Map Streamlining
Ordinance
City Council
June 1, 2026
Planning Division
SINCE WE LAST DISCUSSED
• Proceeded with drafting the subdivision streamlining ordinance • Determined the higher lot threshold (20%) requested by your Council • Conducted outreach with the Building Industry Association; very receptive to proposed changes
• Received Planning Commission’s recommendation; recommended 80-lot threshold to assess effect of streamlining, concerns over hasty approvals, and lack of checks and balances.
20% LOTS CALCULATION
• An 80-lot threshold would have resulted in 10 maps, or 6% of the total 6,315 lots approved. • Increasing the number to 20% of those 6,315 lots approved would equate to 17 maps (+7) or 1,227 lots approved.
• Sorting the maps by lot count in ascending order (smallest to the largest), getting to 1,227 lots identified the largest map was 160 lots.
• Therefore, streamlining 20% of the lots approved in the past would result in a 160-lot threshold.
P L A N N I N G D I V I S I O N
W H A T A 1 6 0- L O T T H R E S H O L D W O U L D L O O K L I K E visalia.gov
Sites Lots
80 Lot Threshold 19 604
160 Lot Threshold +1 +96
Urban Lot Splits 5 20
Starter Home Developments 17 115
KEY ORDINANCE CHANGES: REVIEW AUTHORITY
Application Type City Planner City
Engineer SPR Staff City
Manager
Planning
Commission City Council
Nonresidential Maps
Small and simple maps R R R D A A
All other tentative maps R R R D A
Residential Tentative Maps
Small and simple maps R R R D A A
All other tentative maps R R R D A
Urban lot splits D R R A
Small lot subdivisions D R R A
Condo Conversions R R R D A
Final and Parcel Maps R R D
Time Extensions D R A
Lot Line Adjustments D R A
R = Advise/Recommend
D = Decision
A = Appeal
EXISTING PROCESS
Site Plan Review
Completeness Review
Project Review Environmental
Review
Public Hearing Notice
(Nearby Property
Owners, Residents,
Newspaper)
Planning Commission
Hearing Appeal Period
City Council
(if appealed)
PROPOSED PROCESS FOR SIMPLE MAPS
Site Plan Review
Completeness Review
Project Review Environmental Review
Administrative Hearing
Notice
(Nearby Property
Owners and Residents)
Administrative Hearing
Decision Notice of Decision
Appeal Period
Planning Commission
City Council
(if appealed)
KEY ORDINANCE CHANGES
• Administrative hearing process for simple maps
• Notice to nearby property owners and residents within 300 feet, 10 days prior to administrative hearing; staff report available 10 days prior to hearing. No newspaper notice.
• Added other streamlining provisions (SB 9 / Urban Lot Splits) and SB 1123 (Starter Home Subdivisions) that the City is already required by law to implement.
HOUSEKEEPING CHANGES
• Processing-related changes consistent with current departmental practices (e.g. no more hardcopy plans, noticing maps prepared by applicant, noticing residents, newspaper notices for tentative maps reviewed by Planning Commission)
• Chapter 16.48, relating to school impact fees, is proposed to be removed because it was superceded by SB 50 in 1998. No other relation to environmental impact mitigation. • Tentative map extensions: Proposed by staff and recommended by Planning Commission for inclusion. These currently go to Planning Commission for approval by consent calendar, and are considered routine.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
1. The proposed ordinance does not create a new ministerial approval process. All applicable projects are still subject to CEQA.
2. Adopting an ordinance implementing SB 9 and SB 1123 are exempt under Government Code Sections Sections 66411.7(n) and 66499.41(i).
3. Therefore, the project is exempt under CEQA due to a “common sense exemption”.
RECOMMENDED MOTION
I move to introduce for first reading of Ordinance No.
2026-04, amending Visalia Municipal Code Title 16
(Subdivisions) to implement a streamlined process for
small and simple maps to include a ___-lot threshold.
Questions
&
Discussion