U-Turn
for Automall?
Plaza Drive Location
Considered for Auto Sales
Visalia - The lack of a broad consensus on the Visalia City Council is prompting auto mall developers Craig and Andy Mangano to take a second look at a Plaza and 198 location. Council narrowly approved the concept of an 85 acre auto mall along west 198 between Shirk and Akers in March by a 3 to 2 vote in what most observers consider a done deal.
On the other hand, an earlier discussion on alternative sites for the mall suggested that Plaza and 198 - where there is already considerable urban development - would get a 5 to 0 support, says Craig Mangano - referring to a council work session at the Convention Center within the past year.
“We’re still pursuing the Akers/Shirk/198 location but we’ve recently got word there might be a chance to buy the Plaza and 198 site,” says Mangano - an option that could mean an easier political sell and a less extended approval process since, for one thing, it is in the city limits.
All of the proposed Akers/Shirk site is in the county requiring an annexation and a full EIR. As of January 1 tighter rules of annexation of farm land just got more stringent as a result of a new law signed by Governor Davis.
Available out on Plaza are a number of sites - one in particular - a 70 acre parcel along west 198 north of the Plaza interchange. The site is owned by multiple parties that have been in litigation with each other, but now there is potential the site could be purchased despite the dispute, says Mangano.
“We want to tell council that at least we explored the possibility.”
Mangano says he isn’t sure how dealers Frank Surroz and Tim Razzari would like the site but it enjoys good freeway 198 visibility.
The potential change in plan is just another twist and turn the issue of an auto mall has taken over the past two decades in Visalia starting with the siting of a 17 acre auto mall on Ben Maddox - a site many now believe is too small to accommodate growth. In recent years the call has been for a much larger site with room to grow and freeway visibility. “Those are my priorities,” says council member Bob Link, who says he has heard about the Plaza idea.
A year ago the Manganos were pushing a 99/198 site opposed by the city and supported by the county. Even though they got approval, the Manganos have now told the council they won’t pursue the 99/198 site if they can make something work in the city limits.
The county gave the Manganos preliminary approval to rezone the site - now in ag - for an auto mall despite the fact the 99 site was opposed by the city. Now chief county planner George Finney says as far as he knows “the plan is on hold.”
Then, the Manganos hired consultants to come up with a design for the Akers/Shirk and 198 location and offered a heavily landscaped plan to build a 100 acre auto park running all the way to Shirk.
But council members Wendy Rudy and Jesus Gamboa said they wouldn’t vote for the plan similar to one presented to them in a closed door meeting in March 2002. Still 3 council members did vote to approve and so city staff began working with the Manganos on what would clearly be a long series of steps needed to build the mall. Annexation would be the first of the hurdles. That was in May.
But by mid September asked about progress on the annexation, assistant city manager Dianne Guzman told the Voice that the developers were not processing an application because of their interest in another site.
The economics and logistics of assembling a large auto mall on west 198 might get difficult even if the politics were not a problem. Indeed, Mayor Gamboa wonders if the mall can attract a couple of dealers, “what about holding costs on the remaining land?” While earlier estimates suggested the two dealers looking for new sites needed 7 to 10 acres each - estimates of how much land needed to accommodate dealers ranged from 40 acres - considered too small - to 80 to 100 acres. Meanwhile, some dealers like Frank Serpa had suggested they would participate in west 198 auto mall when asked last winter. But now Serpa is building a new dealership on Ben Maddox and dealer Don Groppetti is working on plans for an East Main Honda dealership unable to wait to make an improvement that Honda requires. The upshot is that 2 or 3 new dealership showrooms are likely in the next year, not out west but in east Visalia.
The question becomes - will there be enough players if and when a west 198 auto mall gets approved? Would you expect - for example - Giant Automotive on Ben Maddox to move after just building a new facility?
Mangano says they must calculate the potential uncertainty of getting all approvals - through the county, through LAFCO, through the city and funding a full EIR along with assembling multiple parcels from multiple owners - not an easy task all by itself.
“A 3 to 2 majority could change by November (2003),” worries Craig Mangano who recognizes the Shirk interchange along the city’s scenic corridor is politically sensitive.
Led by former mayor Greg Collins, a community group has been meeting to organize opposition and provide alternatives to the auto mall idea. “We plan to present some ideas,” says Collins.
The possibility of a voter initiative challenging an auto mall has been suggested and creates more uncertainty.
Setting in motion the current debate was city funded consultant study done in December 2000 by Katz Hollis. The study suggested Shirk and 198 was most popular with dealers and city staff. It remains the most controversial site displacing ag land along the corridor.
Even if the Manganos were able to secure the Plaza site and city council approved it, it would be easily 8 months to a year before approval to be in place. Visalia would have two auto malls on either end of town and just what we do with the heart of the scenic corridor would still be up in the air. City manager Steve Salomon has quietly pushed this idea as realistic and doable in an effort to increase sales tax dollars while keeping the town from being torn apart in a battle that leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.
New Growth Plan
Farmersville - The City of Farmersville will adopt a new update to their General Plan with a public hearing set for October 14 and adoption of the plan likely by October 28. So says city manager Graham Mitchell who says the plan adopts “smart growth” principles that include a plan for tree lined but narrower residential streets, solar orientation for houses, a plan to relocate city hall back downtown and tight zoning on Farmersville Blvd. near 198 to keep major retail users from draining business from the downtown area. “We don’t want to turn downtown Farmersville into a ghost town,” says Mitchell. The plan is being developed by Visalia consultants Collins and Schoettler.
Mitchell says it also calls for attracting more industry to the small town and allowing business oriented sales tax generating companies to locate out by 198 to attract regional business to town. He also says zoning will allow another restaurant and lodging at the Farmersville/198 turnoff in the future.
Allowing McDonalds to locate at 198 and Farmersville Blvd. enabled the city to expand sewer and water clear to 198 from town that in turn will mean development south of the highway will be much easier. That includes major building plans near the new high school where already a generous donation by the Meek family will include a new swimming pool. The city is working on a plan for a sports park nearby, he says. Also a major shopping center is planned anchored by the town’s first new major grocery store (see other story).
The General Plan is set to guide growth in the community for the next 23 years - until 2025 - including the city limits which is some 1155 acres and out to its sphere of influence that is a much larger 3075 acres. The plan guided land use, circulation, us of open space and parks. The plan will include a full EIR that will be circulated for 45 days after a draft is issued. The plan updates the one adopted by the county in 1986.
Planner Karl Schoettler says the city looks to develop to the Visalia corridor into town for industrial uses with some highway commercial uses.
More Shopping For Farmersville
By Miles Shuper
Farmersville - Construction of a shopping center anchored by a 30,000 sq. ft. supermarket on the northern edge of Farmersville should start within six months, another indication of the growth of the city in recent years.
That project, on eight and one half acres at the southeastern corner of Farmersville Boulevard and Marinette, is one of two major projects expected to enhance the commercial and professional services of Farmersville. City officials and others are optimistic that Farmersville is on the move and its image continues to be enhanced.
The second project in the works is a 10 acres site to be developed by longtime Farmersville dentist and investor Dr. George Castaneda is in the planning stage on the site west of the Walnut Avenue and Farmersville Boulevard. Both projects are on the northwestern edge of the city, near the new Farmersville High School.
Eric Shirk, one of the principles in the project headed by Leonard Whitney, a longtime developer and owner of area supermarkets, said plans call for a full-service 1st Choice Foods store, a service station, automated car wash, a food kiosk, possibly a fast food outlet, a video store and other shops. Shirk and his partners already operate 1st Choice Foods in Fresno and Woodlake and Farmersville (the later two formerly Nickels Payless). The current Farmersville 1st choice Foods at the city’s main intersection will remain open until the new 1st Choice opens, company officials stressed. There are no specific future plans for that property.
Shirk expects work on the project to start in several months with the supermarket potentially being ready in about a year. He said no name has been finalized for the shopping center, but indicated citizen input into the name selection is being considered.
Whitney, who purchased the land , formerly owned by Scotty Wells, sold several area Food 4 Less stores more than a year ago. Whitney, who is semi-retired, has played a key role in the area’s grocery and supermarket scene for many years.
Shirk, one of several partners in the 1st Choice Food stores, praised the cooperation of Farmersville City Manager Graham Mitchell in getting the project to its current stage. “He has been extremely helpful and has great insight in what is ahead for Farmersville.”
Mitchell, city manager for a little over two years, admits things seem to be moving on a fast track these days and sees city residents reaping the benefits from the two commercial projects and several other courses of action including some proposed downtown redevelopment. City officials are close to acting on a proposed new city growth plan.
Dr. Castaneda described his project, on the 10 acres west of Walnut Avenue, as a development with a “garden setting” with considerable landscaping and Santa Barbara style. A 7,000 square foot dental office will be included along with food services possibly including an ethnic market in addition of one or two well-known stores.
City Manager Mitchell sees new stores and services providing residents with goods and services they currently have to seek in Exeter or Visalia. “Having a market with deli items, a bakery and other things will mean a lot,” he said, adding that having more restaurants and food services as well as professional offices and other businesses will keep more local dollars in the community as well as attracting new business to the city with a current population, according to the 2000 Census, of 8,737.
Mozzarella Fresca Gets Tipton Cheese Plant
Tipton - The tug of war over the ownership of a Tipton cheese plant is over with the Fifth District Court of Appeals deciding last week (September 27) to allow one bidder at the auction - Mozzarella Fresca to walk away with the property. Dairyman Case Vander Eyk Jr. had also placed a bid on the old Sequoia Cheese facility. Vander Eyk claimed he was the winning bidder and argued the auction was not conducted fairly.
Now Mozzarella Fresca will close escrow on the facility within 30 days, says broker John Grimmius of the Ranch Company who held the auction earlier this summer. Mozzarella Fresca had said they would need months of refurbishing to get the older facility ready to produce mozzarella cheese.
While the ruling by the court ended the battle over who owns the facility, Mr. Vander Eyk still has a pending damage claim over the conduct of the auction.
Fast growing California cheese company, Mozzarella Fresca, had purchased the former Sequoia Speciality Cheese facility in Tipton at auction in May for $1.85 million. The plant is the former site of an Arden Farms milk plant created in the 1940s, then operated by Knudsen.
Partner Andrew Branagh says Mozzarella Fresca started in Benicia in 1995 and expanded to Los Angeles in 1998 when they bought an Italian cheese plant that was for sale. Since 1998 the company has gone nationwide and is nearing triple the production it had in 1998.
The new cheese plant is expected to employ as many as 100 but will start out with about 50 employees and when fully underway will take in 5 loads of milk a day - about 200,000 lbs. of milk. The plant is certified to produce organic product, something that Mozzarella Fresca will utilize for some products marketed as organic.
Kings County
Plastic Recycling Company To Make Fuel, Electricity
Kings County - A Sacramento area start up firm, Plastic Energy LLC, is seeking a permit to build a multi million dollar plant near Hanford for recycling plastic into a fuel and make electricity through a cogeneration process. According to Kings County’s chief planner, Bill Zumwalt, the company is in the process of receiving an Air District permit and the company will get approval on its zoning permit from the county. Zumwalt says the company is buying an 18.6 acre parcel near Highway 43 at the Hanford/Armona Rd. The project has been approved to be in an ag zone. The project is a “closed loop system” to be housed in a 10,000 sq. ft. building with three electric turbines totaling 1.5 megawatts of power - enough power for about 1500 homes.
Plastic Energy uses a new technology that can take waste plastic from disposal companies and turn it into diesel fuel and power - stuff that would otherwise be destined for county land fills.
Partner in the company is Henry Dwyer who was with Waste Management. According to published reports his partners are Madelon Randall and George Larson - the latter being the former chief executive of the California Integrated Waste Management Board.
Plastic Energy also has plans for at least two more such facilities.
Zumwalt says the current application was received by the county in August.
Reached at deadline Mr. Dwyer said he expects to have his Air District permit in the next few weeks and would reveal more details about the project then. “Since this is a closed loop system it has very little emissions,” says Dwyer.
The above stories are the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.
October 2, 2002
