 2021 for the project. He said construction is expected to begin in the spring of next year.

Property owner Jamieson Haley addressed the board during the public hearing, opposing the county’s appraisal and offers. Haley said negotiations had not produced an acceptable offer and criticized the valuation process. “It’s ridiculous,” Haley said of the county’s valuation and the initial offers. Haley said he had proposed a counteroffer of $350,000 for the parcel the county seeks to acquire.

Board members repeatedly urged continued negotiation even after adopting the resolution of necessity. Chenkie and staff said the board action does not prevent the county from continuing to negotiate a voluntary purchase and that the county prefers an agreed settlement but needs the authority to proceed in order to keep the project on schedule.

Supervisor Eddie Valero made the motion to adopt the resolution of necessity; Supervisor Shuckling seconded. The motion carried with a unanimous recorded vote.

County staff said the temporary construction easement was written for up to five years to allow for staging as needed but that actual construction is likely to require a shorter period (two to three years) and that the easement could be released once construction is complete. Chenkie also said the county will work with utilities — including Southern California Edison, which holds facilities in the area — to complete final right-of-way agreements.

The board closed the public hearing after no other members of the public asked to speak and directed counsel to proceed as recommended. The county said it will continue negotiating with the Haley family before any court action is filed.

The replacement project is intended to preserve year‑round access to the Mineral King region; staff said the bridge provides primary access into the Mineral King area from State Route 198 and that failure of the existing span would sever the route.

Outcome and next steps: after the board’s resolution of necessity, staff will continue negotiations with property owners; if no voluntary settlement is reached the county will pursue condemnation proceedings as authorized by the board. Construction is anticipated to begin in spring of next year, per staff’s presentation.