The City of Porterville Project Review Committee on Nov. 19 reviewed a tentative parcel map (PRC 2025-048) proposing to split a commercially zoned parcel at Henderson and Jay streets into two lots, staff said.

Chair and associate planner Oscar Cepeda told the committee the proposal would create Parcel 1 at about 25,869 square feet and Parcel 2 at about 21,571 square feet, and said the site is in the General Service Commercial zone and has a General Plan designation of General Service Commercial. "The project proposes to divide the existing parcel into 2 lots," Cepeda said during the committee’s briefing.

Why it matters: dividing the lot will change how utilities, frontage and development constraints are applied to each new parcel and will trigger administrative fees, environmental paperwork and a publicly noticed hearing before the parcel map committee. Cepeda said staff’s preliminary determination is that the project will qualify for a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) notice of exemption, which would require staff to prepare the exemption document and pay an environmental preparation fee and a county filing fee.

What staff said: Cepeda outlined the upfront fees and next steps the applicant must complete to proceed. He said the tentative map filing fee is $1,500; staff will prepare a CEQA notice-of-exemption document for a $79 preparation fee and file it with Tulare County for a $58 filing fee. The parcel map will require a public hearing with at least 10 days' notice and mailed notices to adjacent properties within a 300-foot radius; Cepeda said the city can prepare that notice for $26.50. If the tentative map is approved, the final map filing fee will be $955.

Engineering standards and utilities: Engineering director Javier Sanchez told the committee that required frontage improvements will be imposed at the building-permit stage and will match the existing frontage pattern on the block. "Frontage improvements will be required at the time of building permits," Sanchez said, listing a 7.5-foot landscape parkway, an 8-foot sidewalk, street lights and extension of water and sewer utilities to each parcel as the expected upfront improvements.

Other department notes: Fire marshal Clayton Dingnam and the public works water utilities representative (David Paine) said they had no substantive comments at the tentative-map stage and will review specific development plans when they are submitted. Chief building official James Wickersham noted that any planned demolition on the property would require a separate demolition permit and associated review.

Next steps: Cepeda said staff will gather written comments from all departments and send a consolidated comment letter to the applicant in about two weeks. The applicant was invited to submit the tentative map and associated fees and to contact staff with questions while the packet is prepared.

No formal action was taken during the meeting; the committee did not vote on the map and the item will return to the parcel map committee for the required public hearing if and when the applicant files the tentative map and fees.

The Project Review Committee adjourned at about 1:40 p.m.