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Planning Division

The Planning Division is responsible for maintaining the City's General Plan, Zoning Ordinance and Specific Plans. The Planning Division provides support staffing for the Planning Commission and Historic Preservation Advisory Committee, as well as provides environmental and planning support to other departments within the City.
The Planning Division also prepares studies and reports such as demographics, land absorption trends, and development entitlement activity on a regular basis.

 

For Zoning and General Information:

For Additional Questions or Information:

  • Planning Hotline: (559) 713-4359, Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • In-person: City Hall East, 315 E. Acequia Avenue, Visalia, CA 93291. Monday - Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed Friday.   
  • Email: [email protected]

Planning Updates:

  • The Planning Division has been preparing two draft ordinances affecting housing in Visalia.
    • The Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance is an update to the City's existing zoning regulations (i.e., Chapter 17.12 Article 2) for the construction of ADUs in the city to comply with State ADU law and the recently adopted Housing Element.  The new ADU Ordinance (i.e., Chapter 17.14) was adopted by the City Council on January 21, 2025.
    • The Single-Family Objective Design Standards establish a set of objective design standards for developers to follow when constructing new single-family homes in Visalia, including planned residential developments.  These standards provide developers a clear understanding of the City's expectations for residential project design and help promote the construction of housing units by streamlining the permitting review process. A Resolution containing the standards was adopted by the City Council on May 5, 2025.
  • The City of Visalia's update of its state-approved housing plan, known as the Housing Element, considers projected housing needs from 2023 to 2031 (referred to as the 6th cycle).  The City Council adopted the Public Hearing Draft on December 18, 2023.  After the inclusion of modifications, the City resubmitted the element to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), upon which it found the adopted element with modifications in substantial compliance with State Housing Element Law, as of September 20, 2024.  Technical modifications submitted to HCD in February 2025 were also accepted, as confirmed in a letter dated May 2, 2025.    All details and information about the effort can be found at the website http://www.housevisalia.com.  The adopted Housing Element can be found on the City's General Plan and Specific Plans website.
  • The City Council adopted the Short-Term Rental Ordinance on October 16, 2023, which requires all short-term rental operators within City limits to obtain a Short-Term Rental Permit. More information can be found on the City’s Short-Term Rentals (STR) website.
  • The City of Visalia has completed an Agricultural Preservation Ordinance that applies to new development occurring on Prime Farmland and Farmland of Statewide Importance in the City's Tier 2 Urban Growth Boundary.   The City Council adopted the final reading of the ordinance on May 15, 2023.  The final ordinance and related information can be found on the City's Agricultural Preservation Ordinance website.
  • The City of Visalia has prepared guidelines to address the new State mandate for using Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) as the new metric for evaluating transportation impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act.  The VMT Thresholds and Implementation Guidelines was approved by the City Council on February 3, 2025.  An online screening tool was also established to identify certain locations that have low VMT profiles based on regional traffic data.

 

City of Visalia  - Planning Division

 315 E. Acequia Avenue

Visalia, California 93291
Planning Hotline: (559) 713-4359

Community Development: (559) 713-4444

Fax: (559) 713-4814

 

Counter Hours:

Monday - Thursday, 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Closed Friday

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