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Planning commission recommends Traver Community Plan expansion, sends GPA and rezoning to supervisors
Summary
Tulare County planning staff told commissioners the Traver Community Plan update would add roughly 233–238 acres to the Traver urban development boundary, include a wastewater treatment facility and rezone the area to mixed-use, and the commission voted to recommend approval to the Board of Supervisors.
The Tulare County Planning Commission on June 11 recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve a general plan amendment (GPA 25-003) and a zone change (PZC 25-002) to modify the Traver urban development boundary and re-designate an area from Valley Agricultural to mixed use.
Aaron Bach, Tulare County planning director, told commissioners the GPA proposes to modify the Traver urban development boundary to include additional acreage — staff stated the proposal would add 233 acres during the presentation and the motion described the change as approximately +/-238 acres — and to add a wastewater treatment facility that occupies about 26 acres. Bach said the proposal would change the land use designation from Valley Agriculture to Mixed Use and would rezone the added area from AE-40 to R-1 MU (residential with mixed-use overlay) and M-1 MU (light industrial with mixed-use overlay).
The commission’s recommendation follows an initial study and a mitigated negative declaration prepared for the project. Bach said the mitigated negative declaration and related environmental documents were posted and available on the Resource Management Agency website; the notice of intent and the MND were published in the Sun Gazette on May 7, 2025, and the 30-day public review period ended June 10.
In his presentation Bach summarized comments received from local agencies. The Department of Conservation asked county staff to ensure agricultural-conservation mitigation and Williamson Act policies are followed; Bach responded that the subject parcels are not under Williamson Act contract and that the Department of Conservation’s comment misstated that. The Kingsburg Joint Union High School District provided comment suggesting the county consider school impacts; staff told commissioners that the county expects school fees paid by future builders to mitigate impacts and that direct coordination with Kingsburg would occur if and when projects come forward. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District indicated the voluntary emissions reduction agreement (VERA) may apply to future projects and would require appropriate health-risk assessment when needed.
Commissioners moved to recommend approval to the Board of Supervisors. A motion to recommend approval of the general plan amendment (GPA 25-003) carried with six yes votes, one absent and zero noes. A separate motion to recommend approval of the zone change (PZC 25-002) carried with seven yes votes and one absent. Staff noted the site is not subject to any Williamson Act contracts.
Next steps: the commission forwarded both recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for final action and public hearings at the board level.
