Category: Central Valley

Tulare County is one step closer to receiving $40 million in state
funds to replace the existing Men*s Correctional Facility and Day
Reporting Center located north of Visalia.

A committee of the Board of State and Community Corrections recommended
today to allocate $500 million to 15 counties for upgrading local jails
to include rehabilitative program space that meets Gov. Jerry Brown*s
prison and public safety realignment goals. The recommendations will be
considered at the Board of State and Community Corrections meeting on
Jan. 16, 2014 in Los Angeles.

*This is very exciting news for Tulare County,* said Pete Vander
Poel, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. *This is a facility that
is certainly needed due to the influx of state prisoners as a result of
realignment. I would like to commend the Tulare County team that put
together the application that will ultimately meet a very important
need.*

Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said the recommendation is
extremely good news for his department.

“I am so pleased with the positive collaborative effort from all of the
County partners that made this proposal viable,* Sheriff Boudreaux
said. *The future of this department and the County as a whole
requires us to actively seek opportunities such as this to improve the
infrastructure of our Detention Facilities. Our team has been diligently
working on this project, making several trips to Sacramento. I am
excited for the project and for the future of our department.”

If the recommendation is approved, the funding would pay for 90 percent
of construction and related expenses for the project. The program
requires Tulare County to pledge 10 percent, or $4.4 million, of the
project amount in matching funds from cash or in-kind sources.

The project would replace existing facilities with at 384-bed jail, day
reporting center, vocational center, and program space in Visalia.
Features of the project include a jail that will house the jail in small
groups; several classrooms dedicated to educational, cognitive
behavioral therapy, and vocational instruction; and a small number of
administrative segregation cells.

Application Process (Read the announcement made today by Board of State
and Community Corrections:
http://www.bscc.ca.gov/board/announcements/county-jails-to-get-500-million-to-advance-realignment-goals.)

According to the Board of State and Community Corrections, 36 counties
submitted requests for funding that were ranked according to how closely
they met the requirements of AB 109*s landmark reform mandate to house
and rehabilitate non-serious, non-violent, non-sexual offenders in their
home communities. Realignment seeks to improve rehabilitation results by
keeping offenders close to families and support systems. It includes
constitutionally guaranteed funding for proven programs that support
offenders* successful transition back into the community.

Under realignment, the state is investing hundreds millions of dollars
in local rehabilitation and crime-prevention programs to continue to
improve public safety in our communities. The impact of these
investments will be measured over years as the programs develop.

The construction funding is a result of SB 1022, which provided for the
issuance of lease revenue bonds to help finance the jail modifications
needed to accommodate offenders who otherwise would have been sent to
state prisons.

Many jails do not have classroom space for training and rehabilitation
programs. SB 1022 specified that counties would be considered that are
seeking to replace or upgrade outdated facilities and provide
alternatives to incarceration, including mental health and substance
treatment.

Construction projects deemed most ready to begin were more heavily
weighted. Counties also were required to show they have set aside a
minimum of 10 percent of the total project costs.

The proposed allocations announced today were decided by a BSCC
executive steering committee following presentations in Sacramento Dec.
4-5. The recommendations will be considered at the Board of State and
Community Corrections meeting Jan. 16, 2014 in Los Angeles.

The BSCC was established by 2012 legislation to serve as an independent
body providing realignment leadership and technical assistance to the
adult and juvenile criminal justice systems.

Visalia Airport Freight Demand Draws Larger Plane
Study Could Site RV Park On Airport Land

As of this week FedEx is flying regular flights out of Visalia using a much larger ATR42 plane.”This plane holds three times the freight volume  than the small FedEx planes we see typically” says airport manager Mario Cifuentes.
“The new FedEx operations manager in Visalia noticed they were actually limiting the volume being shipped from Visalia of plane size” say Cifuentes. ”In recent months they went they went up to 5 flights a day compared to just 2 in the past” using the smaller plane.
The Holiday season means more freight, he says, with big firms like Visalia’s VF Corp shipping lots more clothing, brands like North Face and Wrangler, by air.
“We don’t know yet if FedEx will keep the big plane here or it will be seasonal” says Cifuentes.”We are still talking to them.”
Also at the Visalia Airport Cifuentes says they are seeking Visalia City Council approval next week (December 16) to hire a consultant to do a feasibility study on construction of a 12-acre RV park that would cater to travelers do to the regional location near the crossroads of Hwy 99 and Hwy 198.”We think there might be demand for a new RV Resort here but the feasibility study should tell us if it would pencil out.”
There is a long time KOA RV Park in Goshen but none other nearby.
The park would be located on a airport owned vacant parcel of land between Plaza Dr and the airport.

Dinuba To Get Western Dental Office

Western Dental will build a new complex in Dinuba says city manager  Ed Todd. The company plans a dental clinic on El Monte (416) near Alta on city-owned land.”This will be the first  orthodontia care in the community ” notes Todd. Western Dental already have locations inVisalia,Hanford,Tulare and Porterville.

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AUTOZONE GRAND OPENING * WHITE RIVER PLAZA, EARLIMART, CA

The nation*s newest AutoZone is set to open its doors at the White River Plaza located at the northeastern corner of Avenue 56 (Sierra Highway) and CA State Route 99, in Earlimart, CA.

The construction of the 7,500 square feet building is complete, the shelves are being stocked and the final details are being completed prior to the opening.  The new AutoZone store will be open to the public
on Thursday, December 12, according to Lisa Whitlow, AutoZone District Manager for the Central Valley District.  A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for 9 a.m. on Thursday, December 12, 2013.

“AutoZone is the country*s largest retailer of automotive aftermarket products with more than 4,800 stores across the United States.” said Michael Washam, the County’s Economic Development
Manager.  “The new AutoZone will provide a clean, well-lit, well-merchandised store offering a large selection of automotive products not currently available in the Community.”

While the AutoZone is the first retailer to open at the White River Plaza, a Dollar General store is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed by the end of January 2014.  The White River
Plaza development represents the largest retail commercial development ever built within the community of Earlimart.  Additional tenants planned at White River Plaza include a supermarket, national fast food restaurants, and other retail and services businesses.

“The White River Plaza has been several years in the making and the Community of Earlimart and Tulare County are thrilled to see the doors begin to open,* said Chairman Pete Vander Poel, who represents the Earlimart area on the Tulare County Board of Supervisors.  *I am proud to support economic development activity that will provide jobs and resources ranging from auto parts to fresh and nutritious food for residents.”

White River Plaza is a 7.5 acre development project that was approved by the Tulare County Board of Supervisors earlier this year.  This project is being developed by White River Plaza LLC, headed by Tom
Hocking and Max Bacerra, local developers and professionals.  According to Max Bacerra, “We wanted to be a part of Earlimart’s progress and help create new and permanent jobs for the residents in the local area.”

Dollar General should open in February 2014.  Additional new buildings and businesses are being processed and negotiated at the present time.
The White River Plaza development should see more store openings throughout the 2014 year.
 

Held on Sunday,December 8, 2013

The annual event, which was sponsored by the Sanger District Chamber of Commerce
in cooperation with the National Park Service, included the Jubilation Singers, Sanger High School Choir, and a non denominational holiday message. During the ceremony, Acting Superintendent Colleen Bathe spoke about the General Grant Tree’s role as a national shrine in memory of the men and women of the Armed Forces who have served, fought, and died to keep America free. A memorial wreath was placed at the base of the General Grant Tree during the ceremony.

The snowy setting was thanks to a weekend storm.

Battle is brewing between the City of Visalia and the County with the Board of Supervisors poised to approve the processing of a general plan amendment for a 900,000 sf highway commercial and retail center a the SE corner of Caldwell and Hwy 99.The board will take up the proposal filed by landowner William Travis next Tuesday. In a sharply worded letter penned by City Manager Mike Olmos he wrote that the 126 acre Sequoia Crossing Commerce and Business Center “will discourage investment“within the city boundaries. “The City is very concerned that the proposed development as currently proposed would have a serious effect on the economic well-being of the Mooney Boulevard commercial corridor and Downtown Visalia.” In addition, the letter points to the lack of urban improvements near the interchange,limited sewer nearby and airport conflicts.The December 5 letter says the plan is “premature” given the county’s general plan, already being litigated.
The county staff report points out the big project would be phased with  only a highway commercial center moving forward for now with gas stations,hotels and restaurants and little retail. “The project has the potential to capture substantial highway commercial business” says the staff report with this phase being 337,000 sf.

Open Letter From Retired Judge William Silveira, Tulare County Superior Court

A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF HOLIDAY GIFT

We are in the holiday season and many of us think of what we might do to help others.

There are many, many persons throughout the United States who are in medical need of a stem cell transplant after other cancer therapies have failed. Modern technology has made donating stem cells much like donating blood. The process is virtually painless and not only can new stem cells relieve the recipient of suffering, in most cases it can save his or her life.

Here in Tulare County there is one person right now who is in need of a stem cell transplant. That person is my former colleague, Elisabeth Krant-Latronico. Elisabeth has been suffering from a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for most of this year.

I was on the panel that selected Elisabeth to become the Tulare County Juvenile Court Commissioner in 1991. She performed admirably under difficult circumstances. She heard and adjudicated all juvenile dependency and delinquency cases in Tulare County. When I became Juvenile Court Judge, I found her advice and assistance invaluable.

Here in Tulare County there is one person right now who is in need of a stem cell transplant. That person is my former colleague, Elisabeth Krant-Latronico. Elisabeth has been suffering from a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for most of this year.

For more than two decades Judge Krant has served with distinction on the Superior Court bench, most recently in the Porterville Division. This year she was forced to resign because of the severity of her illness.

A stem cell transplant to be successful must be from a donor with certain gene characteristics that closely match the person receiving the transplant. Men and women under the age of 45 are ideal candidates.

A national registry exists in which donors are matched with potential recipients. A potential donor wanting to register is mailed a special kit that instructs the donor how to take a simple cheek swab. The swab kit is then returned to the registry, a genetic analysis is done of the sample, and the donor is listed on a confidential database. At no time is a donor required to donate even if requested to do so. A donor can ask to be removed from the data base at any time.

In early December a local outreach campaign will begin for Elisabeth and others like her for the national registry, BE THE MATCH. Potential donors can go online to register directly at www.bethematch.org. There one can learn about the whole process and request that a swab kit be mailed for purposes of collection, typing and and
registration.

In addition, the Central California Blood Centers in Visalia, Porterville, and Fresno will also take donor samples and assist in bone marrow and stem cell registration at any time.

Special donor registration events for Elisabeth, and all persons seeking donor matches, are now being coordinated and will be held locally in Fresno, Kings, and Tulare Counties. One that is already confirmed will be held on Sunday, December 8, from Noon until 4 p.m. at the Lifestyle Center in Visalia. For more information on
additional donor registration dates and locations, please call Central California Blood Center at (559) 288-6319.

If this is something you want to do, please do not delay. Time is of the essence.

William Silveira, Retired Judge, Tulare County Superior Court

But No Injunction

In a closely watched ruling Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny today denied a request by the California High Speed Rail Authority to use $8.6 billion in state bonds to help finance the construction of the high speed rail line in the state.

The rail agency had sought “ a judgment approving their actions authorizing the issuance of more than eight billion dollars in bonds. The bonds are intended to provide funds that will be used to begin construction of the system.Today the Court found “that the validation judgment must be denied. The Court finds no evidence in the record that supports the plaintiffs’ determination that it was necessary and desirable to authorize the issuance of bonds at the time that determination was made.”

The judge found a state Finance Committee authorizing the expenditure March 18,2013  did not include evidence  that it was necessary to issue the bonds.Quoting the judge   “…..the determination must be supported by evidence in the record. This requirement is essential in order to protect against administrative action that is merely arbitrary or capricious.”

The agency is currently using some $6 billion in federal monies to begin construction on the first 29 mile segment from Fresno to Merced.

In a second ruling based on his August ruling  finding that “California High Speed Rail Authority abused its discretion by approving a detailed funding plan, the judge today ordered the Authority to re-do the plan but declined to stop the project’s current activities. A request for an injunction was denied.

On their Facebook page the rail Authority commented. Today, Sacramento Superior Court issued two rulings in cases involving the California High-Speed Rail Authority. The following statement is from Authority Board of Directors Chairman Dan Richard:

“We are reviewing both decisions to chart our next steps, but it is important to stress that the court again declined the opposition’s request to stop the high-speed rail project from moving forward. Additionally, the judge did not invalidate the bonds as approved by the voters in Proposition 1A. Like all transformative projects, we understand that there will be many challenges that will be addressed as we go forward in building the nation’s first high-speed rail system.”

A long awaited ground breaking is set for early next month for a $6.5 million interactive children’s museum in Downtown Visalia. “We can’t wait to get going” says Bill Whitlatch,board member for ImaginU Museum that has garnered more than a million dollars in local support to build and equip the 15,000 sf facility.

The museum will be a cornerstone development  for the new Visalia Civic Center area in east Downtown. The ambitious project has been in the works for years and now awaits only the demolition of an old auto repair metal building to get started.That should be complete in the next few weeks.

ImaginU Museum applied for their conditional use permit  for their new building at Oak and Tipton in Visalia last March and was to break ground by July. But delays in relocating a tenant who rented from the city, who owns the land – delayed the groundbreaking until now.

The auto repair place – Foreign Auto Works recently relocated to Cain St near the DMV and now some small asbestos removal will take place followed by full demo of the old building the first week in December. ”About 90% of our construction plans are into the city” adds Whitlatch.

The Museum began as the idea of founder Angela Reyna in 2001,and  through the generosity of Giant Chevrolet who donates the existing building at 700 E Main – the idea has grown into a fully functioning learning center because of the interest, talents, and dedication of people in the community. The educational and interactive museum has everything from science exhibits, an intricate train set, music and other activities for children to explore their talents.

In 2011 the project was awarded a $5 million plus grant to help build a permanent larger facility. While the board of directors looked around the city for a place to build they settled on some city-owned land along Mill Creek at the gateway to what is expected to be the new Downtown Civic Center district where a new police and fire administrative office,911 Center as well  council chambers will be constructed in coming years. The new museum is just a block away from the Chamber of Commerce as well.

The design of the new museum is next to what will be an enhanced Mill Creek with park-like setting and walking trail from Downtown.

Each year, the museum hosts a variety of interactive events and displays, many of which are free to the public.

“We expect the place to attract children from all over the Valley” suggests Whitlatch. “We already have many of our interactive displays in storage.”
He expects it will be open for visitors in early 2015.

Financial figures show struggling Tulare Regional Medical Center recorded a $3.6 million operating loss for the first 4 months of the fiscal year ending in October.
The figures were released at the TRMC November 12 board meeting. The $3.6 million loss is worse than this time last year when the district  recorded a $2.4 million loss. Hopes for a turn around this year have not been realized so far, with the budget expecting a $894,000 loss  through October but actual results that were 3 times that.
The monthly decline in October amounted to a loss of $417,758, an improved performance over September when the district reported a $1.2 million operating loss.
Hurting the finances at the district are a14% decline in patient days year to date,a 15% decline in discharges, a 16% decline in surgeries, a 12% decline in lab tests,a 60% decline in nuclear medicine treatments and a 22% decline in CT scans.
Year to date clinic visits number 6962 compared to 10,381 last year during the same period.
The report say the hospital’s daily patient census was 42 compared to 49 last fiscal year. It was 66 in 2010.
At the same time it works to bring in more revenue the district is working with their contractor to finish a new hospital tower approved by voters in the district but facing construction delays and exploring a partnership with some unknown entity to help it survive long term.

Hands On Developer Acquires Troubled Shopping Center
LA developer Dave Paynter has had good success developing some 2.5 million square feet of shopping space in the state. With a good reputation in the commercial retail world Paynter sits tall in the saddle. But now he is the proud owner of Sequoia Mall acquired at what seems like a fire sale. “I knew I had to buy the property at the right price” says Dave who now faces an even taller order – fix the broken down Sequoia Mall.

Clearly the mall has been neglected over the years.Since it was built in 1974,Visalia’s other mall,Sequoia Mall has not had an owner/developer with both the experience,wherewithal and local knowledge base that it has now. Paynter purchased the shopping center in mid-November.

Sequoia Mall had been the sales block since March in what looked like a distressed sale. Sacramento-based Core Commercial listed the property in March under the heading of “Best Offer” with offers due May 1.The announcement of the sale came after the mall’s owners Kimco and Schottenstein “have failed to invest in any remodel effort over the years” said now retired Visalia City Manager Steve Salomon.

While he is from Los Angeles – he is a familiar name around Visalia and the entire Central Valley. Paynter has a 25 year history of turning under performing properties, real challenges – into retail money makers along Mooney Boulevard and retail strips in Porterville,Hanford and Clovis among others.

Remember the “Sin City” apartments at Mooney and Walnut? It is now Park Place Promenade shopping center anchored by Kohls and Ross. Remember how he had to assemble small parcels on south Mooney at James St in the 1990s to build what was to become south Mooney’s biggest sales tax generator, Costco,where Walmart is today.

Now he has taken on perhaps his biggest development challenge – buying a tired,60% empty 70s shopping center – Sequoia Mall last week for an undisclosed sum. The sale includes the 100% leased Tower Plaza. Although the price the Sequoia mall sold for was not released, the betting was it sold for under the appraised price.It was sold in 2003 for $27.4 million to Centro Watt and resold in 2007 to the current owners,listed at the time at $30 million. The county tax collector lists the appraised price earlier this year at about $16.9 million.

Can he turn this turkey around?

”If anyone can do it – Dave Paynter can” says John Dubois of Core Commercial Real Estate who brokered the sale for partners Kimco Real Estate and Schottenstein- boith based back east. Dubois says Paynter “won the bidding on the 24.3 acre mall over multiple offers.” The sale includes Tower Plaza as well as the mall but not the Sears, Hobby Lobby or CVS spaces nor the out parcels along Mooney.

Bringing In New Blood

Paynter’s style is to bring in new retailers that the community has not seen before – working well with city councils eager for sales tax dollars. Most recently he brought in Dicks Sporting Goods to town after buying and remodeling the former FoodsCo center on Caldwell at Mooney. He is expected to soon fill one large space still available there.

Now across the street comes Sequoia Mall that at one time had more going for it than its 60 percent vacant space inside the enclosed mall. This mall has always played second fiddle to its more prosperous sister retail complex – Visalia Mall, down the block.But in recent years after the closure of Borders in the recession years – the mall has been pretty much a ghost town.
The departures of retailers were often no fault of local management with Mervyn’s and Borders closing across the US and Ross relocating to a far more visible space across from Visalia Mall.

One big handicap; the ownership of the mall is divided up so that Paynter has firm control only over the midsection of the property (229,000 sf under roof) with Sears and Hobby Lobby spaces in other hands.There is vast parking space in the back and no reason to walk into the mall’s grand entrance on Mooney except to go to the 12 Plex Regal Theatre that many say – is showing its age.

And yet there is hope since Visalia in recent years has filled a numbing backlog of empty buildings on Mooney.”You could make the argument that perhaps this next developer will get this property at a reasonable enough price that something good could happen here” says council member Warren Gubler.

Clearly the property is well located on the busiest traffic corner in Tulare County. Still, Paynter has to work to develop the property with one arm tied behind his back controlling only about half the square footage and trying to work with Sears,on decline as a national retailer – and the pension group that owns Hobby Lobby to coordinate plans with.

Not strong partners.

Open Air Option

In an interview Paynter suggested there are options but it would take time for them to play out. “Whatever we do will depend on tenant interest.”Paynter says some thought has gone into “de-malling the mall,perhaps making it more open air.”

“The more open air he makes it,the higher the value will be“suggests Fresno commercial broker Walter Smith.”I can’t think of a better player to make it happen.”

Sears needs a new store but times are not great for this company. There  are several vacant out parcels in this mall including the vacant Longs Drug Store on Caldwell that was not part of the sale. One bright spot – In Shape City opened in the back of the property this year.

The most obvious choice for an anchor in a remodel – a new Regal 12-Plex or Edwards Theater like was done on Blackstone in Fresno. Regal leases this mall’s older movie theater now. Rival shopping center developer Don Orosco has been courting Regal to build a new theater near the Costco – off Mooney.

“We’ve talked to the Regent people but there is no news right now” cautions Paynter.

Overall “people need to realize that nothing is going to happen real soon.”

While Visalia – like much of California – is coming out of the recession gloom, developing in southern California is easier to experiment with,building a mixed-use type shopping center in places like Sherman Oaks that has been converted from a mall.”In that area there is such a high population density,high median income and lots of office demand” for a mixed-used type project that would blend office and residential with retail.

”We don’t know if some combination project would work in Visalia. Maybe it would.” Paynter says he would entertain ideas.