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Tulare County certifies mitigated negative declaration for proposed Pixley Travel Center
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Summary
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 Jan. 27 to certify a mitigated negative declaration under CEQA and approve a proposed Pixley Travel Center that would add fuel islands, EV chargers, a 20,000 sq ft convenience store and an estimated 40–60 jobs on a previously disturbed ~36.5-acre site near Highway 99 and Avenue 120.
Mike Washam, associate director of the Resource Management Agency, told the Tulare County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 27 that staff had prepared a mitigated negative declaration for the proposed Pixley Travel Center and determined "the project will not have significant impact on the environment with the mitigation, and has been determined not to require a full EIR consistent with the CEQA state guidelines." The board certified the MND and authorized staff to file the notice of determination.
The project would redevelop a roughly 36.5-acre, previously disturbed agricultural site adjacent to Highway 99 and Avenue/Road 120 north of Pixley. According to Washam’s presentation, the site plan includes 10 diesel truck islands, two RV fueling stations, 16 gasoline fueling islands, electric vehicle charging stations, a 20,000-square-foot convenience store, a 3,100-square-foot fast-food restaurant with a drive-through, a pet area and a playground, extensive truck parking and three 12,000-gallon underground storage tanks. Staff estimated the travel center would typically employ 40 to 60 people.
Washam said the analysis tiers off the Pixley Community Plan (2015) programmatic EIR and that project‑specific technical studies — addressing air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, biological resources and cultural resources — informed 25 mitigation measures included in the MND. He identified traffic as the primary potential impact and cited a traffic study prepared by Provost & Pritchard; proposed mitigations include pro-rata shares for potential traffic signals at northbound and southbound interchanges and construction of left-turn lanes and frontage improvements at nearby intersections. He said a discharge of 10,000 gallons per day would trigger waste-discharge requirements and that the project will coordinate with the Division of Drinking Water because the site could serve more than 25 people daily.
Washam also described public notice and outreach: the MND was published for a 30-day review and the item was considered at a December Planning Commission hearing; staff recorded no public speakers or emails on the day of the board hearing. Supervisor questions focused on scale comparisons and roadway impacts; Supervisor Vanderpool called the project a productive reuse of a long-idle site in Pixley and highlighted job creation.
With no public comment at the board hearing, Supervisor McCarrie moved and Supervisor Valero seconded the motion to certify the MND and approve the project’s environmental actions; the motion passed 5-0 and the public hearing was closed. The board directed standard ministerial steps: authorize the environmental assessment officer or designee to sign the notice of determination and file it with the clerk’s office.
The permit and construction approvals the applicant must obtain — stormwater pollution prevention plan, any required waste-discharge requirements from the Regional Water Quality Control Board, public water system approvals and utility coordination for EV charging — remain conditions for later permits and are subject to agency review.
