Tulare County planning director outlines zoning-code update and EIR work for Traver and Goshen projects
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Summary
Planning Director Aaron Bach told the commission the county will bring a zoning-code update to the Board of Supervisors in March and is preparing EIRs and studies for the large Traver and Goshen developments, noting substantial sewer and road infrastructure needs.
Aaron Bach, Planning Director for Tulare County's Resource Management Agency, used the Jan. 28 meeting to update the commission on several countywide planning matters, including a zoning-code update and environmental review for two large development projects.
Bach said the county is revising the zoning code and expects to take it to the Board of Supervisors in March; "We should be seeing our zoning code going to the board hopefully in March," he said. He added that the special-use permit section would follow several months after the initial code action and that the county elected to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to support future rezoning work.
On the Traver project, Bach said the county entered a reimbursement agreement with the developer to cover review costs for the project's EIR and master infrastructure plans. The county is preparing the EIR and coordinating with consultants; Bach said developers hope to begin early phases by summer but that sewer and roadway infrastructure remain significant and costly tasks.
Regarding Goshen, Bach reported the county submitted a sewer and water study for city review and has initiated a traffic study with city involvement; he estimated four to five months before traffic-study results are available and warned that mitigation for another 1,200-plus acres of development will require substantial planning.
Commissioners also asked about EV-charging infrastructure. Bach said charging requirements are handled through the building code and not the older 2012 general plan; recently approved development proposals (including a minor action in Pixley) have included charging stations under building-permit authority.
Bach and commissioners discussed Caltrans' Caldwell interchange project, which the director said is expected to start in October 2026; value engineering may shorten some ramp-shutdown durations but significant detours and multi-phase disruptions to local traffic are still expected.
The director's report provided schedule guidance on the zoning-code process, described where environmental review is underway, and identified infrastructure constraints that will shape entitlement and construction timetables for major projects.
