-March 29,2020-
Visalia Planning Commission takes up CarMax
CarMax, the nation’s largest used car dealer, will request a permit to build a 5 acre dealership at the southwest corner of Mooney and Visalia Parkway. A hearing on what could be a controversial application will be held at the Planning Commission March 23 at 7PM. As of now used car sales are not allowed in the regional commercial zone in Visalia.
Separately there is an application to to build a commercial shopping center on the same corer as CarMax on 28.7 acres. The center would include four commercial buildings ,one 56,800sf, 29,800sf and two10,000sf buildings.It would also include a gas station, sit down restaurant as well as two drive-thru eateries. Altogether there would be 11 lots.
Both projects are being proposed as mitigated negative declarations.
The CarMax application requires an amendment to the Visalia Zoning Ordinance that local car dealers have had to live with in the past.Noise from the two projects may be an issue to neighbors the area.
Kaweah Delta 5th & 6th floor buildout near complete
ED expansion this year
Kaweah Delta hospital’s 5th and 6th floor construction project in their Acequia wing in Visalia is near complete this month.Occupancy of the two highest floors in the tower is expected in April. Construction of the $22 million improvements began in 2017 funded through 2015 revenue bonds. The 5th floor will be a new medical/surgical wing and the 6th floor used as aa new a NICU unit, intensive care for newborns.
Coming in March, the completion of the next phase( zone 4) of the emergency department. This phase will be occupied by mid year also funded by the bonds. Total budget for the expansion is $32 million.
Kaweah Delta’s ED is undergoing a multi-phase expansion that is expected to be complete in 2020. It will modernize, expand, and improve Kaweah Delta’s ED facilities to better serve patients and meet the needs of the growing community by:
•Growing the number of patient beds from 41 to 74 beds
•Nearly doubling the size of the waiting room to accommodate 100+ patients
•Adding a new area that will allow patients to be more quickly screened.
Kaweah Delta is a level III trauma center- the only trauma center between Bakersfield and Fresno. Its ED was built to serve 72,000 patients a year, but today, staff cares for more than 90,000 patients a year.
Children’s Museum expanding outdoor area, will offer new ‘cow toot’ display
Children visiting Imagine U Museum in Visalia will see several new exhibits and an expanded outdoor play area in the future says Katy Young executive director. They plan to expand the outdoor play yard some 200ft to the east leasing more land from the city.
In addition new displays will celebrate Tulare County’s cattle industry and a renewable energy exhibit by the Gas Co will explain to kids how methane from cows is being used to make renewable fuel.That includes a “cow toot” noise for emphasis.
The museum is open daily 9 to 5. Call (559) 733-5975 .The location is 210 N. Tipton in Visalia.
New shoe store on Mooney will replace Dress Barn
Tenant improvements are underway for a new Rack Room Shoes store that would replace DressBarn at the the Ross shopping center on Mooney. RackRoom is an American footwear retailer based in North Carolina. The company was founded in 1920 in Salisbury, North Carolina by Phil Levinson, who sold it to his son-in-law, Mort Lerner. It was bought in 1984 by the privately held Deichmann Group of Germany. Until that time Rack Room Shoes ran 22 stores.
Rack Room has an outlet store in Tulare.
Tulare cuts budget deficit in half
The City of Tulare has cut its budget deficit in half in 2019 from $950,000 in 2018 to $450,000 says Mayor Jose Sigala.General Fund revenues totaled $36.4 million which resulted in a $2.6 million increase over last fiscal year. Sales tax, property tax and hotel tax revenue were also higher.