Tulare County board approves resolution of necessity to begin eminent domain for Avenue 280 widening

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt a resolution of necessity authorizing staff and counsel to begin eminent domain proceedings for property needed to widen Avenue 280 between Visalia and Farmersville.

Resource Management Agency representative Reid Chenkie told the board the action would enable the county to complete right-of-way acquisitions that remain outstanding while continuing negotiations with property owners. "We don't intend to prevent continued discussions or negotiations with the property owners by doing this action," Chenkie said, adding that staff prefers negotiated acquisitions but needs the resolution to keep the project moving.

The project is the Avenue 280 (Caldwell) widening, a multi-segment effort to expand a two-lane roadway to four lanes and include drainage upgrades, a bridge replacement, utility relocations and new traffic markings. Chenkie said a Notice of Determination under CEQA was adopted by the board in February 2012. He said the county has completed 37 of 51 right-of-way acquisitions and has three active resolutions of necessity working through the courts; this item was the fourth and may be followed by one final resolution.

The properties targeted in this action are two parcels with overlapping ownership identified as the Elliott and Mathewson Trusts. Chenkie said the permanent roadway take would total about 0.86 acres of roughly 53.5 acres across the two parcels; a ponding basin shown in staff materials would affect about 2.2 acres and a temporary construction easement about 0.25 acres. He said the county's probable deposit of compensation is currently based on an appraised value of $192,000. Construction is planned to start in the spring of 2026, according to staff remarks.

Supervisor questions touched on setbacks and whether the planned right of way would intrude on residences; Chenkie said the structure on the parcel appeared to be set back beyond the right-of-way and that the mapped setbacks did not appear to be violated. No property owner testimony was provided at the hearing, and no members of the public spoke in opposition during the public comment period.

Supervisor Valero moved to approve the resolution of necessity; Supervisor Shuckland seconded. The board voted 5-0 to adopt the resolution and direct counsel to proceed with eminent domain filings.

The county emphasized that adopting the resolution does not foreclose continued negotiations with property owners and that staff will continue outreach while the legal process proceeds.