Commissioners Support Large Bethel Project

Tulare - Bethel Assembly of God has won Planning Commission support in its quest to build a new church and offer four different types of senior housing on a large parcel south of Cartmill Avenue between Highway 99 and Retherford Street.

“This is just another step in a development we believe is good for our community,” said the Rev. Dennis Sunderland, Bethel's pastor for the past 10 years. “We're trying to take care of the people of the community.”

Commissioners, after discussing the appropriateness of the proposal in an area largely earmarked for “regional commercial” development, voted 4-1 on Nov. 15 to recommend that the City Council approve the necessary general plan and zoning changes. The council is expected to take up the matter on Dec. 7.

Commissioners also approved the required conditional use permits, variance and design plans that would allow:

• A 60,223-square-foot church building; a columbarium, which is a wall in which urns containing the ashes of the dead are stored; an 18,300-square-foot community center that would include a thrift store, food bank and counseling services available to the general public; and a 25,000-square foot youth building that would be built in the future.

• The Gardens at Harmony Village, a two-story, 82,909-square-foot building with 57 assisted living care units and a separate wing for 24 residents with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. The target opening is in 2012.

· The Residence at Harmony Village, a three-story, 88,533-square foot building with apartment-like units and offering limited services, including exercise and wellness programs, social, cultural and religious activities, physical and occupational therapy, weekly housekeeping and linen services, transportation and at least two meals per day in the common dining room. The expected opening is in 2013.

· A three-story, 106,110-square-foot apartment building with 82 units. A developer is being sought for this portion of the project.

· The church to be built to a height of 83 feet in a zone which allows a 60-foot maximum.

Bethel will have no financial ownership of the assisted living, memory care and independent living senior housing and plans to acquire the land for Harmony Senior Living, a for-profit company.

A market study confirmed a “very strong” need for dementia care and assisted living in this area, Harmony's President and CEO Bill Brown told commissioners.

He said phase one of the project, the assisted living and memory care facility, will cost $20 million and create the equivalent of 50 full-time jobs.

Location Concerns

Commissioner Sandi Miller voted “no” on each motion approved in connection with the project because of her concern about the church's plan to continue offering a food pantry and a thrift store at the new location.

“I think that's the wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong place [in a retail commercial area],” Miller said.

She said she fully supports the senior housing projects and sees them as “a good match and fit,” but voted against them for consistency.

“If I didn't vote for the zoning amendment, I didn't think I should vote for this,” she explained.

Commissioner Chuck Miguel asked Sunderland whether he thought the church and housing projects were compatible with the planned sports arena on nearby Mooney Boulevard.

“I'm 100 percent in favor of that arena,” Sunderland said, adding he has had on-going contact with developer Greg Nunley.

Miller asked if the zoning change permitting the church would affect the proposed Cartmill Crossings or Lagomarsino projects in any way.

Planning Director Mark Kielty said the city had not identified any negative impacts and Sunderland said he has been working with Cartmill Crossing's Ben Ennis, as well as Nunley.

“They see it as a good thing,” he said.

Miguel said he shared Miller's concerns about having the church with its thrift store and food pantry at the proposed location, but said Sunderland's comment convinced him to support the project.

“I take pastors at their word,” he said.

“It's going to be an odd fit, not a bad fit or good fit,” Miguel said. “It's going to be a very odd fit.”

The commission's votes on the general plan and zoning amendments would change:
· The regional commercial land use designation on 11 acres from regional commercial to urban residential and high density residential.

· The regional commercial land use designation on 18 acres along the eastern portion of the site to community commercial.

· The retail commercial zoning on 11 acres to multiple-family residential.

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Departing Manager: Tulare ’Wonderful’ Place to Work

Tulare - City Manager Darrel Pyle, in a move that surprised his many supporters, submitted his resignation to the City Council in a closed session last Tuesday and later had nothing but good things to say about the community.

“Life is good and Tulare is a wonderful place to work,” Pyle said when questioned briefly two days later. He also described the city's staff as “as good as you can get.”

If he has definite plans for the future, he didn't talk about them.

“I think we all wish you well, whatever you happen to do,” Public Utilities Commission Ron Quinn told Pyle at the conclusion of last Thursday's meeting.

“I'll figure it out one of these days,” the city manager said with a broad smile.

In tendering his resignation, effective Tuesday, Pyle said: “I believe at this stage of my career, I have achieved all of that which I am capable in Tulare and feel that it is in both the best interest of the city and myself that I move on to my next challenge.”

He also called his five years here “the most rewarding assignment of my 21-year career.”

A press release said Pyle also cited health and family reasons as contributing factors for his decision.

The City Council, which unanimously accepted Pyle's resignation, directed City Attorney Martin D. Koczanowicz to prepare a draft separation agreement, which members will discuss at a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the new City Council Chambers at the Tulare Public Library.

The council also indicated it will initiate a search for an interim city manager to fill the vacancy until recruitment for the position is completed.

Racetrack Speculation

While more than a few observers speculated privately that Pyle's move was somehow related to the controversy over the proposed Tulare Motor Sports Complex, he said, “the racetrack never came up in my conversation with the council.”

As far as the project goes, it is pretty much out of the city's hands, Pyle said. “Either they [the developers] will close [the deal] or they won't.”

Racetrack opponents had criticized what they considered Pyle's overly enthusiastic support for the project and Council members David Macedo and Wayne Ross had accused him of not keeping them as informed of the project as he had the three council members who supported the project.

But despite this criticism, the city manager appeared to enjoy strong support in the community.

Councilman Richard Ortega, who is stepping down from the council in December when his term expires, called it “really a sad day for Tulare” and said Pyle had done an exceptional job.

“All the projects he's brought to the community, goodness,” he said. “He's brought more projects to the community in the last five years than we've had probably in the last 30 to 35 years.”

He mentioned Love's Travel Center, the Super Target, financing for two railroad grade crossings, and the new Tulare Public Library as examples.

(Mayor Craig Vejvoda declined to comment on Pyle's resignation, explaining “the council agreed that we wouldn't be making any public comments other than that press release” and referred all questions to Koczanowicz.)

Darlene Jensen, president of the Tulare Improvement Program board and a member of the city's Public Utilities Board, also had a strong reaction to the news.

“I am absolutely disappointed and I'm just sick for this community,” Jensen said. “I know he will be fine wherever he goes, but I will personally miss his can-do attitude … He had a lot of talent I think we needed.”

She said she also was impressed with his knowledge and attitude toward the community.

“I just always felt that Darrel always truly, truly cared about the community,” she said. “I think he had a lot of passion for this community and I think no matter where he goes he'll have that kind of passion because that's the way he is.”

Patty Rocha, chair of the Tulare Chamber of Commerce board, said Pyle has done a lot of good for the city.

“He's been instrumental in many of our major projects that we have completed or are on-going and I'm sorry he's leaving, but I do understand we all make personal choices and wish him nothing but the best.”

Barwick 'Disappointed'

Councilman-elect Skip Barwick, who while not opposed to the racetrack, was critical of how the city handled some aspects of the project, said he was disappointed to see Pyle leave.

“I had a conversation with him early on [in the campaign], where I told him this was not a vendetta and that I believe he was carrying out the wishes of the council majority, which was his job,” Barwick said.

“I was hoping he would stick around and work with us,” he added. “The last think I wanted to do was have to hire a new city manager.” Barwick will take office in December.

While department heads, like council members, were asked not to speak publicly about Pyle's departure and direct all questions to the city attorney, sources indicated that the city manager enjoyed strong support from his staff, with only a few exceptions.

Retired Police Chief Roger Hill said he found Pyle talented, bright, personable, very experienced in local government and “a real delight” to work with.

“He was upbeat, positive and very loyal to the city, even though he wasn't from here,” he said. “He was very supportive of department heads and the departments and very supportive of the employees and always went the extra mile to make sure their working conditions were as positive as they could possibly be.”

Hill especially enjoyed watching Pyle working on budgets.

“He found ways to leverage a lot of dollars,” Hill said. “I've worked for three city managers and Darrel was absolutely the most expert in the area of public financing. He is very, very good at that.”

Initially he challenged Pyle on several occasions because “of my own lack of knowledge,” but found out he knew what he was talking about.

“He would paint the picture on how you could use money to make money … get the greatest bang for the bucks,” he said.

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Proposed Arena Adds 6,000 Seats

By John Hobbs

Tulare - California/USA Wrestling, Inc., which announced more than a year ago its dream of building a sports complex in Tulare, appears poised on the precipice of bringing an even larger arena to Tulare.

Private financing has been secured, plans are being developed and an opening date in late 2013 is projected, the organization's Chief Financial Officer Robert Valerio said.

But instead of a 10,000- to 12,000-seat arena as initially proposed, Valerio said the project has expanded to include 16,000 seats to accommodate large concerts.
“When it's completed, it will rival Fresno's Save Mart Center or Bakersfield's Rabobank Arena,” he said.

The 32-acre site on Hillman Street south of Cartmill Avenue, where the 80,000- to 90,000-square-foot complex is expected to locate, is comprised of “half donated and half purchased” property with the donation coming from developer Greg Nunley, Great Valley Land Company, Hidden Oak Development and Provident Mortgage.

California/USA Wrestling is a private, 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization that promotes amateur wrestling to Californians of all ages. Its stated purpose is “to educate the California public in both collegiate and international wrestling styles, to make the sport of wrestling fun and exciting, to provide well-planned activities, and to improve the quality of California amateur wrestling at the competitive level.

Activities and events of CA/USAW are designed to augment and compliment those of the California Interscholastic Federation, which is the governing body for all high school interscholastic sports.

His organization has a membership consisting of some 17,000 registered athletes and 2,500 coaches and serves as the governing body for all amateur wrestling not within the jurisdiction of CIF (or other state counterparts), Valerio said.

As recently as the weekend of November 19-21, CA/USAW hosted an all-star tournament in Fresno featuring the first and second ranked NCAA Division I wrestlers in each weight classification.

“This will entail us bringing the best college wrestlers in the country to the Valley for this event and, as far as I know, it's the first time it has ever been done here on this scale,” Valerio said.

CA/USAW's plans include hosting more than amateur wrestling events and Studio 5 architect Justo Patron has been commissioned to draft plans for the construction of an arena that could also serve as the venue “for major concerts,” according to Valerio.

Although a feasibility study for the facility has yet to be completed, he indicated consideration already has been given to hiring the marketing and facility management firm SMG, which currently operates the Save Mart Center (for California State University, Fresno) in Fresno and the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield.

Discussions regarding general contractors qualified to construct a facility of the type and size that CA/USAW envisions have thus far primarily focused upon Matt Construction, Inc., which built the Save Mart Center, Valerio said.

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City to Sell More Sewer Bonds

Tulare - When the city issues approximately $18.9 million in sewer bonds in mid-December, it will be the fifth series issued since 2001 and likely the last for a very long time.

Finance Director Darlene Thompson told the Public Utilities Board this week that the city's bond indebtedness is about $235 million, including the $18.9 million the board and the City Council approved last week.

About $201.4 million is related to bond issuances on behalf of the wastewater treatment plant which, like those in many other Valley communities, has been under a cease-and-desist order to improve treatment efforts or face huge daily penalties.

“We are extremely indebted for a community this size,” Public Works Director Lew Nelson said. “That's because someone decided a long time ago that to be competitive in industry, we would not have [adequate] connection fees.”

The city's connection fees are $250 for a single-family home and $690 per acre for industry, he said.

Other cities, such as Visalia, charge industries much higher rates based on formulas that factor in such things as the gallons of flow, the bio-chemical oxygen demand and the amount of suspended solids in the wastewater sent to the treatment plant, he said.

So a cheese plant coming to Tulare might pay less than $10,000 for hook-up but millions if it located elsewhere, he said.

Many cities will use the connection fee as a negotiating tool to entice a business to locate in their community but still take in more in overall connection fees than what Tulare takes.

What this has meant for Tulare is that when the city has needed to upgrade or expand its treatment plant, officials have had to borrow the money and raise the monthly rate for city utility users to cover the indebtedness, Nelson said.

Cities that have charged adequate connection rates, put the money in a specially earmarked pot, so when the next big project comes along, the money is there, he said.

City staff asked the City Council last December to increase many development-impact fees and calculate connection fees in a new way based on per thousand square feet and water meter size.

Because of the poor economy, the council decided it was not the right time for such a move and asked that the DIF proposal come back to it only after the city had issued 100 building permits in the current year.

The matter is expected to return to the council soon, as that has occurred.

Ron Quinn, a long-time utilities board commissioner, expressed concern businesses won't locate here if connection fees are increased.

City Manager Darrel Pyle said the city competes mostly with the city of Visalia and all of Tulare's development fees are lower.

The new connection rates are proposed to avoid having to increase monthly sewer rates to customers in the future, which the utility board has said it won't do anytime soon, Pyle said.

Rate Increase

The decision to issue another round of bonds won't result in another sewer rate increase other than the one approved in February 2009 and scheduled to go into effect June 30.

That increase, the third since July 1, 2009, will boost the monthly rate for single-family homes to $42, up from the current rate of $38. Industrial and commercial operations also will see an increase.

The city's current sewer rate is the highest among nine communities a consultant surveyed because of the new wastewater plant it had to build to comply with new, stricter permit requirements. Rates for other communities are expected to increase as they move to comply with the changes, Nelson and a consultant said.

The board's vote on the latest bond issue was 5-0, while the council's vote was 4-1, with Councilman Wayne Ross in opposition.

While clearly not comfortable having to sell more bonds, board and council members have indicated previously they want to avoid paying the stiff penalties state agencies will impose if standards are not met.

The city learned Friday that Standard and Poor's had agreed has rated the bond A-, which was good news because the high rating will mean a lower interest rate.

Earlier in the week Alex Handlers, the city's financial advisor from Bartle Wells and Associates, told the City Council it was possible the rating would drop because the city was unable to its 1.25 million debt coverage on the 2009 bonds because of the high cost of starting up the new industrial section of the plant, which experienced several problems.

What Handlers was referring to was not the debt payment, which was made, but the additional .25 percent the city is required to put aside, which amounts to an additional $3 million to $4 million annually, Nelson said.

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