Chapter 17.06 — ZONE CLASSIFICATIONS

Article 2 — Overlay Zones

Visalia Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · ingested 2026-07-07 · Visalia

17.06.060 Designated housing element sites (HE) overlay.

A. Purpose. The purpose of the designated housing element sites (HE) overlay district is to establish the maximum density requirements and ministerial review rights for certain properties that are designated for lower income housing pursuant to California Housing Law as part of the city's housing element, consistent with Government Code § 65583.2(c), (h), and (i).

  • B. Designation of HE Overlay Sites. The HE overlay is applied to the following parcels.
  1. The following parcels have been identified in the 2007-2014, 2015-2023, and/or 2023-2031 housing elements as potential sites for lower income housing:
Map ID Location Site Address APN Zoning
Designation		 Acres
Map ID Location Site Address APN Zoning
Designation		 Acres
Lower Income Household sites identified on current & past versions of Site Inventories (Program 1.1)
104 S Demaree St, West side S of
Noble Ave		 087090035 R-M-3 1.35
106 S Santa Fe St & E Paradise Ave,
SWC		 097272032 R-M-3 1.46
111 E Goshen Ave & Virmargo St,
SEC		 2505 E Goshen Ave 098060027 R-M-3 0.50
112 Goshen Ave & Virmargo St,
SEC		 2541 E Goshen Ave 098060038 R-M-3 1.00
113 Goshen Ave & Virmargo St,
SEC		 098060043 R-M-3 3.15
114 Goshen Ave & Virmargo St,
SEC		 2603 E Goshen Ave 098340042 R-M-3 9.68
115 E Tulare Ave & S Ben Maddox
Way, SWC		 100390001 R-M-3 4.62
116 E Tulare Ave & S Ben Maddox
Way, SEC		 1641 E Tulare Ave 100390002 R-M-3 3.81
132 N Santa Fe & E Grove Ave 094110013 CMU 2.00
--- --- --- --- --- ---
133 500 E Race Ave 094100037 CMU 1.4
145 535 N Burke St 094250015 CMU 0.84
154 730 E Mineral King Ave 094222029 CMU 3.42
155 700 E Mineral King Ave Unit A 094222030 CMU 1.09
156 715 1/2 E Acequia Ave Unit A 094222019 CMU 1.14
157 721 E Acequia Ave 094222018 CMU 1.31
158 815 E Acequia Ave 094222006 CMU 0.65
159 940 E Main St 094201019 CMU 0.68
160 1040 E Main St 094201026 CMU 0.73
161 620 E Center Ave 094240029 CMU 0.86
  1. The following parcels have been identified within annexation sites as potential sites for lower income housing:
Map ID Location Entitlement APN Zoning Designation Acres
Lower Income Household sites identified o n portions of Annexation Sites (Program 1.7)
2 N Demaree St & W River
Way Ave, NW Corner		 Crandell / Belissa 077050018 R-M-3 43.19
5 N Shirk St & W Riggin
Ave, NE Corner		 Carleton Acres 077100108 R-M-3 156.00

C. Allowed Uses.

  1. Permitted uses. Permitted uses on HE overlay sites are as indicated in the corresponding zone classification sections of the properties. (Visalia Municipal Code Sections 17.16.020 and 17.16.040 for the R-M-3 zoned properties and Visalia Municipal Code Section 17.25.030 for the C-MU and O-MU zoned properties).

  2. By-Right Approval for Lower Income Residential Projects. Development projects on properties in the HE overlay and zoned R-M-3, C-MU, or O-MU zone classification that provide twenty (20) percent or more of the units affordable to lower-income households shall only be subject to a site plan review permit under Visalia Municipal Code Section 17.28.040. The site plan review staff shall declare their intention to allow the project to proceed upon making a finding that the project complies with Visalia Municipal Code Section 17.28.040B. and complies with all applicable objective provisions of the zoning ordinance, municipal code, general plan, and any applicable specific plans or city regulations/ standards. No conditional use permit, as described in Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 17.38, shall be required.

  • D. Development Standards.

  1. The development standards for the properties in the HE overlay are as indicated in the corresponding zone classification chapters of the properties. (Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 17.16 for the R-M-3 zoned properties and Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 17.19 for the C-MU and O-MU zoned properties).

  2. For sites listed in Subsection B.1. of this section as having been on one or more previous housing elements as potential sites for lower income housing, the use shall be allowed by-right (without discretionary approval) when twenty

(20) percent or more of the units in the corresponding zone are made affordable to lower income households.

  1. For sites listed in Subsection B.2. of this section as completing annexation during the 2023-2031 housing element cycle, owner-occupied and rental multi-family uses shall be allowed by-right (without discretionary approval) when twenty (20) percent or more of the units in the corresponding zone are made affordable to lower income households, allow for at least twenty (20) dwelling units per acre, at least sixteen (16) dwelling units per site, require a minimum

density of twenty (20) units per acre and up to one hundred (100) percent residential floor area in mixed use zones and require that residential uses occupy at least fifty (50) percent of the total floor area of a mixed use project.

  1. In no case shall the development standards, including those for height or lot coverage, allow for less than twenty (20) dwelling units per acre on the properties designated HE overlay when proposed for housing development with twenty (20) percent or more of the units affordable to lower income households. (Ord. 2024-17 (part), 2025)

17.06.070 Large housing element sites (HE) affordable housing overlay.

A. Purpose. The purpose of the large housing element sites (HE) affordable housing overlay district is to establish a waiver of the tentative parcel map and the associated hearing requirements before the city planning commission for certain properties that are in excess of ten (10) acres in size and are listed on the regional housing needs allocation sites inventory of the city’s housing element with a designation for moderate or lower income housing pursuant to California Housing Law or having a zone designation of R-M-2 or R-M-3.

B. Designation of HE Affordable Housing Overlay Sites. The HE affordable housing overlay is applied to the following parcels, as identified in the Year 2023-2031 (6th Cycle) housing element as potential sites for lower income housing.

Sites larger than 10 acres with Lower and Moderate Income Capacity and R-M-2 / R-M-3 Zoning

Map ID Location APN Zoning Acres
Map ID Location APN Zoning Acres
44 Riverway Ave & Linwood St 077-060-024 R-1-5, R-M-2 72.49
51 Lovers Lane & Packwood Creek 101-050-041 O-PA, QP, R-1-5, R-M-2 35.06
70 E Houston Ave & N Irma St 098-050-005 QP, R-M-2 11.01
76 2639 E Noble Ave 100-080-003 C-MU, R-M-2 13.45
77 Ivanhoe Dr & Comstock St 103-020-068 R-1-5, R-M-2 12.10
97 Visalia Pkwy & Woodland St 121-440-002 QP, R-M-2, R-M-3 23.02
100 Cameron Ave & Vintage St 122-340-002 C-R 18.63
107 1818 E Goshen Ave 098-050-002 C-N, R-M-2, R-M-3 11.36
108 E Douglas Ave & N O’Malley St 098-050-003 R-M-2, R-M-3 11.35
116 1641 E Tulare Ave 100-390-002 R-1-5, R-M-3 10.16
118 E Caldwell Ave & S Santa Fe St 123-220-044 C-MU, R-M-3 12.38
123 Cameron & Stonebrook 122-340-001 R-M-3 10.43
125 Riggin & Roeben 077-100-100 R-M-3 29.31

C. Ministerial Approval of Parcel Map.

  1. Ministerial approval. A parcel map is eligible for ministerial review if the parcel is for any parcel in the HE affordable housing overlay or for any portion of a parcel in the HE affordable housing overlay that was previously subdivided and the parcel meets the performance standards under Subsection B. of Section 17.06.070. No tentative parcel map shall be required.

  2. Advisory agency. For parcels maps that are ministerially reviewed under this article, the site plan review staff shall be the advisory agency referred to in Article 2 of the Subdivision Map Act that is charged with the duty of making investigations and reports on the design and improvement of proposed divisions of land. The city planner and city engineer shall make a finding in support of approval of a parcel map that the proposed map is consistent with the Municipal Code, the Map Act, and other applicable law with respect to parcel size, zoning, and density.

  3. Review by site plan review staff. Review of parcel maps under this article shall include ministerial review by the site plan review staff in accordance with Subsection B. of Section 16.28.030.

  4. Final parcel map. Once the site plan review staff declares their intention to allow the project to proceed to filing of a final parcel map, the applicant shall proceed with filing a final parcel map in accordance with Section 16.28.120. D. Development Standards. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the site plan review staff shall ministerially approve a parcel map only if it determines that the parcel map meets all the following requirements.

  5. The parcel map subdivides an existing parcel to create no more than four (4) new parcels.

  6. All newly created parcels are no smaller than one-half (0.5) acre and no larger than ten (10) acres. (Ord. 2025-15 (part), 2025)