The Tulare County Board of Supervisors has approved a plan to rezone 718 acres of farmland northwest of Goshen to accommodate both industry and additional uses in the future.

The board approved the initiation of a general plan amendment on July 22, which would allow development of the area once all environmental studies are complete. The new zoning designation would be considered “mixed use.”

The developer proposed building an industrial park on 190 acres west of Highway 99. The project was submitted to the county by developer Panattoni Development of Sacramento in collaboration with real estate firm Colliers International.

The project was submitted to the county at their Project Review Committee meeting in June.

The site plan shows five large buildings of various sizes that add up to 3.85 million square feet along Highway 99.

Development of the 718-acre plan would require cooperation with the City of Visalia, which supplies sewer service to Goshen, and approval from CalWater, which supplies water to the community.

Another notable part of the plan includes rezoning 137 acres at the northwest corner of Highways 99 and 198, also currently in agriculture. County Economic Development Manager Michael Washam said there’s no specific plan to develop this acreage, but he has seen interest in the past. The site enjoys the highest pass-by traffic count in the region.

 

In addition to these industrial and commercial potential projects, Goshen is slated for more housing projects due to available land there, including this initiative to open more, but depending on sewer capacity from the City of Visalia. San Joaquin Valley Homes and Self Help Enterprises are currently busy with projects in Goshen.

It remains to be seen how Visalia will respond to these large-scale projects near the city limits. Recently, the City of Visalia initiated its 900-acre expansion plan for industrial and other commercial development near the airport.