Category: Central Valley

Visalia council member Phil Cox dies

Long time Visalia City Council member and former County Supervisor Phil Cox passed away this week after a long illness.  With only four members, Council has not decided how to replace Cox’s seat although an appointment from District 1 is likely.

Visalia Council deadlocked on pot shops

With two members in favor and two opposing  allowing pot dispensaries in Visalia ,the issue  discussed this week at a city council meeting will be tabled for now.

Starbucks plans Tulare drive-thru at Cartmill & 99

Starbucks is applying for permit to build a drive-thru near the Arco station at the northwest corner of Cartmill and Highway 99 along M St in Tulare.It would the town’s 4th Starbucks.

 New Visalia micro-brewery and tap room get hearing

The Visalia City Planning Commission will consider the following item on Monday, June, 28, 2021 at 7:00 p.m., at the Visalia Convention Center located at 303 E. Acequia Ave. Visalia, CA Conditional Use Permit No. 2021-05: A request by Bill Cummings to establish an indoor/outdoor soccer and recreation facility with a micro-brewery and tap room in the C-MU (Mixed-Use Commercial) Zone. The project site is located at 707 W. Murray Avenue, on the southwest corner of N. Johnson Street and W. Murray Avenue.

VF Corp selling Visalia building

One of the largest employers in Visalia, VF Corp has put their  distribution warehouse on Plaza Dr up for sale. The move is designed to raise cash but does not indicate the company plans to move or leave Visalia sources say. Real Estate firm CBRE says it is listing 2525 Plaza Drive,“a state-of-the-art 817,000 square foot industrial building that is 100% leased to long-standing tenant, VF Outdoor (S&P: A-).”

Works start on Caldwell Auto Zone

Site improvements are starting for the new AutoZone store at 3549 W CALDWELL AVE, Visalia CA this week with plans to build  the town’s third AutoZone parts store.

-June 23,2021-

Fast growing franchise Dave’s Hot Chicken plans a 2500sf drive thru along the street frontage of the  Sequoia Mall, the second chicken restaurant to propose a location along this part of south Mooney. Crane’s Chicken Fingers is opening on Caldwell and Mooney soon.

Launched by some big name investors who backed Blaze Pizza,   Dave’s Hot Chicken sells Nashville-style chicken tenders and sliders offered with spice levels ranging from zero heat to  the“reaper.” The menu includes kale slaw, macaroni and cheese, fries, and beer.

To accomdatoe the new fats food eatery, property owner Fung Lee of Mainland Skate plans to carve the existing building into 2 sections with Dave’s sporting a drive-thru lane. The eatery has been popular in Los Angeles where it was founded in 2018. Reports say the place generates long lines of customers.

To accommodate those expected long lines in the drive thru in Visalia the developer says it will offer “hand-held order taking” during peak hours to speed food orders and payment.

Agent for Fun Lee Walter Deissler says the remaining 4500sf of the building would house a second unnamed restaurant and that Mainland would relocate.

Wimpy’s to add new North Visalia location

Locally-based Wimpy’s Hamburgers already has  a popular location  in Downtown Visalia along with Tulare and Dinuba  and now hope to open a drive-thru in North Visalia on a half acre  at Dinuba and Harold according to a site plan filed with city.

Chef’Store will replace furniture outlet on Mooney

The owner of the former Best Buy store in Packwood Creek on south Mooney will replace the current tenant – Savon Furniture with a US Foods ChefStore in coming months. The realtor handling the deal says the 30,000sf store has now been leased to the Chef’Store chain while Savon Furniture is looking for a new location to land.”They were an interim user” says the realtor after many months the storefront sat empty.

US Chef’Store says on their website that they are the “go-to food and kitchen supply warehouse for restaurants across the country. Their warehouse-format stores cater to the foodservice industry, but are also convenient one-stop-shops for home cooks as well.”

Customers choose CHEF’STORE to not only take advantage of a huge selection of competitively priced products they say.

Chef’Stores are almost all in northern California with their current southernmost location in Modesto. The company has applied to do tenant improvements at the Visalia building at the southern end of the Packwood Creek center.

Visalia reports new home permits are strong

New home permits in May number 95 in Visalia compared to just 34 issued in May 2020. For the year to date single family permits number 273 vs 194 for the same period last year – a 41% increase. The total value of all permits so far this year, is 61% higher in the city.

Kaweah Health eyes clinic in Visalia industrial park

A staff report to the Kaweah Health board of directors suggests establishing a clinic in the busy Visalia Industrial park in the next year according to a draft strategic plan. The hospital plan also brought up their Sequoia Gateway project at Caldwell/99 saying they expect to finalize plans there by December of this year. The other big medical tenant- Valley Children’s say they still have not closed on their escrow for a clinic at the Gateway site.The Kaweah board also said they may establish a new rural health clinic and build a new Women’s health facility somewhere in their service area.

-June 22,2021-

Creek Fire’s severe damage may increase runoff

Last summer’s catastrophic Creek Fire burned about 380,000 acres in the upper San Joaquin watershed, the largest fire in the Sierra Nevada’s history.The fire literally exploded, fed by strong gusty winds and 150 million dead trees resulting in the scorching of 43% of the burned area” with high severity” says the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, a state agency.

Altogether, about 36% of the upper San Joaquin watershed burned – the same watershed that supplies 9 dams and impounds water that feeds a million acres of farmland below, along the Madera and Friant Kern Canals.

Experts explain besides tree loss “Fire removes the absorbent layers of fallen and decaying plant matter on the forest floor. These layers, called litter and duff, can store more moisture than soil can. Without these layers, heavy rain can provide more water than the ground can absorb. This contributes to surface runoff.”

Several agencies have predicted that the huge fire might have impacts on the 2021 Spring runoff, so important to communities and farms along the east side of the Valley including Tulare County.

Friant contractors have been not-so-patiently waiting to see how much water is in the upper watershed this year hoping that there will be enough to allow the Bureau of Reclamation who makes the final decision – to confirm their earlier estimate of a 20% allocation of the Class 1 contract of 800,000 acre feet. That would yield 200,000 acre feet this year.

But as the California drought and extreme heat have grown more shocking in the past few months, fear has been building that there might be a zero allocation to east side farms who have little river water coming down the Kings, Kaweah,Tule and Kern Rivers either this Spring.

Now late word as of June 18 is that the Bureau is realizing there is more water in the upper SJR watershed than they had thought, says Dan Vink, Executive Director of the South Valley Water Assn that has 7 Friant water district members farming about 400,000 acres.

Allocation update

In a meeting with Friant members, the Bureau assured the group there would be “at least a 15% allocation this year,” says Vink, and “maybe more depending if any Friant water has to go to satisfy the San Joaquin Exchange Contractors”

Vink calls the 15%” a floor amount” – about 120,000af

“There could be up to 30% allocation if the Exchange Contractors don’t need Friant water,” says Vink.

The Exchange Contractors water supply depends on how much Shasta water is available this year.

Despite these private discussions the Bureau has yet to make any public declaration.

But Vink adds that “without a doubt there is more water in the upper SJR watershed because of the Creek Fire.”

Indeed several agencies have suggested runoff could increase as much as 30% in the first year after such a fire. Not only are there no trees or brush to soak up snowmelt but the severe damage to some soils could cause it to become water-repellent.

If the is some ironic good news for water users, the dams and hydroelectric plants in this region could be idled, and face higher costs in future due to sediment and debris flow
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Then there is the difficulty of predicting the impact on salmon in the San Joaquin River who depend on flows and cold water temperatures later its summer

With so much of the upper watershed not able to retain water, next winter’s atmospheric river – if one comes – could be a nightmare and cause massive flooding downstream.

While no one would suggest wildfires to benefit farm water supply, agencies do suggest mechanical thinning of forests could boost water supply as well as forest health.

One prediction – “reducing tree cover by about 40% may result in a 9% increase in water yield. Conversely, burning grasslands leads to negligible increases in water supply.

Managing forests with mechanical thinning and prescribed burning simulates the effects of low- and moderate-severity wildfire—creating opportunities to improve forest health while increasing water supply.”

“You’ve lost brush, you’ve lost canopy, and the soils have drastically changed as a result of the fire,” said David Rizzardo, the California Department of Water Resource’s (DWR) branch chief for hydrology and forecasting. “All of this impacts our modeling efforts,” he said.

pics from Sierra Nevada Conservancy

– June 9,2021-

Aquatics enthusiasts in Visalia have something to cheer about this week – they may be $500,000 closer to building a new aquatics complex in Visalia.

City Council member Greg Collins, who has been championing  the project for years, says he has received a commitment from Visalia water purveyor California Water Service, to donate $500,000 to the community project over a ten year period.

He made a presentation to the Visalia Parks and Recreation Commission this week outlining a modified plan for the swim complex if the rest of the City Council goes along.

Collins plans to make the same presentation to his fellow council members in a next few weeks. It could be an incentive for skeptical council members to take a second look at a facility most agree would be great for the community. But clearly the donation is dependent on city buy-in.

CalWater has made other donations to other projects in Visalia including  funding a pressure ventilation fan for the Visalia Fire Department last year.  The big fan helps firefighters enter a burning building by forcing smoke out of the structure allowing lives to be saved.

-June 8,2021-

The Visalia City Council has voted unanimously to name Leslie Caviglia as the City’s next city manager. The announcement was made June 6.

Leslie has been with the city for over 20 years in administration and would be the first woman to hold the post in the city’s almost 100 year history when it first chose a city manager-style of government.

“We had an extensive recruitment process with a number of qualified applicants,” provided Mayor Steve Nelsen. “Ultimately, we knew that Leslie’s extensive knowledge and commitment to this community were the fit we were looking for. We are confident she will lead the City forward as we create and implement a solid vision for the next decade and beyond.”

Caviglia currently serves the City of Visalia in the role of assistant city manager, a position she has held since 2013. In her more than two decades with the organization, Caviglia has worked alongside five of the City’s 11 city managers, supervised 12 different divisions and has worked with 24 Council members.

“It is an incredible honor to be selected by the City Council as the next Visalia city manager,” shared Caviglia. “We have an incredibly talented and committed workforce and I look forward to working with them to serve our citizens. I am committed to the long-term success of our diverse community, and am honored, grateful and eager to serve.”

Official action confirming Caviglia’s appointment, as well as the swearing in, will occur at a future City Council meeting.

Caviglia will replace current City Manager Randy Groom when he steps down in September.

-June 5,2021-
LA developer YS Buildings, LLC completed its first”spec” logistics warehouses earlier this year – two 300,000sf behemoths across from Amazon on the south side Riggin in the Visalia Industrial Park.

Now agent for the company – Freddie Molina says the development firm is ready for more despite a one-third cost increase in this year’s construction prices.

Demand is enough that “we’re going for it anyway” he says. Costs for lumber lead the pack but other key components from steel to concrete and all oil products have jumped smartly in price since the pandemic cooled. Lumber prices that were $400 per thousand board feet are now 3X that at over $1300. Home builders say that the lumber shortage had caused the average single-family home price to rise by $35,872.

With the help of Visalia real estate broker Matt Graham, YS Buildings LLC, has leased one of the two 300,000sf warehouses to solar company Sunrun in the past few days and SF-based company is moving in.

Right now, half of the other 300,000sf building is spoken for to be leased by Redwood Logistics to house pet food from Visalia company Perfection Pet Foods, who have been in an expansion mode themselves.

Molina says he is working with several other firms who may want the last 150,000sf.

Meanwhile, Molina says he has acquired another 18 acres just east of his buildings and will ask local builder BJ Perch to construct another 350,000sf “ as soon as possible.” Molina will not only pay more for both land and construction this year but is obligated to build part of Clancy Street to connect to nearby streets.

Molina is not stopping there but looks to acquire more land just to the east and continue the construction spree.

As we have reported, several other developers are doing the same with one 1.2 million square feet project being developed by a Phoenix company, is now approved by the city to move forward at Plaza and Ferguson. The developer says the huge project will employ 400.

This has all been set in motion by UPS and Amazon’s construction of two logistics operations at Plaza and Riggin in the past year. UPS is operational and Amazon is likely to open their doors in a matter of weeks.
Attachments area

-June 5,2021-

The Visalia Industrial Park snagged another high profile company this week as residential solar installer Sunrun agreed to lease a 300,000sf industrial building on Riggin, across from Amazon. The building is one of two twin,tilt-up buildings recently completed by Visalia contractor BJ Perch and are ready for occupancy.

The buildings,along Riggin, are owned by LA-based YS Buildings LLC, of Los Angeles. Agent for the company, Freddie Molina says he has a signed agreement with the solar firm who wants to start moving into the building right away.Molina continues to be active in building “spec buildings” -constructed before a tenant commits – in the Visalia Industrial park and plans more.

Molina says Sunrun will distribute solar panels and battery storage units used on homes across California. As for the number of jobs- no number has been confirmed and at least for now – Sunrun is not returning phone calls.

Both Fresno and Visalia brag they are strategically located midstate to reach the Western US market in 2/3 days by ground transportation and one day to reach both the Bay Area and Southland.

But Visisa had the availability of a large distribution building ready to lease unlike Fresno, where supply is said to be limited.

SF-based Sunrun is one of the nation’s top solar companies and the residential installation leader said to control about 25% of the market according to Barron’s.

Besides rooftop panels the company now sells its rechargeable solar battery system, Brightbox as of last year. Another recent development – in late 2020 the company announced the purchase of former rival Vivant Solar.

Sunrun recently said it has more than 550,000 customers, and an 18% year over year improvement including Vivint Solar. Besides installation of these energy units, SunRun is the largest provider of 3rd party system finance for solar in the US.

Sunrun argues home owners will be better off with solar. “In December, PG&E, the largest utility in California, announced that customers will be hit with an average rate increase of 8%. Just this month many homeowners in Texas have been surprised with skyrocketing bills, many over $10,000. Utility rates have been increasing across the country, with retail rates in our markets increasing 3% per year on average for the last 15 year.”

In their most recent financial report, Sunrun raised its installed growth rate estimate to 25-30% for the year, and said that “the strong momentum that we saw in the fourth quarter has continued into 2021.”

State electricity generation that will all come from clean energy sources by 2045.Sunrun maintained its position as the largest residential solar installer in the U.S. in the last quarter of 2019.
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Attachments area

-June 4,2021-

 On May 3 the Corcoran City Council voted to settle a city-initiated lawsuit against the nearby Curtimade Dairy, records show. City Clerk Marlene Spain confirms that the council voted in closed session to settle the long standing legal action and reported that out that evening.”Since then there has been no update” says Ms Spain.

 Online – the settlement notice first appeared in the city’s May 25  agenda packet.The council vote was unanimous.

 

In their complaint, the city had argued that their muni water wells were increasingly contaminated with high nitrates beginning back in 2004, testing above acceptable limits for toxicity. “Since then nitrate levels have only increased.” Meanwhile, ” the city has undertaken an expensive and unsustainable mitigation while at the same time assessing the case of the on-going increasing contamination that is coming from their adjacent neighbor, defendant Curtimade Dairy.” The suit claims Curtimade’s operation produces more than 200 million pounds of manure and almost 800 million gallons of process wastewater. That water is applied to about 1000 acres of land not far from city well

 In their legal filing, first bought by the city  about 6 years ago against the family dairy, and in subsequent filings, the city asked for $65 million in damages from the contaminated water. The matter has been slow to move forward but had been scheduled to go to court later in 2021.

 Curti’s lawyers have suggested that  the suit was spearheaded by City Manager Kindon Meik, when the city voted in June of 2015 to pursue legal action against the dairy. They say the case started with a notice of intent to sue for $8 to $9 million, and morphed to a lawsuit seeking $65 million worth of damages by August of 2019.

 Meik has now stepped down as city manager earlier this year.

Curti’s lawyers have argued that their nitrate levels applied to the soil have not been out of compliance and that they are monitored by the state.

 They argue there is no firm evidence that the 100-year-old dairy has contaminated city water wells. Meanwhile a dairy industry has carried on a full court press against the city fearing this would be a precedent to go after other Central Valley dairies.In the past  year the California dairy industry and the Kings and Tulare County Farm Bureaus have collected donations to help the Curti family in their battle with the city. Farm Bureau leaders also say they are concerned about the precedent aspects that the lawsuit might mean.

 Meanwhile the Curti family have said that if they lose they could go out of business. They argue that the city should negotiate with landowners and want the city to seek public funds to drill new wells and seek grants.

 Curti attorney Leonard Herr has argued that  the burden rests on Corcoran to prove their water was specifically contaminated by Curtimade Dairy. The town is – after all- surrounded by thousands of acres of farmland, farm operations, who all till with fertilizers that may or may not have migrated.

 In recent years, the whole town has been sinking with the earth collapsing more than 11 feet, bringing down well infrastructure, levees and canals in the area due to ag water pumping in these drought times (see next story).

More news coverage of sinking town of Corcoran

 This year’s drought in Kings County makes it likely area farmers will pump more groundwater to supply their crops again making it more bad news for  Corcoran area infrastructure over the next 12 months, suggests a handful of recent news articles.

 “Over the past decade, the farming town of Corcoran, California, has been sinking two feet every year as agriculture firms pump underground water to irrigate crops.”

 “The 7.47 square-mile area in California’s San Joaquin Valley has 21,960 people and has sunk 11.5 feet in the last 14 years.

While Corcoran has sunk about four feet in several places since 2015, the city could sink to another six to eleven feet over the next two decades.”

 “…The Corcoran Irrigation District had to build three lift stations to pump water through ditches due to infrastructure disruption.

The river used to flow by gravity alone. Still, the sinking caused sags in the ditches, causing the water to collect rather than flow out. Hence, the district had to spend $1.2 million over ten years on lift stations to help propel the water along, with farmers footing the bill, according to theNew York Times. The newspaper” report claimed that the levee had fallen from 195 feet when it was constructed in 1983 to 188 feet in 2017.”