Thanksgiving 2022-
Greg Collins steps down from Visalia City Council-
Visalia’s population was just 30,000 when young Greg Collins first started serving on the Visalia City Council in 1975. Today he is retiring from the position as Visalia is approaching 150,000 souls.
Greg’s hand can be seen everywhere in this city and if you take a drone flight over Visalia with me, you can see it easily.
As we start our journey, notice the tree coverage across the city of 4 Creeks, presided over by giant Valley oak trees that have become the symbol of our community – shading our daily comings and goings with grace. Greg helped write the regulations to preserve the towering oaks
Then notice how the entrance to the city from Highway 99 remains a green “scenic corridor” even today in contrast with what visitors to Fresno see as they come into that town, junkyards and a trash mountain.
There is a theme here that Greg has aligned himself with – we are not another Fresno. That theme is now widely accepted conventional wisdom in Visalia.
Also follow Highway 198 into town and remember how the Visalia City Council including Greg pressed CalTrans to depress the freeway below ground level – limiting noise and traffic impacts and preserving the streetscape in Visalia while speeding visitors to our national parks.
Now take a birds eye view at Downtown Visalia and notice how the city center has remained the city center through decades of growth enshrining the idea of concentric growth that again has become conventional wisdom for the town leaders over the years.
It has not been without battles and battles that Greg sometimes did not win.Take the dispute over whether to continue rapid growth south past Packwood Creek. It turns out the city council did vote to allow growth for one large development to the south but not beyond. He lost the battle but not war.
Because of the limitation on development over decades the Mooney strip has been in-filled and renewed along the 3-mile stretch with new players, new retailers and services since. So Mearl’s has closed but became The Habit.
What did the growth limitation do? Take Sequoia Mall. It took a while but Visalia will be treated with three new retailers we never had. Sprouts, Nordstrom Rack and now Barnes and Noble will open next fall. Yes, Visalia will get a national bookstore. With Amazon here, can Trader Joe’s be far behind?
The growth limitation also spurred retailers to locate a new vibrant shopping area north of Downton in a part of the city that has historically been the low income area of town. Today it is the home to many national retailers and restaurants including a second In-N-Out. The nearby retail also anchors new housing for Visalians in the north part of the city connected by walking trails and 4-lane landscaped thoroughfares- and a second way to get to Highway 99.
Collins won the battle over bringing a national hotel brand to Downtown Visalia, considered highly controversial back then.He was among those who persuaded Downton merchants to tax themselves to support Downton forming an improvement district. He has been a big supporter of preservation of our heritage buildings including the Darling Hotel that he convinced the county to finally sell and put the art-deco beauty on the market and on the tax rolls. We know what happened then.Everyone wants to stay there.
I live on the coast and I am staying at the Darling tonite.
Speaking of preserving the economy in Downtown, Collins was a key player in keeping Kaweah Delta hospital in the Downtown area while many lobbied to move the district hospital to the outskirts of town.
Today the Downton is the region’s go-to medical hub employing thousands in the city center and attracting another big player to make multiple investments. Family Healthcare Network now employs hundreds here and is even opening their own bookstore in the old Picnic building.
Downtown Collins and all the council have supported expansion to the east into the new MicroBrew district that is converting this old automotive district east of Santa Fe to a lively entertainment district.
Speaking of expansion of Downtown, it was Collins’ idea to acquire the old railroad properties – the former Hobo Jungle to become the future Civic Center – still in the planning stage even at this week’s council meeting (pictured with fellow council members). It is also an area Collins has backed as a groundwater recharge basin, another win-win idea.
Collins fought against rezoning land on Plaza for an auto mall after dealers invested millions in the newly established east Visalia auto district- a battle he half-won with dealers today in both areas.
What about our Industrial Park?
Collins pushed for design standards for a well planned industrial district that has impressed competing Fresno leaders with why Visalia continues to attract more industry.The city’s series of general plans has protected the industrial area offering CEQ support against lawsuits while allowing for growth to the north – key to success today.
Greg is a planner and the city’s General Plan has been a guide to this well-run community.One thing Greg is proud of is how we have connected all parts of the city with 4-lane landscaped roads. He will take you on a tour if you ask him.
Collins promoted the idea of an ag-mitigation plan for new development.Even though the council overruled his approach, a lawsuit by the Sierra Club vindicated Collins position this past year and there will now be an ag mitigation plan.
Greg’s hand can be seen beyond town as well. Greg and his mentor UC Farm Advisor Alan George visited the congressman John Krebs to convince him to preserve Mineral King Valley as part of Sequoia Park – which came to pass.
We are not a Highway 99 town and never have been. Instead Visalia, located astride the 4 Creeks area, demands a water policy to preserve what we have, requiring conservation rules as well as working with land trust groups and farmers.
Greg and Visalia lost the battle decades ago to bring a UC To Visalia. But today it looks like Measure C will pass and there is hope for four year college here yet.
Indeed his work on planning, preservation and design are clearly visible from our 20,000 ft aerial tour of Visalia.
Thanks Greg! Visalia appreciates your work.
Writer John Lindt has covered Greg Collins and Visialia since 1979 when he founded Valley Voice Newspaper.He runs Sierra2thesea.net news service.