Agenda Item Wording:
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City-owned Property Discussion - Review and provide direction on potential land use and design options for the City owned 21-acre property located on the northwest corner of North Akers Street and West Riggin Avenue.
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Deadline for Action: 8/19/2024
Submitting Department: Community Development
Contact Name and Phone Number:
Brandon Smith, Principal Planner, brandon.smith@visalia.city <mailto:brandon.smith@visalia.city>, 713-4636;
Paul Bernal, Planning and Community Preservation Director, paul.bernal@visalia.city <mailto:paul.bernal@visalia.city>, 713-4025
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the staff report and presentation and do the following:
1. Affirm direction on the type and amount of alternative land use & zoning for the 21-acre property located on the northwest corner of North Akers Street and West Riggin Avenue, and authorize staff to process entitlements for General Plan Amendment and Change of Zone; and
2. Authorize staff to prepare and release a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit potential land developers to submit design proposals for this site that demonstrate the Council’s desire to have a superior development design and layout for this site.
The RFP would address the developer’s responsibility to process the necessary Planning entitlement applications (if applicable) and CEQA environmental analysis for the alternative land use. Upon successful completion of the RFP process, staff will present the submittals to Council for their selection on the best design proposal submittal.
The RFP, if Council desires, could be reviewed by a committee that is appointed by Council and City staff with the Committee making suggestions and/or a recommendation to the City Council.
3. Affirm direction on the placement of design stipulations and use limitations to ensure a superior development design and layout that further aligns with the Council’s vision for the site.
In providing direction on land use and design, the City Council may want to consider what is the most “well regarded” land use designation for this location, which faces an arterial-arterial street intersection and is in an actively growing part of the city. The City Council may also want to further consider how much acreage from this location should be regarded for an alternative land use.
The City Council also held a work session on June 21, 2021, to discuss and seek direction on potential changes to the zoning and General plan designation on the 21-acre property. The action taken at the work session was to table the item until a future meeting, allowing staff to prepare a list of allowed uses in the Commercial Mixed Use (C-MU) zone and to consider park opportunities in the Carleton Acres Specific Plan area, which was later adopted in 2023.
Background Discussion:
Subject Site & Surrounding Uses
In 2014, the City purchased a 21-acre parcel facing Akers / Riggin from a larger 160-acre annexation site using Park Impact Fees. Please note sale of the property will require payment back to the Park Impact fee program. Figures 1 and 2 below show the land use and zoning designations for the site and the surrounding area.
To the north, on the north side of the Sedona Avenue alignment, a 103-acre parcel owned by Visalia Unified School District (VUSD) contains Ridgeview Middle School and land for a future high school campus.
To the west of the city owned site is a 29-acre parcel that is owned by a private entity and is zoned for high-density multi-family residential use. This parcel is incorporated into the Carleton Acres Specific Plan.
The surrounding area beyond the VUSD parcel is currently seeing a steady amount of growth and interest in future development planning. To the east, the 219-unit Ritchie Reserve Apartments are nearing completion. Further to the west and northwest, the Carleton Acres Specific Plan was approved in 2023 for the long-term buildout of approximately 3,200 dwelling units and 29 acres of commercial uses at the corner of Shirk & Riggin and a future neighborhood commercial designation at the southwest corner of Akers Street & Avenue 320 (see Figure 2).
Community Park Designation
General Plan Policy PSCU-P-5 calls for the creation of a new community park to be built in and to serve the northwest quadrant. The policy generally states that the park shall be in the northwest, and the facility map shown as Figure 5-1 identifies the 21-acre site as the potential location of the community park (see Figure 3 below).
Policy PSCU-P-5 further states that community parks are intended to include resources beyond those found at neighborhood parks, such as a community center building, reserved picnic facilities, tennis courts, aquatic center, and/or outdoor concert area.
The current size of this parcel is significantly larger than the policy guideline of “5 to 12 acres or more” for community parks. Even if half to three quarters of the parcel (i.e. 10 - 15 acres) were to be re-designated for commercial use, then the resulting 5 to 10 acres would still meet the size criteria.
A community park would fill a void that currently exists for this type of facility that would be comparable to Recreation Park / Anthony Community Center or Whitendale Park / Community Center. The General Plan notes that the northwest quadrant currently lacks a community center building, and Policy PSCU-P-16 calls to provide at least one community center in each of the City’s four neighborhood quadrants.
The community park would be different from Riverway Sports Park, located 2.5 miles to the east. The 83-acre Riverway Sports Park is considered a “large city park” that serves the greater Visalia area and contains several playing fields; however, it contains no community center or multi-use courts. The community park would also be larger in scale than neighborhood parks found throughout the City - the closest being Lions and Soroptimist Parks located one mile southwest or southeast from the site.
It should be noted that the conceptual use plan for Carleton Acres does plan for parks to be scattered throughout the development, but none being classified as neighborhood or community parks over two acres in size. This is intentional since the General Plan did not designate any land use designations for parks on the Carleton Acres site. The Community Services Department does not anticipate purchasing any land in the Carleton Acres neighborhood bound by Shirk, Akers, and Avenue 320.
Currently there are two other undeveloped Park land use designations in the northwest quadrant that could facilitate a community park; these sites are 15 acres near the northeast corner of Demaree Street & Pratt Avenue and 10 acres fronting the future Riverway Avenue extension north of Modoc Basin. Both sites are visible in Figure 3 above. Both designated sites could facilitate the northwest quadrant’s community park based on their acreage. There is a potential opportunity for the City to purchase the Demaree & Pratt land based on early preliminary discussions with a property owner in that area seeking to develop their property that has a park land use designation of equivalent acreage. There have been no discussions regarding the 10 acres of park designated land fronting the future Riverway Avenue extension north of Modoc Basin.
Attachment 6 illustrates non-residential land use designations in the surrounding vicinity.
Land Use Opportunities:
At the June 21, 2021 Work Session held to discuss land uses on the site, staff suggested that some of the Riggin/Akers park site may be better suited for an alternative land use given its location at a major street intersection. Staff speculated that a Commercial Mixed Use land use and zoning designation would be the best utilization for the city owned parcel due to its location to a major intersection. However, Council elected to table this discussion until the Carleton Acres Specific Plan project was completed. Since that discussion, the Carleton Acres Specific Plan was adopted by the Council in October 2023 (see Attachment 3).
A key point in the Specific Plan is that it included the creation of an additional 29 acres of Commercial Mixed Use designation to the west that will be anchored by Costco Warehouse, which was recently approved by the Planning Commission on July 22, 2024. In addition, the Specific Plan relocated a Neighborhood Commercial zone one mile to the north, at the southwest corner of Akers Street & Avenue 320. This commercial corner is anticipated for development in 10 or more years.
The City owned site has the potential to be served by multiple single-family and multi-family residential uses and major school facilities that are all adjacent to the site. Vacant land to the west includes a 29-acre parcel slated for a range of 440 to 1,020 high density residential dwelling units and inclusion of an off-street bike/pedestrian trail linking the City site to the rest of the Carleton Acres development.
During the June 21, 2021 work session discussion, the alternative favored by a majority of Council members at that time was the redesignation of the site’s southern half (i.e. 10 acres) to Commercial Mixed Use (C-MU) land use designation and the keeping of the northern half as Parks/Recreation (adjacent to the Sedona Avenue alignment near the VUSD campus site) (see Attachment 1 for an illustration of this land use alternative).
The C-MU designation provides for the widest range of possible non-residential land use alternatives: commercial, retail, restaurant, professional and medical office uses, or residential as a stand-alone or mixed use. A full summary of all allowed land uses (permitted and conditionally permitted) in the C-MU zone is provided in Attachment 2.
Attachment 1 illustrates a conceptual land use Commercial Mixed Use designation facing the corner of Akers & Riggin in a range of sizes. The 10-acre size favored by Council in 2021 is equivalent in size to the Key West shopping center located at Akers & Goshen. Other alternatives shown are a 5-acre size, which corresponds in size to the partially developed Shannon Market center at the northwest corner of Mooney & Riggin, and a full rezone of the entire 20 acres, which corresponds in size to the Orchard Walk East development anchored by Target on the east side of Dinuba Boulevard.
The following are other viable land use designations and their associated uses that could be considered for the site (full text of related General Plan policies & example locations of zone designations is included as Attachment 5):
• Neighborhood Commercial (C-N) - Small-scale commercial development serving local neighborhood. (Reference: Policy LU-P-67)
• Professional / Administrative Office (O-PA) - Office complex development, including medical uses. May include restaurants. (Reference: Policy LU-P-68)
• Quasi-Public (QP) - Institutional, recreational, religious, non-profit, civic uses, and residential development for senior citizens. (Reference: Policy LU-P-108)
Design Stipulations and Potential Restrictions for Commercial Land Use Designation:
Being that the City owns the subject property and is considering supporting the redesignation of the property for commercial or other land uses, the City can consider placement of design stipulations and potential use limitation restrictions to ensure a superior development design and layout that further aligns with the Council’s vision for the site. Such stipulations can be made in the Request for Proposals (explained further below) and made into requirement through a Conditional Zoning Agreement recorded against the property. The Agreement can also be used to prohibit certain land uses that may be seen as inappropriate to the proximity of the multi-campus school site.
Following are examples of stipulations that can be incorporated into future development:
• Concept architecture. The architecture and layout can be intentional in fostering a pedestrian-friendly gathering place. This can be done through placement of buildings at street front, gateways and pedestrian paths from public sidewalks, and incorporating outdoor dining areas and plazas. Architectural enhancement requirements can also be imposed on building sides to limit blank and featureless walls that would detract from the commercial design. Also, should a portion of the site be retained for a community park, then the development could be designed in a manner that interfaces with the park.
• Limiting drive-thru and automobile oriented uses. Many new commercial developments developed or proposed in Visalia in recent years have included a large number (i.e. three or more) drive-thru restaurant pads. This reflects a trend favoring more auto-oriented uses rather than designing commercial centers that invoke persons to shop and dine outside of their car. The City’s own ordinance and policies currently do not place limits or restrictions on the number of drive-thru lanes allowed within a commercial development. A condition of the zoning agreement can be included that prohibits or limits the number of drive-thru lanes or other automobile-oriented uses (e.g. car wash, gas station, oil & lube shop).
• Prohibited uses. Certain land uses can be outright prohibited in the center, particularly based on its proximity to the multi-campus school site. Example prohibitions include liquor stores, smoke shops, convenience stores, and gun shops. While a gas station or convenience store could be allowed, Council could include a stipulation in an agreement that restricts sales of alcohol and/or smoking products within this type of establishment.
• Required uses. The architecture and layout can be designed in such a way as to require certain types of commercial buildings that can accommodate specific uses. Some examples are requiring placement of an anchor store that facilitates a large commercial use, supermarket or pharmacy, or placement of pad or inline shops to have casual or sit-down restaurants with outdoor seating. The types of commercial buildings may vary based upon the amount of land being redesignated to commercial land use.
• Collaboration with Visalia Unified School District. To ensure that any desires or concerns of the School District in a prospective use is addressed, the developer could be required to work with the District on the final design. This would ensure that future uses are compatible with the school campus and neighborhood.
Request for Proposal (RFP) for Design & Development of Property:
Staff is recommending that the Council consider a RFP process to determine the best planned project with a high likelihood of success that will integrate with and serve the school population as well as the surrounding community. However, the Council could also choose to put the property on the open market, possibly with development requirements as a condition of sale, and accept bids on the property
If Council concurs with the RPF process, staff would prepare and release a Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit potential land developers to submit design proposals for this site. The RFP would address the developer’s responsibility to process the necessary Planning entitlement applications (if applicable) and CEQA environmental analysis for the alternative land use and would need to demonstrate compliance with the design considerations and use limitations, as directed by Council. Upon successful completion of the RFP process, staff could then present the submittals to Council for their selection on the best design proposal submittal.
Or, if the open market with development requirements method is preferred, staff would prepare the appropriate documents and process to release to the public regarding the property for sale and any development requirements that Council could choose to include as part of the sale.
If the RFP process is selected, it could be reviewed by a committee that is appointed by Council or be comprised of a Council member, staff person, and/or person(s) at-large with the Committee making suggestions and/or a recommendation to the City Council, or the staff could review and present comments to the City Council who would directly make the decision. Preparation of the RFP as described above would ensure the Council’s continued oversight in the selection of a proposal and acting upon the related entitlements. The City Council may further evaluate and provide direction on long-term property ownership and management. Possible alternatives can include the developer who would ultimately be selected would be granted ownership of the site upon procuring entitlements and permits or entering into a lease agreement with the City of Visalia.
Fiscal Impact:
Once the City Council authorizes a process for the sale, staff will prepare the appropriate documents for public release. Any costs can be offset when a portion of the property is sold for an alternative use.
Prior Council Action:
• On January 16, 2020, the City Council directed staff to proceed with the recommended motion - to continue working with VUSD on entitlements and studies to facilitate the new high school facility on their property, and to research and present back for Council consideration of potential land use and zoning designations to the 21-acre parcel.
• On June 21, 2021, the City Council directed staff to table the item until a future meeting, allowing staff to prepare a list of allowed uses in the Commercial Mixed Use (C-MU) zone and to consider park opportunities in the Carleton Acres Specific Plan area, which was later adopted in 2023.
Committee/Commission Review and Action: None.
Alternatives: In lieu of staff’s recommendation, the City Council may direct staff to do the following:
1. Direct staff to pursue a different land use scenario, involving a different land use designation, as specified by Council; or
2. Ask staff to provide additional information as specified and return at a later date; or
3. Receive the staff report and take no further action at this time.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to direct staff to do the following:
1. Direct staff to proceed with processing entitlements for General Plan Amendment and Change of Zone on redesignating the City owned site from the Q-P (Quasi-Public) zone to:
a. Redesignate the southern 10-acres to C-MU (Commercial Mixed Use) zoning and retain 10-acres of Q-P zoning along the north portion of the site adjacent to Sedona Avenue, or
b. Redesignate only 5-acres facing the intersection to C-MU zoning, or
c. Redesignate all 20-acres to C-MU zoning, or
d. Redesignate the site based on Council’s direction received; and
2. Authorize staff to prepare and release a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit potential land developers to submit design proposals for this site, and
3. Affirm direction on the placement of design stipulations and use limitations based on Council’s input.
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Environmental Assessment Status: None at this time.
CEQA Review: None at this time.
Attachments:
1) Land use diagram illustrating an alternative layout of Commercial Mixed Use and Parks designations
2) List of land uses allowed in the Commercial Mixed Use zone
3) Previously adopted Carleton Acres conceptual land use plan
4) Aerial photo of site
5) General Plan Policy Language & Descriptions
6) Vicinity map of non-residential land use designations