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Planning Commission continues Whitman subdivision after city objection and neighbor protests
Summary
A proposed 25-lot subdivision on 31.5 acres east of Visalia drew opposition from the City of Visalia and nearby residents over sewer, septic and CEQA review; the commission continued the item to a date uncertain to allow staff and the applicant to address issues.
The Tulare County Planning Commission continued a public hearing July 9 on a proposed General Plan amendment, zone change and 25-lot tentative subdivision map (GPA 24-006 / PZC 24-010 / TSM 24002) after staff, the City of Visalia and many neighbors raised concerns.
Resource Management Agency planner Russell Kashiva told commissioners the project would change 31.5 acres from AE-20 (exclusive agricultural, 20-acre minimum) to RA-43 (rural residential, 43,000-square-foot minimum) and subdivide the parcel into 25 lots. He said parcels would range from about 1.05 acres to 1.86 acres and that on-site septic systems were proposed for each parcel.
The project attracted sustained public comment and a formal statement from the City of Visalia opposing the proposal. Brandon Smith, principal planner for the City of Visalia, said the city views the request as premature spot zoning outside its growth boundary and objected to use of a CEQA infill exemption for the project. "The city does look at this site as what appears to be spot zoning," Smith said in his remarks recorded in the hearing.
Applicant representative Greg Dowdz argued the parcel now sits adjacent to property the county school district has purchased and that the school’s planned road and campus expansion change the context for development. Dowdz said the proposal is intended as a transition parcel between urban and agricultural uses and noted that water from Cal Water and septic systems were proposed: "The reason we're doing septic systems is because it's over 1 acre lots."
Multiple neighbors said the subdivision would harm long‑standing agricultural uses, increase traffic on a narrow country road and threaten residents' rural way of life. Speakers cited historic family ownership and concerns about groundwater, vehicle miles traveled and inadequate infrastructure. One written comment submitted by a neighbor cited alleged misuse of the CEQA Class 32 infill exemption and requested a full RVLP (Rural Valley Lands Plan) suitability analysis and CEQA review before any approval.
Commission staff recommended further environmental analysis and additional outreach to neighbors and the school district. Planning Director Aaron Bach noted infrastructure and sewer capacity constraints countywide and staff recommended returning with an alternate environmental document after discussions with the applicant and stakeholders.
A motion to continue the item to a date uncertain passed 7-0. Staff said the continuance would allow the applicant, the city and county staff to pursue more detailed analysis on sewer and water availability, CEQA applicability, and the project’s consistency with the Rural Valley Lands Plan.
The commission did not set a new hearing date; staff said the project will be re-noticed when the additional work is complete.
