Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS YOKOHL RANCH?
The J.G. Boswell Company (operating as the Yokohl Ranch Co. LLC, out of San Diego), wants to turn over 36,000 acres of Yokohl Valley into a new city of 30,000 people, living in 10,000-houses, with three golf courses, a 550,000 square foot commercial center, a resort and private recreation facility up Horse Creek, a new dam to create a water storage facility (with the water to be pumped over from the Kaweah River), a wastewater treatment plant, many new roads (including one coming down the Horse Creek canyon to Highway 198 at Lake Kaweah), a new utility line corridor running from Lindsay, and some public service facilities (e.g., police and fire substations, a school, etc.).
WHY DOES THIS AFFECT ME?
The proposal to build a new town of 30,000 people on what is virtually undeveloped ranch land affects everybody in Tulare County. Preliminary environmental impact studies prepared for the Yokohl Ranch project list 73 potentially significant impacts to our air, water, wildlife, agricultural land, and cultural heritage. Development of this proposed new town will impact water supply, air quality, traffic, schools, and police and fire services. The proposed development will affect not only everyone who walks, bikes, or drives through Yokohl Valley, but also those in nearby communities, as the new town could attract investment dollars and businesses away from our existing towns.
DON’T WE NEED YOKOHL RANCH TO HOUSE TULARE COUNTY’S GROWING POPULATION? WON’T IT RELIEVE DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE ON PRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND?
No! Tulare County can easily accommodate all the growth projected over the next several decades within the existing development boundaries of its current cities, communities, and hamlets. A study prepared by Tulare County’s consultants found that a population increase of over 950,000 people – considerably more than we’re expecting within the next 20 years – can be housed within our existing development boundaries without increases in density.
Yokohl Ranch is not being designed to meet Tulare County’s housing needs, but to be marketed to buyers from outside areas looking for relative bargains in high-end housing. Thus, it would not “save” farmland on the valley floor from development. The key to meeting Tulare County’s housing needs, preserving valley floor agricultural lands, improving our air quality, diversifying and strengthening our economy, managing our water supply and quality, and maintaining our open space is to promote cost-effective, resource-efficient development located where jobs, infrastructure, transportation, and services already exist. This is a much healthier alternative to rural sprawl and the destruction of our air-, water-, and viewsheds and our foothill agricultural and tourism economy.
WHAT ABOUT PROPERTY RIGHTS? SHOULDN’T BOSWELL BE ABLE TO DO WHATEVER HE WANTS TO WITH HIS LAND?
In California, for many decades, zoning has been a primary factor in protecting property rights and property values. Yokohl is zoned for foothill agriculture (such as grazing). Your property values and quality of life are protected by zoning, which keeps your neighbor from pursuing incompatible land uses next to your property (e.g., I can’t turn my residential-zoned property into a casino, a gravel pit, or a hazardous-waste disposal site next door to your residence). Zoning lets us know what to expect and enables us to plan effectively, by directing various land uses to designated appropriate locations. If Boswell wants to build houses in Tulare County, he should do so on land zoned for residential development, and already supported by nearby jobs, transportation, services, and infrastructure.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?
- Stay informed! This issue is frequently covered in the Valley Voice and Visalia Times Delta.
- Contact your elected officials to let them know you oppose revising current zoning laws to permit development of new towns like Yokohl Ranch. Even large new residential suvdivisions outside of the boundaries of our existing cities and towns are wrong. It’s never the “wrong” time to contact your Supervisor or Assembly person and let them know you oppose the construction of new towns in Tulare County.
- Attend public hearings, and speak up on these key issues!