Tulare County planning commission backs zoning changes for agricultural zones and approves six parcel maps

The Tulare County Planning Commission voted to recommend that the Board of Supervisors adopt a multi-part update to Zoning Ordinance No. 352 and approved six tentative parcel maps during its meeting. The ordinance amendments revise agricultural-zone definitions and use rules, add new definitions for energy storage and solar uses, and establish rules for temporary grazing and animal-unit accounting; the parcel maps were approved with motions finding exemptions under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The ordinance update — presented by Emily Gage, planning project processing division, Resource Management Agency — covers changes to sections 2, 9.5 and 16.5 of Zoning Ordinance No. 352 for agricultural zones. Gage said the first phase focuses on agricultural zones and includes updated definitions (for example, “agricultural service establishments,” “battery storage,” “private solar” and “utility-scale solar”), a land-use matrix that consolidates and clarifies allowed uses, and separate treatment of raising and slaughter uses to avoid conflicts with equine and hobby uses.

Gage told the commission the update also adds a limited temporary grazing use, defined as grazing that “does not exceed 10 days every 6 months,” and proposes an animal-unit chart to count young animals toward totals when necessary. She said the proposals were developed with input from stakeholders including the Tulare County Farm Bureau.

Why it matters: the changes affect how farms and ranches may use land in the county, how certain agricultural businesses operate (including energy-related facilities and mushroom growing), and how local code enforcement will measure animal populations and manage complaints.

Key changes described by staff include: increasing maximum fence, wall and hedge heights from 3 feet to 8 feet (subject to line-of-sight rules); reducing required distances between two structures used for human habitation from 20 feet to 10 feet and between human-habitation structures and animal-habitation structures from 100 feet to 40 feet in some zones; treating mushroom growing as a by-right use in the AE zone; carrying over many by-right uses across the reorganized AG zone structure; and removing hospital/sanitarium/nursing-home uses from the A-1 zone. The draft also adds a notice requirement for proposals involving assemblages of people: owners of property within one-half mile of the subject property would be notified of hearings.

Public commenters and staff gave further context on animal counting and temporary grazing. Jim Sullins, chair of the county Ag Advisory Committee, praised staff outreach and explained that an animal-unit system provides objective, weight- or metabolism-based measures for mixed-animal operations that a simple per-acre cap does not. "It's pretty standard use nowadays to use goats, sheep, and others to manage vegetation or fire," Sullins said, arguing the temporary grazing language gives operators flexibility for short-term, targeted grazing.

Emma De La Rosa of Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability asked for clarification about how bovine facilities and “animal confinement facilities” are defined and processed. Gage responded that bovine facilities over the stated threshold (25 quadrupeds on-site) require a special use permit and that expansions may require either a full special use permit or, if already in compliance, an administrative special use permit. She said digesters are typically treated as accessory or incidental uses in the ag zones and that staff will follow up with commenters.

The commission voted to recommend adoption of the zoning ordinance amendments to the Board of Supervisors after a motion by Commissioner Bill Aguilar and a second by Commissioner Bill Whitlatch; the motion was recorded as passing with six yes votes and at least one absence as noted in the record. Commissioners and staff stressed that the zoning update is being implemented in phases and that additional details — notably a finalized animal-unit chart — will be completed with Farm Bureau and other stakeholders.

Votes at a glance

- Tentative Parcel Map PPM25-006 (divide ~6.2-acre parcel into 3.59- and 2.61-acre parcels; M-1/MU zone, Kingsburg UDB): motion to approve CEQA common-sense exemption and conditionally approve PPM25-006 — motion passed (recorded: 5 yes, 1 abstain, 2 absent). Mover: Wayne Millis.

- Tentative Parcel Map PPM25-010 (divide 18.49-acre parcel into three parcels: 6.04, 6.52, 6.59 acres; A-1 zone, Dinuba UDB): motion to approve CEQA common-sense exemption and conditionally approve PPM25-010 — motion passed (recorded: 6 yes, 2 absent). Mover: Wayne Millis.

- Tentative Parcel Map PPM25-013 (divide 20.08-acre parcel into 3.65 and 16.44 acres; A-20 exclusive agriculture, Orosi): motion to approve CEQA common-sense exemption and conditionally approve PPM25-013 — motion passed (recorded: 6 yes, 1 absent). Mover: Chris Lohner; second: Bill Whitlatch.

- Tentative Parcel Map PPM25-014 (divide 247.88-acre parcel into five parcels; PD-0/AF zones, Mountain Framework Plan): motion to approve CEQA common-sense exemption and conditionally approve PPM25-014 — motion passed (recorded: 6 yes, 1 absent). Mover: Wayne Millis.

- Tentative Parcel Map PPM25-015 (divide parcels in R-1 single-family zone in Pixley; sizes described in record): motion to approve categorical exemption and conditionally approve PPM25-015 — motion passed (recorded: 6 yes, 1 absent). Mover: Wayne Millis.

- Tentative Parcel Map PPM25-017 (divide ~9.49-acre parcel into two parcels: 4.89 and 4.59 acres; RA-217 zone near Lindsay): motion to approve CEQA class-3 exemption/new construction exemption and conditionally approve PPM25-017 — motion passed (recorded: 6 yes, 1 absent). Mover: Wayne Millis.

- Zoning ordinance update (PZC 25: amendments to Tulare County Zoning Ordinance No. 352, sections cited a–k): motion to recommend the Board of Supervisors approve a statutory exemption and the requested amendments — motion passed (moved by Commissioner Bill Aguilar; seconded by Commissioner Bill Whitlatch; recorded as passing with six yes votes and one absence noted in the record).

Process notes and next steps

Staff said the zoning update is phased; the current item covers agricultural zones and related definitions, with additional phases to follow. Staff also said the animal-unit chart described in public materials will be finalized in coordination with the Farm Bureau and other stakeholders; administrative special-use permit rules are in section 16.2G of the draft ordinance and allow some permits to be processed without Planning Commission review unless the director elects otherwise. The commission noted the project has been in the county work plan since the 2012 general-plan update and that the zoning reorganization aims to reduce redundancy and clarify when special use permits are required.

The commission said its next meeting will be in July at 9 a.m.