City Council
Public Hearing
City of Visalia
December 2, 2025
Item 2: 1st Reading of Ordinance to adopt Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) No. 2025-04
Request:
A City-initiated request to implement text amendments corresponding to Housing Element Program 2.7: Missing Middle Housing
Amend development standards in the Zoning Ordinance to streamline missing middle-density housing types Housing Element Program 3.17: Planning for Large Sites
Remove constraints towards parceling sites larger than 10 acres, particularly through the waiver of public hearings Housing Element Program 5.2: Emergency Shelters
Identify one or more permitted by-right zones per AB 2339 ZTA NO. 2025-04
Housing Element Purpose:
To identify community’s housing needs
To state the community’s goals / objectives regarding housing production, rehabilitation, and conservation To define policies / programs that the community will implement to achieve stated goals / objectives City of Visalia’s 6th Cycle Housing Element, covering years 2023-2031, was adopted 12/18/2023, certified 9/20/2024 ZTA NO. 2025-04
MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING
Program 2.7 Missing Middle Housing
Recommendation is based on August 19, 2025 Joint Meeting Discussion Of the seven suggestions presented at Joint Meeting to change Municipal Code, four are moving forward Two items - rear yard setback reduction and #6 (reduction of parking - are not moving forward with this ZTA request One item - CUP for creation of <2-acre multi-family lots - was completed through a previously-approved ZTA
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1. Rename R-1-5 Zone to R-1 Zone to reflect existing permitted use of lots below 5,000 sq. ft.
Renaming provides clarity that R-1-5 also allows lots under 5,000 sq ft, consistent with 2 - 10 units/acre in General Plan Ordinance sections will be updated based on lot sizes
Permitted if lot sizes are
5,000 SF and above
between 3,600 to 4,999 SF if meeting Section 17.12.135
Conditional Use Permit / Planned Development Permit if lot sizes are below 3,600 sq. ft.
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1. Rename R-1-5 Zone to R-1 Zone to reflect existing permitted use of lots below 5,000 sq. ft.
Does not change minimum lot size to this zone
Standards for lots above & under 5,000 SF are not changing Recommendation
Change the “R-1-5” zone name to “R-1”
Change the collective abbreviation for the three single-family residential zones (i.e. R-1-5, R-1-12,.5, and R-1-20) from “R-1” to “R-S”
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2. Eliminate PUD / CUP requirements for simple lot splits In cases where a PUD becomes an additional entitlement adding cost and processing, with no other practical application Recommendation
Waive PUD / CUP process if:
If establishing an access easement for vehicular / pedestrian purposes No common lots requested
No deviation from setbacks
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5. Remove Multi-Family Residential Zone’s 10-foot side yard requirement for access to more than one dwelling unit Intended to apply when a pedestrian walkway adjacent to side property line provides access to 2+ units Standard side yard setback is 5 feet
10-foot setback may be seen as creating an unnecessary hardship toward smaller parcels
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7. In Mixed Use Zones (D-MU and C-MU), remove CUP / public hearing requirement for adding to an existing number of units Eliminates redundancy when residential uses are already established on-site and surrounding uses are already conditioned to having existing residential uses 405 N. West Street
117 E. Main Street
PLANNING FOR LARGE SITES
Housing Element Program to facilitate sites that conform with State HCD’s recommended parcel size of between 0.5 and 10 acres for higher-density lower-income development Colegio Property, Dinuba / Glendale
“Pinnacle” project, Riggin / Roeben
PLANNING FOR LARGE SITES
To adopt an incentive to encourage the development of large RHNA sites:
Recommendation:
Establish an Overlay District
District contains >10-acre sites with either:
RHNA site inventory requirement for lower income units
R-M-2 or R-M-3 zone designation
13 sites total in Overlay District
CUP still required for developments exceeding 80 units
Blue Outline indicates the 13 sites in the Overlay District A Tentative Parcel Map for these sites shall be waived, provided:
The Map creates no more than 4 parcels
Resulting parcels are between 0.5 and 10 acres
To comply with Assembly Bill 2339, the City must
Identify one or more permitted by-right zones that:
Are suitable for residential uses
Has sufficient sites capacity
If non-residential zoning, is located near specified amenities and services, which may include:
o health care,
o transportation,
o retail,
o employment
o social services
EMERGENCY SHELTERS
Emergency Shelters are currently:
Permitted in
Light Industrial (I-L)
Conditionally Allowed in
Service Commercial (C-S)
Commercial Mixed Use (C-MU)
Quasi-Public (QP)
EMERGENCY SHELTERS
Per report given at August 19, 2025 Joint Meeting, the Commercial Mixed Use (C-MU) & Downtown Mixed Use (D-MU) zones meet all capacity and amenity/service requirements Multiple comments were made regarding undersaturation of shelters & support services South of State Route 198 Original Staff Recommendation to Planning Commission:
Creation of an Overlay District, consisting of only vacant sites, in C-MU zone south of State Route 198 Amend Zones Use Table to reflect that Emergency Shelters are permitted by right only in the Overlay District Change Light Industrial zone from Permitted by right to Conditional
EMERGENCY SHELTERS
Planning Commission recommendation:
Overlay District shall be vacant sites in C-MU zone south & north
Original Staff Recommendation:
Overlay District shall be vacant sites in C-MU zone south of 198 South Side Only
PLANNING COMMISSION
Held Public Hearing on November 10, 2025
Voted 5-0 to recommend approval of Zoning Text Amendment No. 2025-04 with change to Emergency Shelter overlay map No public comment was received
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the 1st Reading of Ordinance No. 2025-15 adopting Zoning Text Amendment No. 2025-04
RECOMMENDATION