ORDINANCE NO. 2025- 07
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY
LOCATED AT THE CALDWELL AVENUE/AVENUE 280 AND STATE ROUTE 99 WHEREAS, the City of Visalia owns all the legal and beneficial interest in certain real property, approximately 442 acres in size located at the intersection of Caldwell Avenue/Avenue 280 and State Route 99, APN 119-010-021, the property is currently being leased and used for seasonal crops; and
WHEREAS, the California Department of Transportation (“Caltrans”) is working on a project to improve the connection between Caldwell/Avenue 280 and State Route 99, (“Project”) a state highway project that Caltrans has full statutory authority to construct, including the right to acquire necessary property by eminent domain; and WHEREAS, the Project, once completed, will provide a benefit to traffic flow and access between Caldwell Avenue and State Route 99; and
WHEREAS, Southern California Edison has informed the City that it needs to acquire a portion of APN 119-010-021 for the Project, approximately 0.84 acres of property that it needs to permanently acquire as easements and an additional 1.35 acres of property that Southern California Edison would need on a temporary basis during construction of the Project; and
WHEREAS, City engineering staff reviewed the proposed easement area and does not dispute that it would be needed for the Project; and WHEREAS, City engineering staff reviewed the proposed easement area and do not consider use of the easements by Southern California Edison would impact the use of the remaining real property by the City; and
WHEREAS, state laws concerning notice requirements for surplus land sales are not applicable to purchases made under threat of condemnation by another public agency; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VISALIA:
Section 1: The Council hereby directs the City Manager to sell and transfer ownership of the easements required by Southern California Edison to accommodate the Caltrans project for fair market value in a form approved by the City Attorney, and allow for construction access as needed.
Section 2: The City Manager is also authorized to revise the current lease of the subject property with the tenant to accommodate this sale being made under threat of condemnation.
Section 3: This ordinance shall go into effect thirty (30) days after its passage.
PASSED AND ADOPTED: August, 4, 2025 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 2025-07 passed and adopted by the Council of the City of Visalia at a regular meeting held on August 4, 2025 and certify a summary of this ordinance will be published in the Visalia Times Delta.
Dated: August 4, 2025 LESLIE CAVIGLIA, CITY CLERK
By Reyna Rivera, Chief Deputy City Clerk