Tulare council adopts sixth-cycle housing element, rezones 10 acres to meet state site requirement

The Tulare City Council on a 3–1 vote adopted its sixth-cycle (2024–2032) housing element and a related set of zoning and environmental actions, including a targeted rezoning of a 10-acre parcel formerly used as a winery to higher-density residential to satisfy a lower-income site requirement from the state.

The action combined four items: amendments to the zoning code to add a by-right approvals chapter, a general-plan land-use amendment for the parcel, a rezoning from medium-density (RM2) to high-density (RM4) for the 10-acre site (APN 149-070-008), and an addendum to the city’s certified environmental impact report. Planning staff described the rezoning as the single reszone needed this cycle to meet the city’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for lower-income units.

"The state wants land zoned at densities that can accommodate lower-income housing," said Mario, senior planner, summarizing the state’s requirements and the city’s inventory work. He told council that the city’s housing stock is heavily skewed toward single-family homes and that HCD (the state housing department) expects cities to provide sites spread across the community rather than concentrated in one neighborhood.

Why it matters: The housing element establishes the city’s plan to meet its assigned RHNA target and unlocks state funding and discretionary approvals. Staff told council that without a certified housing element the city risks losing state grant eligibility and could face further state enforcement steps.

Opposition and controls: Neighbors who said their backyards adjoin the parcel urged the council to deny the rezoning or at least remove a by-right path that would allow some projects to proceed without discretionary public hearings. At the public hearing, multiple residents said they feared traffic increases, privacy loss from multi‑story buildings, and extra strain on local schools.

Planning staff responded that project-level design, buffering, floor-area and access will be reviewed during the site-plan and improvement-plan process: "You can design a building so it’s not hovering over backyards — orientation, screening and circulation are part of the site-review process," staff said. The city also noted that prior downzonings removed other higher-density capacity, creating a present need to rezone to meet state requirements.

Council direction and next steps: Council member Sagala moved adoption. Vice Mayor Harold said he could not support the package because he wanted clearer, binding development standards before rezoning; his was the lone opposing vote. Council directed staff to return with objective development standards and a timeline for implementation, and confirmed the city will prepare the required follow‑up analyses such as the disadvantaged unincorporated communities assessment.

What happens next: The rezoning provides the land-use entitlement required for the site to be counted toward RHNA. Any actual housing project proposed for the parcel would still require site plans and improvement plans, at which time traffic, circulation, design, and specific mitigation measures will be reviewed and imposed by staff and, where applicable, by the commission or council.

The council’s adoption brings Tulare into compliance with the state’s housing-element certification process and enables the city to pursue implementation steps and eligible state funding tied to the housing plan.