Agenda Item Wording:
title
Hillsdale Park and Storm Drain Basin Proposed Changes - Receive the presentation on the Northside Scenic Corridor - Hillsdale Park/Storm Basin for a proposed change in project approach and provide direction to staff for the project.
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Deadline for Action: 8/18/2025
Submitting Department: Community Development
Contact Name and Phone Number:
Katherine Woodhull-Fuget, Associate Engineer, Katherine.Woodhull-Fuget@visalia.city, (559) 713-4447; Chris Crawford, City Engineer, Chris.Crawford@Visalia.city, (559) 713-4331; Jason Huckleberry, Director of Engineering and Building, Jason.Huckleberry@visalia.city, (559) 713-4495
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that City Council receive the staff report with the presentation on the Northside Scenic Corridor - Hillsdale Park/Storm Basin for a proposed change in project approach and recommends that the City Council select Alternative Approach 1: Deepening the Existing Linear Basin as the preferred plan and direct staff to proceed with design as applicable.
Summary:
The Northside Scenic Corridor/Hillsdale Basin, located just north of Hwy 198 between Shirk St and Akers St, was previously graded to a maximum depth of 7 ft with shallow side slopes. This was Council’s direction in order to serve as passive open space with the intent to address future tributary area capacity needs by acquiring land and expanding the basin westward with the same depth and slopes.
Staff is recommending Council choose between two alternative approaches instead of proceeding with the current plan of linear westward expansion. Alternative Approach 1 - Deepening the Existing Linear Basin is the preferred alternative by staff as the most space-efficient and cost-effective solution.
Alternative Approach 1 - Deepening the Existing Linear Basin: This alternative would redesign the existing shallow linear basin by deepening the existing basin to meet the capacity needs of the future larger tributary area without expanding the basin footprint. A trail would be provided around the perimeter of the basin to serve as passive open space. Additional landscaping would be provided between the trail and the basin for residents to enjoy and additional landscaping would be provided along the highway fencing to provide a more appealing aesthetic look from the highway.
Northwest of the Scenic Corridor Basin is an existing developer-owned temporary basin on the south side of Hillsdale Ave. Based on the design calculations for the existing Scenic Corridor Basin the temporary basin off Hillsdale is redundant for the current tributary area and can be backfilled by the developer.
Alternative Approach 2 - Expanding the Developer Basin: This alternative involves the acquisition of the temporary basin parcel and expansion of the developer basin to serve the future larger tributary area.
The alternative approaches will be discussed in the presentation in more detail.
Background Discussion:
The Northside Scenic Corridor Basin is located just north of Hwy 198 roughly halfway between Akers St and Shirk St. This basin lies within the Visalia West SR-198 Scenic Corridor, an area that has been the subject of Council discussion for decades.
Most recently, staff came to Council in 2020 to discuss two new developments, Walnut Park Estates and Hillsdale Southland, and sought Council direction on the design of the regional basin. Council at the time directed staff to design a portion of the regional basin to a shallow depth, permit the developer to perform the excavation, defer the landscaping and construction of passive recreation amenities, and eliminate groundwater recharge from the project by omitting construction of a tie-in to Mill Creek. The landscaping and passive recreation amenities were deferred to allow the development of a Scenic Corridor plan. Groundwater recharge was eliminated from the project in favor of more cost-effective recharge locations further east.
The Visalia West SR-198 Scenic Corridor has a long history. Initially defined as Highway 198 west of Visalia, this region was designated as a scenic highway in the Tulare County General Plan as far back as 1964 and in the Master Plan for State Scenic Highways in 1966. The scenic corridor has since been the subject of numerous planning and development studies, including the West Visalia Specific Plan adopted in 1988.
The West Visalia Specific Plan called for the preservation and protection of the agrarian land uses between Plaza Park and Akers Street through discouraging conversion of agricultural land to urban uses except for designated parcels, establishing design and landscape standards, and encouraging the City of Visalia to acquire properties to preserve the scenic corridor. The plan further called for intensive landscaping of the freeway right-of-way, primarily in the interchanges. A “natural, forested” aesthetic approach was prescribed, and a detailed plant palette was included in the plan appendices.
The topic of the scenic corridor region was brought back to Council discussion numerous times between the adoption of the West Visalia Specific Plan in 1988 and the adoption of the current General Plan in 2014. Several different concept plans were discussed, including various setback widths, stormwater or groundwater recharge facilities, Ag Enterprise zoning, Agricultural-only zoning, or a combination of Ag and Ag Enterprise zoning.
In 2011, the General Plan Update Review Committee took up the West SR-198 Corridor as a stand-alone policy discussion item. There was broad consensus that the establishment of an approximately 200-foot setback on either side of SR-198 was an acceptable solution to establishing a natural scenic entry corridor to the City. This resulted in the City Council adopting the 200-ft setback scenic corridor as part of the General Plan Update process in 2014.
No significant changes in the planning approach for the scenic corridor occurred between adoption of the General Plan in 2014 and when staff came to Council in 2020 to discuss the Walnut Park Estates and Hillsdale Southland subdivisions.
The location of the Northside Scenic Corridor Basin was originally part of a larger 17-acre parcel purchased by the City in 2006 for the future scenic corridor. The parcel was kept fallow between 2006 and 2015, when City Council authorized the planting of walnuts. In 2019, the northern 11.22 acres of the site was sold to San Joaquin Valley Homes for the Hillsdale Southland subdivision while the 200-ft setback was retained for the scenic corridor as specified in the 2014 General Plan.
Scenic Corridor Considerations:
As noted above, Visalia has long understood the importance of recognizing its agricultural heritage and has sought ways that this recognition could be interwoven into the urban development fabric of the community. With the adoption of the 2030 Visalia General Plan, Policy PSCU-P-12 was created resulting in the establishment of the 200-foot open space setback along portions of the Highway 198 corridor between the Akers/198 interchange to the east and the Plaza/198 interchange to the west as an area to be preserved as an open space corridor. A copy of this policy is attached to this report for reference.
Although the preservation of open space along this area has been thoroughly analyzed and discussed through the use of various workshops, community input, and formation of a task force; none of these efforts resulted in establishing an adopted planning strategy on how this open space area would be developed, nor did these efforts result in what type of amenities should be included within an open space corridor (i.e., passive use vs. recreational use). Based on recent project submittals in the area seeking to urbanize properties adjacent to the setback area, and the need to expand the capacity of the stormwater basin as noted in this report, staff will be returning to Council to discuss and seek direction on formulating a strategy for addressing an open space concept plan for this corridor, as this discussion on the visioning of this corridor warrants a broader discussion with Council.
Basin Expansion Considerations:
The installation of a stormwater trunkline in Shirk is slated for construction within the next few years, which will connect the full tributary area to the Northside Scenic Corridor Basin. The current linear basin was sized for the adjacent subdivisions and does not have adequate capacity for the full regional tributary area. Additional capacity must be provided before the completion of the stormwater trunk in Shirk.
The current Linear Expansion approach would provide the required capacity by expanding westward from the existing linear basin toward Shirk. This would involve acquiring over 8 additional acres including two residences, demolishing the houses, removing existing utilities including septic systems, and expanding the basin at the same slopes and depth. This approach will be very costly and inefficient. Engineering suggests abandoning the current approach and instead proposes two alternatives.
Alternative Approach 1, Deepening the Existing Linear Basin, achieves the required capacity by deepening the existing linear basin from 7 ft to 18 ft. The pedestrian trail around the perimeter of the basin would be retained, with landscaping and a fence above the basin high-water level added. This would also include additional landscaping along the highway fencing. This approach does not require any land acquisition for storm purposes, decreasing costs and enabling excavation to occur much sooner. Additionally, the added depth will allow the storm drain trunk to drain completely, easing maintenance and decreasing standing water vector concerns. Alternative Approach 1 is Engineering’s recommended approach.
Alternative Approach 2, Expanding the Developer Basin, achieves the required capacity by acquiring and expanding an existing developer-owned temporary basin at the southeast corner of Hillsdale Ave and Marcin St. The temporary basin was put in by the Oakwest 7 Subdivision. While the land the basin sits on is zoned conservation, the basin is located outside the 200-foot setback established by the 2014 General Plan. This approach would achieve the required capacity outside the 200-foot setback. While this alternative approach is superior to the current westward linear expansion approach, it does require land acquisition and will only allow most but not all of the storm drain trunk to drain completely. Engineering therefore recommends Alternate 1 over Alternate 2.
Fiscal Impact:
The proposed changes in project approach will require a realignment of funds. The current land acquisition-focused project, CP9719, is funded by Fund 221 Storm Sewer Construction and 211 Recreational Facilities as shown below:
Current Project Funding (CP9719)
|
221 Fund (Storm Sewer Construction) |
$ 387,000 |
|
211 Fund (Recreational Facilities) |
$ 285,000 |
|
FY24/25 CP9719 Total Project Budget |
$ 672,000 |
The current project budget is insufficient for the current linear expansion approach.
Alternative Approach 1: Deepening the Existing Linear Basin - Fiscal Impact
Alternative Approach 1 does not require any land acquisition for stormwater purposes.
|
Alternative Approach 1: Deepening the Existing Basin |
Estimated Cost |
Fund |
|
Basin Design |
$ 100,000 |
221 Storm |
|
Construction and Landscaping |
$ 953,000 |
221 Storm |
|
Construction Contingency (20%) |
$ 191,000 |
221 Storm |
|
Construction Administration (15%) |
$ 143,000 |
221 Storm |
|
Grand Total |
$ 1,387,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Storm Total |
$ 1,387,000 |
221 Storm |
|
Recreation Total |
$ 0 |
211 Parks |
|
|
|
|
|
Anticipated 221 Storm Shortfall |
($ 1,000,000) |
|
|
Anticipated 211 Parks Surplus |
$ 285,000 |
|
Should Council select Alternative Approach 1, staff expects to have sufficient funding for design in the current project budget. Staff would plan on requesting a reallocation of funds, releasing Fund 211 (Parks) surplus and appropriating additional funds from Fund 221 (Storm), at the time of the construction award.
The estimated construction cost includes excavation of the existing linear basin, fencing above the high-water level, and landscaping around the basin perimeter. A pedestrian trail will be retained in the landscaped perimeter. This approach does not use Recreational Facilities (211) funds. Landscaping the perimeter would be paid for either by Storm (221) or a greening grant.
Alternative Approach 2: Expanding the Developer Basin - Fiscal Impact
Alternative Approach 2 involves acquiring 3.63 acres of land at the southeast corner of W Hillsdale Ave and S Lindsay St, which includes an existing developer-owned temporary storm water basin under an acre in size. This land is zoned for Open Space and is labeled as Conservation. Roughly 0.92 of the 3.63 acres lies within the 200 ft setback from SR-198 so within the Scenic Corridor area.
|
Alterative Approach 2: Expanding the Developer Basin |
Estimated Cost |
Appropriate Fund |
|
Land Acquisition for Basin (2.71 ac) |
$ 407,000 |
221 Storm |
|
Land Acquisition for Open Space Setback (0.92 ac) |
$ 138,000 |
211 Parks |
|
Basin Design |
$ 100,000 |
221 Storm |
|
Construction |
$ 677,000 |
221 Storm |
|
Construction Contingency (20%) |
$ 135,000 |
221 Storm |
|
Construction Administration (15%) |
$ 102,000 |
221 Storm |
|
Grand Total |
$ 1,559,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Storm Total |
$ 1,421,000 |
221 |
|
Recreation Total |
$ 138,000 |
211 |
|
|
|
|
|
Anticipated 221 Storm Shortfall |
($ 1,034,000) |
|
|
Anticipated 211 Parks Surplus |
$ 147,000 |
|
Should Council select Alternative Approach 2, staff expects to have sufficient funds for land acquisition and design in the current project budget. Staff would plan on requesting a reallocation of funds, releasing Fund 211 surplus and appropriating additional funds from Fund 221, at the time of construction award. Recreational Facilities funds would be used solely for the portion of the acquisition that lies within the Scenic Corridor area.
The estimated construction cost includes expansion of the temporary storm water basin, fencing, and frontage improvements (sidewalk and parkway landscaping) along Hillsdale east of Lindsay Street. Construction would be paid for entirely by Storm (221). The expansion of the temporary storm water basin would be kept outside of the 200 ft open space setback of the Scenic Corridor.
Prior Council Action:
August 3rd, 2020: Second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 2020-07 approving Change of Zone No. 2020-02. Change of Zone No. 2020-02 is a request by San Joaquin Valley Homes to change the zoning designation on 10.32 acres of an overall 16.38 acre parcel from OS (Open Space) to R-1-5 (Single-Family Residential 5,000 sq. ft. minimum lot area). The remaining 6.06 acres will retain the O-S (Open Space) zoning designation. The project site is located on the south side of West Hillsdale Avenue between North Preston and North Tommy Streets (APN: 085-010-096).
May 18th, 2020: Closed Session--Conference with Legal Counsel: Anticipated Litigation: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) of Government Code Section 54956.9. Two potential cases generally related to development of Hillsdale subdivision, located on Hillsdale Avenue at Preston Street and associated matters of ponding/stormwater basins in the immediate area.
November 18, 2019: Council approved the Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance No. 2019-14 authorizing the sale of approximately 11.22 acres of surplus property, located south of Hillsdale Ave and North of Highway 198 and East of Shirk Ave and identified as APN 085-010-096, to San Joaquin Valley Homes.
April 4th, 2016: Appropriate $ 105,000 from the General Fund for costs associated with planting of walnut trees on a City-owned 17 acre parcel located between State Highway 198 and Hillsdale Avenue, east of Shirk Street.
Alternatives:
Council may elect to direct staff to:
Continue with the current design criteria which provides for a much larger linear basin all the way west to Shirk with limited aesthetic possibilities.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to select Alternative Approach 1: Deepening the Existing Linear Basin as the preferred plan and direct staff to proceed with design as applicable.
Alternative Motion: I move to select Alternative Approach 2: Expanding the Developer Basin as the preferred plan and direct staff to proceed with design and land acquisition as applicable.
Alternative Motion: I move to keep the current plan of action utilizing a Linear Expansion approach to provide the required capacity by expanding westward from the existing linear basin toward Shirk Street.
end
Environmental Assessment Status:
Due to the use of local funds, NEPA Environmental Assessment is not applicable.
CEQA Review:
CEQA review will be conducted during design depending on the approach selected.
Attachments:
1. Project Location Map
2. Northside Scenic Corridor Basin Presentation
3. Policy PSCU-P-12