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Parks, schools, community facilities, and utilities
october 2014
Greenways
PSCu-P-11 Develop a system of natural corridors
and greenways, consistent with the Parks
and Open Space diagram (Figure 5-1).
These corridors will have biking and walk -
ing trails offering recreational opportunities
and links between neighborhoods, parks,
and Downtown. The system of corridors
will include waterway corridors as well as
linear landscaped corridors to create nat -
ural gateways, parkways or buffer areas.
More specifically, this system is envisioned
to include:
• Greenway corridor along the St.
Johns River, including broader areas
to the northwest to accommodate
open space areas, large group picnic
facilities, a nature center, or other
uses;
• Greenway corridors along Mill,
Packwood and Cameron Creeks, and
segments of other waterways, with
sufficient width to protect riparian
habitat and accommodate a multi-use
trail;
• A landscaped corridor on both sides
of Highway 198 providing a scenic
gateway into Visalia from the west;
and
• A landscaped buffer zone or parkway
along Shirk Road separating
industrial from residential areas, and
a greenway along Road 148 marking
the eastern edge of the City, both
accommodating a multi-use trail.
PSCu-P-12 The City shall establish a scenic corri -
dor setback along the West 198 High -
way corridor. The setback shall mea -
sure at least 200 feet from the north and
south sides of the Highway 198 right of
way between Road 86 and 1/4-mile west
of Akers Street. The northerly setback
shall follow the Mill Creek alignment
as depicted in the Land Use Diagram.
The lands in the identified setback area
shall be acquired and dedicated for open
space uses in perpetuity by the City
through market value purchases, dedi -
cations by affected property owners,
transfers of development rights, or other
means.
The acquisition and maintenance of the
scenic corridor will require significant
and ongoing City investment. At the same
time, there will be significant increases in
potential income to the City in the form
of impact fees from urban development
on lands near the West 198 Scenic Corri-
dor that were not previously designated for
urban development prior to the adoption
of this General Plan. Proceeds from the
impact fee program from these lands and
from other development within the City
will need to be commensurate with the cost
of acquiring land and creating open space
amenities for the West 198 Scenic Corridor.
As such, the City’s existing development
Greenway corridors along waterways will have
sufficient width to protect riparian habitat and
accommodate a multi-use trail.
Visalia General Plan5-14
impact fee program as it relates to parks
and open space facilities shall be reviewed
and updated to reflect this additional land
acquisition commitment upon adoption of
this General Plan.
Park Design and Improvements
PSCu-P-13 Improve existing parks to support a high
quality of life in older parts of the City.
Where amenities like covered picnic areas,
shade trees, ball fields and courts are lack -
ing, they will be added over time according
to the schedule established in the Parks and
Recreation Master Plan (for details, see
Policy PSCU-P-1).
PSCu-P-14 Design parks to enhance neighborhood
character and minimize negative impacts.
• Locate neighborhood parks with
local or collector street frontages on
at least three sides, and sidewalks and
crossings designed for safe and easy
pedestrian access.
• Where a neighborhood park is
part of a neighborhood node, it
should be designed to promote
visual connections and pedestrian
movement between the park and
adjacent uses such as schools and
commercial uses.
PSCu-P-15 Provide lighted facilities for tennis, bas -
ketball or other recreational facilities and
along pathways in order to extend usable
hours.
Lighting should be energy-efficient and
designed to minimize light pollution.
PSCu-P-16 Provide at least one community center
in each of the City’s four neighborhood
quadrants. Use existing and new com -
munity center facilities to provide multi-
cultural programs and teen recreation
activities, and provide space for meetings
and classes. Community centers should
be designed with community input,
including guidance from a cross-section
of user groups.
Visalia currently operates five community
centers as well as the Visalia Senior Center;
none are in the City’s Northwest or South -
west quadrants.
PSCu-P-17 Utilize and expand the Senior Center as
Visalia’s primary facility for recreation
programs for seniors.
PSCu-P-18 Establish a wayfinding system for parks,
bikeways and trails, with consistent, rec -
ognizable and pedestrian-scale signage.
PSCu-P-19 Continue to work closely with Tulare
County to ensure that Mooney Grove
and Cutler regional parks are operated,
maintained, and enhanced.