Category: Central Valley

Many California farmers support former President Trump in the November election, frustrated over water politics. But Trump’s most publicized policies could hurt farm production and trade, say some. Western Growers have recently suggested a new trade war with China could hinder California agriculture.

Then there is Trump’s vow to deport undocumented people.Some 50% to 75% of California’s farmworkers are undocumented.Even with this workforce – farmers complain about a labor shortage. Yet Trump has said he wants to deport 11 to 15 million people from the U.S.

The Pew Research Center estimates that 1.85 million immigrants in California were undocumented in 2021, down from 2.80 million in 2007. The share of immigrants who are undocumented declined from 28% in 2007 to 18% in 2021.

How would he do this? Trump says he would deploy the National Guard who can be activated on orders of a governor.This week he promised to to use the 18th-Century “Alien Enemies Act” for mass deportations.

Does he really mean it or is it just overblown rhetoric?

We asked two Central Valley farm leaders about these issues.

Nisei Farmers League president Manuel Cunha says he is no fan of Biden’s border policy but favors a path to legalization for farm workers already here who have lived here for decades.”They have paid taxes including contributing into Social Security” notes Cunha. Kicking these workers out of the country is” not fair” to either the employers or the workers, he maintains.

“Mass deportation is not the answer” even though that’s what Trump’s campaign signs say.

Dairyman Tom Barcellos does not expect Trump to target the working people who are undocumented but rather “unproductive” people like gang members.

Both local leaders suggest they hope Trump, if elected, would surround himself with advisors that would reflect the wishes of the farm industry who needs a stable workforce.

A California Farm Bureau statement offers a plan.” America’s farmers and ranchers are in desperate need of a legal, reliable workforce. President Trump has called for merit-based immigration reform, and that is exactly what this bill does.This bill creates a stringent employment-based program for our current agricultural workforce, requiring significant past and future work commitments, to ensure the stability of American agriculture.”

CFB supports a bipartisan compromise that creates a visa program for the entry of a foreign legal workforce to work in agriculture, and that allows those currently experienced yet unauthorized agricultural workers who pay a fine and pass a background check to continue working in agriculture.

Employers say they need workers not just in agriculture but in the meat industry and in health care among others.

Will higher tariffs hurt?

Farmers have seen this movie before. Before the trade war California’s share of the tree nut market in China had been growing rapidly. But almost all California products exported to China— one of the world’s largest importers of agricultural products—lost significant market share due to the Trump inspired trade war and resulting retaliatory tariffs. The U.S. market share for almonds, pistachios and walnuts fell from 94% to just 53%.This is according to a 2020 UC study.

Recent tariff increases put in place by the Biden administration on electric vehicles, solar cells, semiconductors and aluminum and steel products from China could have a devastating impact on exports of farm products, according to a 2024 study highlighted by the industry group Western Growers.

Economists from UC Davis and North Dakota State University evaluated the potential implications of the U.S. revoking China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status, which currently allows China to trade with the United States at most-favored-nation (MFN) tariff rates. They found that if China retaliated against a change in China’s PNTR status, it could lead to a 9.5% increase in China’s agricultural import tariffs, resulting in potential new trade losses to California agriculture of around $1 billion annually.

“The impact on import tariffs for non-agricultural sectors would be even larger, with the average import tariff going up from 3.9% to 32.5%,” Colin A. Carter, a study co-author and a distinguished professor in UC Davis’ Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, said in the release.

For all California agricultural exports, they estimated an average decline in export value between 28.4% and 34.8% when comparing a scenario where China’s PNTR status is revoked to one where it is not. Some crops that rely heavily on China for exports, such as tree nuts, would be more severely impacted by these effects, particularly considering that some of them are still subjected to residual tariffs from the 2018-19 trade war. Besides milk, tree nuts are the Central Valley’s most important crops.

it is not just California crops that may suffer higher tarrifs.

A new trade war with China could result in deep cuts to U.S. corn and soybean exports, according to a study commissioned by trade groups representing the two commodities.

Asked about tariffs Manuel Cunha says Trump should not target neighboring countries like Mexico and Canada” who have done nothing to us.”

Trump has vowed to put a tariff on cars and parts made in Mexico.US consumers would have to pay the extra cost.Mr Trump has insisted Mexico will pay the tariff.

Taking a different approach, Tom Barcellos notes that Trump imposed tariffs before and it helped “bring companies back to the US to make their products.”

“It brings back a balance” he suggests.

A common theme in discussing Trump’s rhetoric is that his future actions might be more moderate than his latest bluff. Supporters often roll their eyes over some Trump statements with one local hoping that” they put some duct tape over his mouth for the next several weeks. Maybe then, we will win.”

Sam’s Club appeal likely

The Visalia Planning Commission approved a Conditional Use permit for the developer of a Sam’s Club on S. Mooney Blvd by a four to one vote this week.

City planner Cristobal Carillo says neighborhood opposition to the project due to noise and traffic issues is likely to result in an appeal of the project to the Visalia City Council.

Carillo says that appeal could be heard in November perhaps November 18 when council meets.

The developer of the project has been trying to meet the concerns of the neighborhood by relocating the proposed gas station at the site to the east -away from neighbors as well as putting up a block wall to reduce noise issues.

The project includes a new 167,000sf Sam’s Club warehouse as well as a Chick-fil-A fast food restaurant.

GA Motorsports relocates store to corner of Burke and Mineral King

Automotive dealer Don Groppetti has remodeled the 20,000 square-foot former car show car showroom at the corner of Mineral King and Burke and has relocated his GA Motorsports motorcycle dealership to the remodeled building from their old location next-door.

A permit request has been filed with the city to demolish the old location at 730 East Mineral King.

Milk prices fall as bird flu cuts local production

Tulare County dairyman Tom Barcellos says milk prices in the past month have dropped about three dollars per hundredweight from $24 to $21 – a big hit to operators’ milk checks. To make matters worse, the impact of over 100 dairies in the Central Valley affected by bird flu has meant a 20% cut in production for some dairymen, says Barcellos. Latest Milk Producers Council newsletter adds to the concern.

“In California, which accounts for about 40% of U.S. NDM(nonfat dry milk) production, avian influenza is spreading rapidly, which suggests that fourth-quarter milk powder output could plummet. It’s difficult to overstate the scale of California’s dairy industry and how quickly the bird flu could spread through the world’s most important milk shed. A severe decline in California milk output could have an explosive impact on dairy product prices in an already tight milk market.”

While the state CDFA does not identify where the dairies infected by bird flu are- beyond saying they’re in the Central Valley – five of the six humans who have contracted bird flu in California are from Tulare County as a result of their contact at dairies.This county is a number one dairy production county.

Published reports have identified dead cows by the side of the road near a Tulare County dairy.

The flu hits the respiratory system of the cow that reports say takes a few weeks to recover from -if they recover. There is some research that suggests diminished milk supply for some of those that survive.

Authorities caution the public shouldn’t worry and that pasteurized milk is safe.

Meanwhile, there is some indication of where the virus may have come from.

“Genome sequencing on the strain of the virus in California cattle is most similar to the strain found in cattle in the state of Idaho,” wrote CDFA public affairs director Steve Lyle in a statement.

Will the Visalia boom continue?

Visalia dairyman Jay Te Velde Junior is requesting annexation of more than 300 acres into the City of Visalia that will add still more developable land to the Visalia industrial Park.

This mixed-use development will consist of some residential and commercial designations but mostly industrial uses saa new plan filed with the city in the past few days.

About 225 acres would be zoned for industry . The site is north of Riggin and east of Plaza.The multiple parcels reach close to Hwy 99 to Rd 68 on the northern edge of Goshen.

The proposed annexation adds to five recent annexation projects that will bring more residential, big box commercial and industrial uses as the city expands its reach to accommodate growth. A number of these projects are still in the works, including the annexation that will allow Costco to build a new retail store at Riggin and Shirk that will also add some 500 new homes around it.

Other annexations include a 320 acre industrial project on land owned by the Ritchie family that is in the middle of a EIR process seeking approval probably early next year.

Landowners on the northern tier of Visalia have in the past few decades, cashed in on the fact that development from residential to commercial to industrial particularly has been moving their way.

Names include long time farming families like the Doe family, the Shannons and the Ritchies, and now Te Velde who all own or owned mostly low value field crop land north of the historic city limits. It’s not low value anymore.

Some families have taken a direct hand in the development of these lands like the Shannons who have developed Shannon Ranch and mixed use residential and retail projects like the new northside Costco project expected to break ground in a matter of months.

Of course, the Doe family has a street in the industrial park named after them and annexed 156 acres into the city a few years ago at the NW corner of Plaza and Riggin,later sold to Fresno developer John Brelsford who is marketing it.

Also, as mentioned, the Ritchie family, who is now annexing a whole section of land into the city, has sold off the development rights to Seefried Industries awaiting completion of their environmental impact report before annexation is approved.

This project is a behemoth. National developer Seefried Industrial Properties has come to an agreement with the Ritchie family to build a proposed 3.8 million square foot industrial complex north of Riggin Road between Kelsey Street and Shirk Road. The project is expected to employ 4,100 at build out

Another industrial annexation was recently approved on 80 acres at the southwest corner of Riggin and Shirk by YS industries. The project was recently challenged with the lawsuit claiming that the city allowed the project to move forward without proper environmental studies. The city has rejected the assertion and the applicant expects the project to move forward early next year.Part of the land used to be a dairy.

Now to the west, the dairy family led by Jay Te Velde Junior is planning to develop over 300 acres north of Riggin and west of Plaza(See maps).The specifics of the new Te Velde proposal includes some 225 acres of industrial, about 50 acres of high density residential and 25 acres of commercial fronting on Riggin. There’s also land set aside for a basin.

The Te Velde family relocated their successful dairy operation from Southern California in 1989 and expanded here since. Their Facebook page says Double J Dairy started December 1, 1988, as a partnership between Jay teVelde, Sr. and Jay teVelde Jr. Originally located in Chino, California, the dairy relocated to Visalia in June of 1989. The facility was an open-lot style dairy equipped to milk approximately 1,000 cows. By 1998, the herd expanded to 4,400 milking cows and was remodeled to freestall barns. Over the next two decades, Jay teVelde, Jr. was able to expand his surrounding land base and is now self-sufficient in terms of forages while also diversifying into nut crops.

The Te Velde dairy is north of the proposed annexation on Ave 328. Dairies typically own acreage around their dairy to provide a home for their dairy waste and to grow feed crops for their cows. So it’s not unusual that Te Velde owns substantial acreage nearby.

Family history

Jay Jr penned a paper for his CalPoly studies in 2016 mentioning some family history. The family finds its dairy roots all the way back to George teVelde, the owner’s grandfather. George immigrated to the United States from the Netherlands in 1920. After arriving in California, George found a job as a milker in southern California. Over time George saved up enough to buy some cows of his own. He was fortunate to have the support of his boss, who helped him get started. George spent much of his working life adding to his business. Eventually George’s sons discovered their own passion for the dairy industry. One of his sons, Jay TeVelde, branched off and started his own dairy. Jay, like his father, spent most of working life expanding his business. Also like his father George, Jay’s children discovered a passion for the dairy industry.

Asked this week if he could comment on his annexation request, Jay said he could not. Visalia-based 4 Creeks consultants are steering the project through the city approval process.

Flurry of construction

This new annexation project is happening after a flurry of industrial construction took place in the past few years. Now the boom in industrial building activity has turned quiet in the past year. That can be seen by the shiny new 1.2 million square-foot spec building constructed by CapRock completed earlier this summer that sits empty for now. The building on Plaza north of Riggin is a close replica of two other Amazon buildings nearby. But Amazon remains mum on whether they would lease this massive building as well.

CapRock bought several sections of the land on the northeast corner of Plaza and Riggin in the 1990s from a farm family. They worked for a decade unsuccessfully trying to attract major logistic players to Visalia until they did.The big boom began when CapRock sold the corner of Plaza and Riggin to UPS for a Central Valley shipping hub. Many industrial firms use UPS for their daily package shipments.

At the time we noted “The Visalia UPS super hub’s location is critical, says CapRock’s Pat Daniels, because “only the Visalia/Fresno area can reach 99% of California with overnight shipments. “ The UPS Fresno facility is landlocked for growth and the current Visalia UPS terminal is quite small. On July 10 UPS pulled their permit for the shell of the building valued at $21.2 million.Construction contractor is Layton Construction.”

CapRock set off the Visalia logistics boom, selling acreage to UPS that became a 450,000 square-foot package distribution hub that opened in 2020. That was followed by construction of the 1.1 million square-foot Amazon fulfillment center, operational as of 2021. Between the two locations, 1,700 people are employed.That was followed by a second Amazon warehouse now operating.

As we have noted before, it took 60 years, 1958 to 2018, for the Visalia Industrial Park to get to 16.6 million square feet. But it may take just a few years, say 2018 to 2024, to double that square feet with all the million-square foot warehouses on tap. Looking at land, the district had 381 acres in 2018 and has already doubled that acreage today.

Not unlike the expansion of retail on Mooney Boulevard from 1980 to 2000, where we saw a steady move to open land to the south, the Visalia Industrial Park has seen a steady move north to more open land and adding larger parcels.The recent move north also includes a big retail push along Dinuba Blvd replicating many of the retail tenants we see on S Mooney.Retail has followed a rapid construction of homes in the north in recent years.That in turn has been allowed by city council decision to open its city limits on all sides. But that was held back for a while by a lawsuit requiring ag land mitigation – now an adopted policy.The LAFCO agency has been busy most every meeting recently approved new annexations.

The opening of vast tracts of land for new industrial uses has its pluses and minuses, you could say. For Visalia, opening all these industrial areas promotes new jobs and tax dollars and growth of the city that may be positive or not. The tracks of land are owned by over a dozen major players allowing for competition on land prices. That helps keep locating a large complex here much cheaper to build than in the big metro areas of California.

There might be a slow down in tenant decisions to locate here. But a number of spec builders are building in anticipation that the gravy train will continue in the next year or two and that their investment in building before the tenant shows up- will pay off. That will require more land. It appears Mr. Te Velde is joining the crowd.

Tulare and Kings Counties report lower 2023 value as milk price falls

Three Central Valley counties reported their 2023 crop reports this week and Kern County took the prize for tops in value nationwide narrowly edging out Fresno County who reported a month ago.

Tulare and Kings Counties also released their reports this week noting milk – their number one crop – was down in value in 2023.Tulare County celebrated bragging rights for the top prize nationwide in 2022.

In Kern County, the gross value of all ag commodities reached $8.62 billion in 2023 – up 12% from the year before.

Fresno County announced a record crop value of $8.59 billion in 2023, a fraction lower than Kern.

In Kern County the 2022 year was a tough one for farmers due to the drought and 1.3 million acres in the county left unplanted. By contrast the 2023 year saw wet weather conditions and a rebound crop value. Unlike Tulare and Kings Counties, Kern is less dependent on milk, not on their top five crops.

In Tulare County, Ag Commissioner Tom Tucker reported $7.86 billion in gross ag production – a 8.3% decrease from 2022. Besides a lower milk price, the county saw its number 2 crop, oranges suffering from small but abundant fruit decreasing their value. Navel and Valencia values were $1.3 billion in 2022, but came in about $800,000 in 2023.

Tulare County’s milk value dropped to $2.04 billion compared to $2.67 billion in 2022 when milk commodity prices nationwide were noticeably higher.

Kings County

In Kings County, Ag commissioner Jimmy Hook reported a value of $2.15 billion in 2023 -16.9% less than the year before. One category showed strength- fruit and nuts – with a value that was higher. The value of milk was just under $700 million compared to $1 billion in 2022.

Livestock and Poultry Products had the largest decrease in value at $301,043,000 (30.0%) due largely to a decrease in cow milk prices and production. Field crops decreased in value $208,345,000 (38.4%) due to lower planted acreage and decreased values of cotton lint, alfalfa hay, safflower, silage corn, wheat grain and hay. Vegetable crops decreased in value by $11,666,000 (5.4%) due primarily to a reduction in tomato processing acreage.

Fruit and nut crops had the largest increase in value at $77,021,000 (12.6%) due to an increase in the harvested acreage of table grapes and pistachios along with an increase in the price of freestone peaches. Seed crops increased in value $3,624,000 (29.1%) due to increases in planted acreage and seed value of lettuce, triticale and certified wheat.

The latest Kings County crop report features photos of pioneer families highlighting their contribution over the years to Kings farming.They include the Boswells,Dutra,Giacomazzi, Hansen,
Newton, Stone Land and Verboon families.

Tulare County crop values by year

National Weather Service Hanford says the early storm system coming into California today and in the next few days offers a 45% probability of 3 inches of snow falling in the Central Sierra 7500 feet and above.

CNN says “There have only been five September snowfalls on record in Grant Grove, California, which is just west of Kings Canyon National Park, and is around 7,000 feet in elevation. The last time this area had snow in September was in 1986.”

Togas Pass is likely to see snow.

NOAA is predicting cooler days ahead, as well as the possibility of some moisture in California, but probably light.
The cool down is coming this week  providing some relief in Southern California that has been devastated by record heat and damaging exploding  wildfires.

NWS Los Angeles says”Early next week an even colder/deeper trough will move through the area bringing additional cooling and even a possibility of light showers. Temperatures on Monday are expected to be 10-15 degrees below normal with highs only in the upper 60s to mid 70s area- wide. As the upper low moves through Central California on Monday there may be enough cooling aloft to support some light showers across the area.” 

Sacramento National WeatherService says there is a “45 to 75 percent probability of atenth of an inch of rain or greater, with best chances over the Monday into Tuesday timeframe. We will also be keeping an eye on the potential for some isolated thunderstorms with this system as well, where the NBM currently offers a 10 to 20 percent probability of thunderstorm development, mainly over higher
terrain in the afternoons and evenings.”NWS Hanford says the event could be the first precipitation of the season.

“Still is a fairly significant system with the first widespread valley rainfall in a while, albeit very light, this
meteorological fall. Mid-level lapse rates and low top thunder is probable in the Sierra. The Sierra has a 10 to 15 percent probability of thunder, and even the Valley north of Bakersfield has a 5 to 10 percent probability of thunder.

Latest CalFire map

GreenPower Motor Company Inc. with a manufacturing plant in Porterville, has announced  the sale of electric school buses to two Tulare County school districts.
GreenPower will deliver five all-electric Type D BEAST school buses in California this summer.

Of the five BEASTs to be delivered this week, four will go to the Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District and the fifth to the Terra Bella Union Elementary School District. “We are pleased that these school districts see the great health and safety benefits provided by GreenPower’s all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission school buses in meeting the transportation needs of their students, a company spokesperson said.
The Cutler Orosi school district is a good size with over 4000 students enrolled.

Save Mart closing two distribution centers 
Grocer Save Mart, based in Modesto, has a new owner as of earlier this summer. Canadian based The Jim Pattison Group purchased the company in June and now has announced closure of two of the company’s three Northern California distribution centers including in Merced.Over 500 jobs are being lost.
Just what’s going on with the company isn’t clear but the supermarket chain has a big presence in Visalia and in Tulare County with four stores including FoodMaxx in the city alone and  SaveMart stores in Exeter,Lindsay and Porterville.
The Save Mart Companies has about 200 stores under the names of Save Mart, Lucky California and FoodMaxx.There are currently 51 FoodMax stores.
In addition to its retail side, the company also operates Smart Refrigerated Transport and is a partner in Super Store Industries, which has a distribution center and a Sunnyside Farms dairy processing plant.
Source says since 2010, the company has closed stores inBakersfield, Clovis, Delano, Elk Grove, Folsom, Fresno,Kerman, Larkspur, Madera,Merced, Milpitas, Modesto, Sparks, Sanger, San Pablo, Tracy and Yuba City mostly due to stiff competition.

Employees at the company’s stores are represented by labor unions. including  United Food and Commercial Workers,Teamsters, Service Employees International Union and Machinist Automotive Trades District.

‘Build it and they damn well better come’

As we approach fall of 2024, three speculative industrial buildings adding up to more than 500,000 ft.in Visalia are well under construction and expected to be ready to lease out by early 2025. Adding more available buildings in different sizes to the industrial inventory here increases chances that companies will come to our area or locals can expand to add jobs and economic activity to the local economy.

Two of the new buildings underway are being developed by Visalia businessman Butch Oldfield just outside the city limits along Highway 99 and Goshen.

Here is a picture of the two in this August construction photo showing advanced progress. The developments are along Bradham Dr sandwiched between the Union Pacific rail tracks and freeway 99.

Each is about 115,000 ft. and available for lease in December 2024 according to the project website.

The other big project, well underway, is being built by Fowler’s G4 company, a 310,000 square-foot building on Kelsey just south of Goshen Avenue in Visalia.

Realtor Ethan Smith says the building will be available in early 2025 for a tenant. Description of the building says “The Class “A” logistics building is designed for tenants requiring state-of-the art functionality and features. The site and building design allows for over 300 parking stalls, 46 dock positions and 4 grade-level/drive-in doors. The building features 36’ clear height, ESFR sprinklers, 54’ x 58’ typical column spacing, 4000+ AMPS/480V electrical service, natural gas to the building and office area to suit. Landlord will consider adding solar to the rooftop.The property is located in the highly desirable industrial, office and commercial park near HWY 198 and Plaza Drive in Visalia, CA. The development is near 7M+ SF new logistics projects, including two new Amazon fulfillment centers, a new UPS regional sort and distribution hub and Ace’s new 1M± SF regional distribution center. Property is located on Kelsey Road (also called Road 84) between Hurley Avenue and Goshen Avenue. Access to the property is via HWY 198 and Plaza Dr. interchange, which is less than one mile from HWY.”

The three new ‘spec’ buildings will be added to the recently completed 1.27 million square-foot CapRock building on Plaza Drive that is also seeking a tenant. Add in the 176,000sf ‘spec’ building on Riggin and Clancy owned by YS Industries, that is still available. Put it all together and you have over 2 million square feet of uncommitted industrial space ready for companies who may want to move in a short time frame.

Visalia has a long tradition of building speculative space that dates back to the 1990s pioneered by Fresno developer John Brelsford who has built around two million square feet of spec space in Visalia over the years and almost all of it filled. The firm manages more than 8 million square feet of industrial properties from Visalia to Fresno — more than 45 buildings.

His company. Diversified Development is looking to build 2.8 million square feet in eight buildings on 150 acres purchased from the Doe family on the northwest corner of Plaza and Riggin — clearly Visalia’s hottest address – one of number of huge projects that could bring millions of square feet to the city in the next decade if the economy holds out.
Developers like CapRock have put in somewhere around $100 million to construct their giant building and are making a giant bet that if you build it, they will come.’ With that kind of money on the line,you might forgive them if they say ‘they damn well better come.’

Photo of two new industrial buildings on the edge of Visalia nearing completion this month.

A lawsuit brought by a labor union coalition called Golden State Environmental Justice Alliance is challenging the City of Visalia approval of an 75-acre annexation in the industrial park claiming that the city did not follow the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The property at the southwest corner of Shirk and Riggin was approved by the city under a Mitigated Negative Declaration(MND) in late May. The group representatives had argued at public hearing that the city ought to require a separate EIR while the city maintained the annexation approval was no different than scores of others in the industrial park already included and covered in the city’s General Plan.

City attorney Ken Richardson says Visalia received notice that the lawsuit was filed on June 20 setting in motion a likely court hearing in coming months.

The project is proposed by LA-based YS Industries who has built two other large warehouses on Riggin nearby. Golden State Environmental of Justice argues in their pleading that the city has “piecemealed” the project in their current environmental document- the MND. This type of analysis is less comprehensive than a full environmental impact report but it is argued detailed enough in cases where few impacts are expected. Full EIRs often take a year to process.

The Visalia City Council at their public hearing voted four to one to approve the 75 acre annexation without a full impact report.Tulare County LAFCO has also approved the project and the parcel has been recorded as in the city limits.

The filing in Tulare County Superior Court is a request for a writ of mandate – an order to any governmental body, government official, or lower court requiring that they perform an act or cease to act where the court finds that an official law, duty or judgment requires them to do so.

Richardson says the two parties will collect the administrative record of the case in anticipation of a hearing

The action stalls YS industries from moving to develop the property that for years had a dairy on about half of it although the cows are no longer there. Much of the Visalia Industrial Park was former ag field crop land offering few jobs. But under the city’s General Plan and zone changes the open acreage has been transformed to an economic powerhouse providing thousands of jobs.

Despite the potential economic benefits, the labor group finds that people living near facilities in the industrial park that admit toxic releases may breathe contaminated air. On the other hand, observers note that the industries that populate the industrial park have no smoke stacks. The old polluters like Exide Battery are long gone, replaced by logistic warehouses like Amazon and manufactures like California Dairies that produce nothing more than milk.

Golden State also says the census tract is 50% Hispanic and 8% Asian American especially vulnerable to the impacts of pollution. The community has a high rate of poverty- 39% of the households in the census tract have a total income before taxes less than the poverty level. They argue that the environmental report of the project should do a specific analysis of the environmental impact on the disadvantaged communities nearby like Goshen. Golden State argues that the MND provides no evidence that the project would not induce substantial unplanned population growth. They add that the MND does not include confirmation about parcels available to shelter the homeless.

In total, the MND environmental document approved by the city does not identify potentially significant impacts as to transportation, air quality, greenhouse, gases, and hazardous materials, argues the labor group.

The LA-based Golden State has offices in Corona and in Fresno. In the Valley, the group has recently filed similar lawsuits in Madera County in 2022.Also in Reedley this past May and in Fresno in March 2024. In May the group filed another suit against the City of Lancaster.

The Fresno lawsuit is critical of Scannell Properties plans to develop 48 acres at the northeast corner of N. Marks and W. Nielsen Avenues a project valued at $100 million.Golden State argues the warehouse would worsen pollution in the area.

Nick Audino, the project’s broker, says the matter remains in limbo.

“These attacks on industry in the Central Valley are part of the California wide squeeze on warehouse construction,” he says.
“Looks like now Visalia is being hit with the same actions that Fresno has seen in the past few years. Hope you can do better than Fresno has.”

Audino says the overall industry real estate market is weaker than it was a year ago and the election this year has created uncertainty by decision makers that won’t be resolved until the results are known.

Dated photo shows 75 acre property including a former dairy on about half of it.

Construction of giant Visalia industrial building complete

As of early August of this year construction of the 1.27 million square-foot industrial building at 4001 N. Plaza in Visalia is complete.
So confirms Pat Daniels of Cap Rock Partners, based in Newport. Built as a speculative building, the approximate $100 million investment has yet to attract a tenant although the marketing company talking to possible tenants says they have good interest. Cap Rock built two other large ‘spec’ buildings nearby, both filled by Amazon. It appears Amazon will not take this third complex however. Industrial activity in Visalia has slowed in the past year as it has nationwide, although there are numerous large projects in the pipeline here.

Alejandra’s Mexican restaurant expected to open in October

More than two years after an arson-caused fire claimed the building occupied by popular Mexican restaurant Alejandra’s and next-door sandwich store Jimmy Johns, reconstruction of the Mexican restaurant continues this week.The building itself is owned by the Franey family.
Owner, Roque Salinas says they are several months behind where they thought they would be by now, but expects to open in October to the great relief of many Visalia customers. Next-door Jimmy Johns is open for business. At Alejandras “they’re putting in tile in the restaurant right now, ” says Roque.

The Mix wants outdoor dining

On Main Street in Visalia, the new food court eatery called The Mix has filed plans with the city to put in 4 outdoor tables for street side dining.

Nordstrom racks up profits

Retailer Nordstrom with a new location Visalia has reported good sales in 2024 after several rough years.
Financial reports say in the last couple of quarters,” momentum has been growing at Nordstrom Rack (located at the Sequoia Mall) and has helped prop up the company’s overall results. During the quarter, sales at Nordstrom Rack were up 8.8%, while comparable sales increased 4.1% compared to the same period a year ago.”At the department store division sales increased by 0.9%

CapRock’s new building enjoys access just off Plaza Dr