ORDINANCE NO. 2025-04
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY Council OF THE CITY OF VISALIA APPROVING A PREZONING ORDINANCE TO ANNEXATION NO. 2024-03: A REQUEST BY THE CITY OF VISALIA TO PREZONE BY ORDINANCE THE PROPERTY UNDERGOING ANNEXATION INTO THE CITY LIMITS OF VISALIA. THE PREZONE WILL CHANGE ZONES ON THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF VISALIA FROM 284 ACRES OF UNZONED TO APPROXIMATELY 253 ACRES OF INDUSTRIAL (I) ZONE DESIGNATION AND APPROXIMATELY 31 ACRES OF I-L (LIGHT INDUSTRIAL), CONSISTENT WITH THE LAND USE DESIGNATIONS OF THE VISALIA GENERAL PLAN LAND USE MAP AND CONSISTENT WITH SECTION 17.06.050 OF THE VISALIA MUNICIPAL CODE. THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS LOCATED ON APPROXIMATELY 284 ACRES, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF RIGGIN AVENUE BETWEEN SHIRK STREET AND KELSEY STREET. (APN: 077-840-004, 005, 006) WHEREAS, Prezone to Annexation No. 2024-03 is a request by the City of Visalia to adopt a prezoning ordinance for the property undergoing annexation into the City limits of Visalia. The prezoning will change zones on the Official Zoning Map of the City of Visalia from 284 acres of unzoned to approximately 253 acres of Industrial (I) zone designation and approximately 31 acres of Light Industrial (I-L) zone designation, consistent with the land use designations of the Visalia General Plan Land Use Map and consistent with Section 17.06.050 of the Visalia Municipal Code; and WHEREAS, Seefried Industrial Properties, Inc. has submitted entitlement applications with the City of Visalia including but not limited to General Plan Amendment No. 2025-01 and Annexation No. 2024-03, to facilitate annexation and approval of the Shirk-Riggin Industrial Park project, which will include over 3.7 million square feet of light industrial and flex industrial uses, together with other compatible non-industrial uses and related on and off-site improvements on approximately 284 acres to be located within the City of Visalia; and WHEREAS, the logical and orderly formation of an annexation boundary, in accordance with the provisions of the California Government Code (CGC), requires inclusion of approximately 284 acres of land comprised of three parcels and right-of-way bounded by Riggin Avenue, Shirk Street, Kelsey Street, and Modoc Ditch (APN: 077-840-004, 005, 006), to be annexed to the City of Visalia; and WHEREAS, the specific changes of organization requested consist of detachment of the project area territory from the County of Tulare and annexation to the City of Visalia; and WHEREAS, the territory to be annexed is within the Planning Area Boundary and the Urban Growth Boundary of the City of Visalia; and WHEREAS, under General Plan Amendment No. 2025-01, which was recommend for approval by the Planning Commission on February 10, 2025, and was approved by the City Council of the City of Visalia on March 17, 2025, amended the General Plan Land Use Map to change the land use designation for the project site to Industrial, Light Industrial, and Conservation, to facilitate prezoning of the project site to the proposed Industrial (I) and Light Industrial (I-L) zones in accordance with consistent with Section 17.06.050 of the Visalia Municipal Code; and WHEREAS, the proposed I and I-L zone districts are consistent with Industrial and Light Industrial land use designations of the General Plan, respectively, in accordance with Table 9-1: Consistency Between the Plan and Zoning; and WHEREAS, the City of Visalia does not utilize corresponding zone districts for rivers, creeks, and ditches having a Conservation land use designation, and therefore the corresponding pre-zoning of such areas shall be classified to the centerline the same as the property adjoining Modoc Ditch; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the City's Municipal Code and State Planning and Zoning Law, the Planning Commission of the City of Visalia is authorized to review and make recommendations to the City Council of the City of Visalia for actions related to the establishment of land use and zone designations on behalf of the City, which include General Plan Amendments and Change of Zones and extends to prezone actions; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of Visalia, after duly published notice, held a public hearing before said Commission on July 14, 2025, and considered the Prezone to Annexation No. 2024-03 to be in accordance with Chapter 17.02, Chapter 17.06, and Chapter 17.44 of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Visalia and on the evidence contained in the staff report and testimony presented at the public hearing, and recommended that the City Council approve an Ordinance for the Prezone of Annexation No. 2024-03; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of Visalia adopted Resolution No. 2025-33 recommending approval of the Prezoning for the Project; and, WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Visalia, after ten (10) days published notice, held a 1st reading and public hearing for the Prezone of the Annexation on July 21, 2025; and, WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Visalia finds the Prezone to Annexation No. 2024-03 to be in accordance with Chapter 17.02, Chapter 17.06, and Chapter 17.44 of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Visalia and on the evidence contained in the staff report and testimony presented at the public hearing; and, WHEREAS, the City Council considers that the proposed project has no new effects that could occur, or new mitigation measures that would be required that have not been addressed within the scope of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Shirk & Riggin Industrial Park Project (SCH# 2022080658), certified by the Visalia City Council on March 17, 2025, by Resolution No. 2025-09. The Environmental Impact Report adequately analyzed and addressed this proposed project and determined that there would be significant impacts resulting from the development of the Shirk & Riggin Industrial Park Project. A Mitigation and Monitoring Plan adopted with the EIR includes mitigation measures that reduce or eliminate the severity of some of these impacts to a level that is less than significant.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Visalia finds that Final EIR for the Shirk & Riggin Industrial Park Project, State Clearinghouse No. 2022080658, was prepared consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act and City of Visalia Environmental Guidelines.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Visalia approves an Ordinance to Prezone designations for Annexation No. 2024-03, pursuant to Visalia Municipal Code Section 17.44.090 based on the following specific findings and evidence presented:
The proposed prezoning is consistent with the policies and intent of the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance of the City of Visalia.
The proposed prezoning would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or welfare of the city.
The proposed prezoning is internally consistent with other applicable provisions of these regulations.
The site is physically suitable (including ability to meet requested zoning regulations, access, provision of utilities, compatibility with adjoining land uses, and absence of physical constraints) for the requested zoning designations and anticipated land uses.
That the proposed prezoning, being processed as a Zone Amendment in accordance with Chapter 17.44 of the Visalia Municipal Code, is being done to achieve the objectives of the Zoning Ordinance prescribed in Section 17.02.020, which are established as a means to preserve and promote the public health, safety and welfare of the city, and of the public generally and to facilitate growth and expansion of the municipality in a precise and orderly manner, and is being done to confirm the classification of the zone designation that is consistent with the Visalia General Plan, in accordance with Section 17.06.050 of the Zoning Ordinance.
That the Environmental Impact Report prepared and certified for the Shirk & Riggin Industrial Park Project (SCH# 2022080658) includes the proposed pre-zoning in its project description.
That no new information has arisen since certification of the Environmental Impact Report that alters its analysis of impacts or conclusions as to effects and required mitigation. Therefore, the EIR adequately addresses environmental impacts associated with this project.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Visalia approves the 1st Reading of an Ordinance of the Prezone to Annexation No. 2024-03, as depicted per Exhibit “A”, on the real property described herein, in accordance with the terms of this resolution and under the provisions of Chapter 17.02, Chapter 17.06, and Chapter 17.44 of the Ordinance Code of the City of Visalia.
PASSED AND ADOPTED: BRETT TAYLOR, MAYOR
ATTEST: ___________________________
LESLIE CAVIGLIA, CITY CLERK APPROVED BY CITY ATTORNEY ___________________________
STATE OF CALIFORNIA)
COUNTY OF TULARE ) ss.
CITY OF VISALIA )
I, Leslie Caviglia, City Clerk of the City of Visalia, certify the foregoing is the full and true Ordinance 2025-04 passed and adopted by the Council of the City of Visalia at a regular meeting held on July 21, 2025, and certify a summary of this ordinance will be published in the Visalia Times Delta.
Dated: July 22, 2025 LESLIE CAVIGLIA, CITY CLERK
By Reyna Rivera, Chief Deputy City Clerk
EXHIBIT “A” OF ORDINANCE NO. 2025-04,
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL
APPROVING A PREZONING PERTAINING TO ANNEXATION NO. 2024-03 WHICH PERTAINS TO the shirk and riggin industrial park project.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VISALIA:
Section 1: The zone classifications of the Zoning Map shall be changed as follows, upon the effective date of Annexation No. 2024-03.
Light Industrial (I-L) Zone DesignationLight Industrial (I-L) Zone DesignationIndustrial (I) Zone DesignationIndustrial (I) Zone Designation Light Industrial (I-L)
Zone Designation
Light Industrial (I-L)
Zone Designation
Industrial (I) Zone Designation
Industrial (I) Zone Designation
ORDINANCE NO. 2025-04