Walmart Foes Lose In Court
Tulare County Judge Lloyd Hicks has ruled that the group Visalia Smart Growth was too late in their appeal of earlier rulings on the expansion of the Noble Ave Walmart store and need to pay $2000 in sanctions. The decision announced as a tentative ruling August 8 says the legal points brought up by the group had been brought up in previous lawsuits and that their continued assertions amount to “endless litigation” instead of “prompt resolution” of this dispute.
Visalia attorney Alex Peltzer says the issue – in litigation since 2011 and dating from a plan filed by Walmart six years ago – is near complete although the appeal period has not run its course.
Walmart seeks to add 54,076 square feet of floor area and increase operations to 24 hours.Walmart wants to add a grocery wing to the store and has been thwarted by the shadowy group backed by rival grocery interests.
Permit Issued For Burlington Coat Store
The City of Visalia issued a permit July 30 to remodel the former Home Base property located at 3844 S Mooney for new store. The permit was valued at $700,000. Also in the past few weeks the company announced they would open the clothing store this fall employing 70 people. The new retailer will take only 63,011 square feet of the 103,800-square-foot building with no news on the rest of the center.
Permit issued For Akers Medical Building
A $5.1 million permit was issued by the City of Visalia to build a 52,135 sf shell building at 820 Akers. The project is being built on land owned by Kaweah Delta District Hospital by the Fresno group, The Quiring Corp
Tax Revenue Higher
According to Visalia city council member Warren Gubler “New tax revenue projections indicate that this year, real property valuations will increase by 4.8%, which roughly translates into another $500,000.00 of projected tax revenues for the City of Visalia.”
Visalia Landfill Closure In Works
This week Tulare County field an environmental notice they would close the 127 acre Visalia Landfill “ in response to groundwater impacts associated with historical operation of the unit. Since Waste Management Unit-1 is unlined and does not meet current 27 CCR design requirements, the unit is being closed as part of the landfill’s Correction Action Plan (CAP) for the mitigation of known and future groundwater impacts. Post-closure land use for WMU-1 will be non-irrigated open space and will be returned to a natural setting with the exception of all necessary access roads, environmental monitoring/control facilities, and drainage structures.’
Project To Boost Groundwater Recharge
The Packwood Creek Check Structure Project will bring good news to the City’s groundwater recharge capabilities which could increase by about 600 acre-feet per month when water is available. The Visalia Water Management Committee oversees the project, made up by the City and the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District, the lead agency for the project.
Increasing the City’s ability to manage groundwater recharge is integral to implementing the agreement with Tulare Irrigation District for the exchange of recycled wastewater in return for up to 5,000 acre-feet of water monthly from the Friant-Kern Canal in wet years. Packwood Creek plays a key role in the City’s ongoing groundwater recharge program. The creek flows through the eastern and southern portions of the City and its sandy soil allows for good percolation.
The existing structure (pictured above at left) enables the pooling of water into the stormwater layoff/groundwater recharge basin south of Cameron Avenue. The construction of four new water-check structures (similar to the picture above at right), will have automated gates to regulate upstream water levels while maintaining downstream flows, and add about 600 acre-feet per month of recharge capabilities.
The project is budgeted at $1.5 million, and is partially funded through an $800,000 WaterSMART grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Additional grant funding is being sought by the District. A public meeting will be held to discuss the project and address any questions or concerns residents along Packwood Creek may have.