Community Planning
The Tulare County General Plan is the long-term framework that guides land use, growth, and development throughout the county’s unincorporated communities. In August 2025, the Tulare County Board of Supervisors adopted the General Plan 2030 Update, establishing a comprehensive vision for future development, infrastructure, economic opportunity, and community well-being.
Community plans build upon this broader countywide framework by focusing on the unique needs, priorities, history, and character of individual communities. These localized plans help guide decisions related to housing, transportation, economic development, public spaces, and neighborhood identity in ways that reflect the values and long-term vision of residents.
In 2019, the community of Allensworth began the process of updating the Allensworth Community Plan (ACP). After five years of community collaboration and planning efforts, the updated ACP was adopted by the Tulare County Board of Supervisors on March 31, 2026, and incorporated into the County’s General Plan. Today, the ACP serves as a roadmap for implementing the community’s vision for Allensworth’s future.
The Allensworth Community Plan (ACP)
The Allensworth Community Plan (ACP) builds on this countywide framework by creating a specific vision for Allensworth’s future. The ACP is a blueprint that supports growth while preserving the community’s cultural, ecological, and social strengths. It provides detailed goals, objectives, and strategies to guide future development and land-use decisions in a way that supports safety, economic opportunity, and community well-being.
What does this mean for the community?
For residents interested in improving pedestrian safety near schools and parks, the plan may recommend adding sidewalks, crosswalks, and street lighting along key routes to make it safer for children and families to walk or bike. For residents, this means safer daily travel, better access to community spaces, and a stronger sense of connection within the neighborhood. For planners and developers, the ACP serves as a long-term blueprint for growth that protects Allensworth’s character while meeting community needs.
Timeline
March 31, 2026
During the Tulare County Planning Commission Meeting the plan was approved with a 5-0 vote in support of the project.
“We are building a 21st century version of Colonel Allensworth’s original vision”
-Tekoah Kadara
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Allensworth community and staff have been the driving force behind the ACP plan with the help of consultants who have translated residents’ stories, needs, and priorities into a living document. The leading consultant is Dr. Alison Hirsch, Director of Landscape Architecture and Urbanism at the University of Southern California, who authored the Community Plan, and initial cultural assets mapping, with leadership and partnership from Aaron Bock and Emily Gage of the Tulare County Resource Management Agency.
Several other organizations within APA are also included in the plan, particularly the Community Services District. The Community Services District plays a key role in managing and improving water services for the community, helping to ensure reliable access to clean water and supporting infrastructure projects identified in the ACP.
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In 2017, Tulare County developed a Hamlet Plan to reflect Allensworth’s priorities. A hamlet plan is designed for very small communities and typically focuses on short-term, small-scale needs such as basic land use guidance and local improvements. Since then, the community has made meaningful progress and its needs have become more complex. This highlights the need for a more comprehensive planning framework one that can support long-term growth, increase infrastructure funding, and better prepare the town for the impacts of climate change. A Community Plan is a better fit because it is broader in scope, supports larger infrastructure investments, addresses long-term development, and reflects the community’s identity and goals more fully. While Allensworth remains officially designated as a Hamlet under the 2012 Tulare County General Plan (2030), the updated document has been renamed the Allensworth Community Plan (ACP). The new name reflects a stronger sense of place, a renewed commitment to long-term planning, and a more complete alignment with the town’s founding vision and future goals.
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The Tulare county planning commission voted 5-0 in support of the plan. Their approval means it now moves to the Tulare County board of supervisors for final approval. Once it is approved the real work begins, implementation, design review, and brining the vision to life.
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The Allensworth Community Plan process began in 2020. Over the past six years, the planning effort has included ongoing outreach and collaboration. At every stage, community members’ voices, ideas, and priorities have shaped the Plan’s development. Community input was gathered through the following events and methods:
Community Events & Outreach
Town halls
Cafecitos
Fall Festivals
Asset Mapping
Additional Outreach
Mailers
Surveys
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Yes. Unlike the General Plan, which is updated only every 10+ years, this Plan is designed to be a living document. It outlines recommended goals, objectives, and implementation strategies that are not fixed but intended to remain flexible. As projects progress and community needs change or as new opportunities and challenges arise the Plan can be adjusted and refined to stay relevant and effective.
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Archive of Town Hall Material
