Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Terra Bella, CA

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If approved by the City Council, the project could break ground as early as next year, city says

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Alta Housing’s 108-unit, 100% affordable housing project on Terra Bella Avenue in Mountain View gained enthusiastic and unanimous support from the Environmental Planning Commission at a Feb. 1 meeting. The Mountain View City Council is slated to hold a public hearing about the project in March and, if approved, construction could break ground as early as next year.

The site, located at 1020 Terra Bella Ave., sits directly adjacent to a Public Storage facility, which is also seeking a redevelopment. The developers of the two properties are proposing to reconfigure the lot, with Public Storage proposing to donate 0.5 acres to Alta Housing, allowing the affordable housing project to be fully buffered from Highway 101.

“The land transfer would increase the size of the affordable housing site from about 26,600 square feet to 45,000 square feet,” said city Senior Planner Edgar Maravilla at the Feb. 1 meeting, which will allow for more affordable units to be constructed on the site.

The Alta Housing project proposes a new, six-story building and a two-level parking garage. The 108 units would include 49 one-bedroom, 29 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom apartments, along with two manager units. The high proportion of two- and three- bedrooms makes the project especially family friendly, developers said.

The city’s general plan allows for 84 residential units for a parcel of this size. But because the project can increase the number of units through the State Density Bonus Law, which allows developers to build more densely in exchange for building affordable units, the project’s 108 unit proposal is compliant.

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The state law also allows qualifying projects to receive concessions that make it easier for the project to pencil out financially. In this case, the project applicants asked for one concession related to parking. The project will provide 96 total parking spaces, about 0.9 spots per unit, which is nine fewer spaces than recommended by the city’s parking study.

Mountain View residents have raised concerns in the past about dense housing projects not providing enough parking to meet the demand, potentially limiting street parking in the surrounding neighborhood. In this case, Maravilla said, “the reduced parking would result in actual cost saving for the project, and must be approved pursuant to the State Density Bonus Law.”

The parcel where Alta Housing plans to build the project is currently home to one of the city's three safe parking lots, where people living in their vehicles are allowed to stay. The Terra Bella lot can hold up to nine oversized vehicles. Some commissioners questioned what would happen to the people living there once the project removes those nine spaces.

Commission member Bill Cranston told the Voice that Alta Housing CEO Randy Tsuda assured commissioners that “they’ve talked to the city about it, and have plans for, when they get close to approval, then they’ll work with the city to transition any people that are in those safe parking areas, hopefully to one of the other sites."

The Environmental Planning Commission also supported redevelopment plans for the neighboring Public Storage site, which include replacing 18 single-story storage buildings with two, multi-story public storage buildings. One of the proposed buildings is six stories tall, and the other is four.

With more than 450 people in attendance, community members were lining up an hour before the gates opened for Sierra View Community Health Center – Terra Bella’s Jolly Jingle and Health Fair event on December 8, 2022.

“Our goal for this event was to create awareness of the services we offer at our Terra Bella Community Health Center and to bring cheer to those we serve,” said Guadalupe Vasquez, SVMC’s Health Clinic Manager. “With the turnout we had, we’re confident we accomplished this and are thankful for all who came out. We hope to continue to build relationships with the residents of Terra Bella and surrounding communities. Our hopes are to do this again next year!”

With a passport style sheet of paper in hand, event goers made their way through various booths to receive a stamp and educational resources. Those who tabled at the event included some of Sierra View Medical Center’s community partners including: Central California Family Crisis Center, Inc., Tulare County Office of Education, Porterville Area Coordinating Council, United States Postal Service, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, California Farmworker Foundation, and Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. Popcorn, cookies and refreshments were also being served.

Inside the community health center, as families waited to have their children’s picture taken with Santa, they were greeted with a cuddly teddy bear and a warm blanket. Blankets went quickly and were generously donated by the Sierra View Foundation and given out by two active members, Jackie Witzel and Brandi Holmes.

After receiving their photo, guests were ushered through the second half of the health center where screenings of glucose, hemoglobin, blood pressure and/or BMI were offered, as well as free flu shots. Those who work in the Terra Bella Community Health Center and additional SVMC staff members volunteered their time to give these services to community members during the event. A total of 140 community members walked away with screening results and 32 received their flu shots.

Outside, a warm welcome was given from SVMC President & CEO, Donna Hefner, followed by Josue Fernandez, Director of Operations, FQHC before giving the spotlight to Ballet Folklorico del Flor, from Summit Charter School. The talented group provided entertainment for guests as street style tacos with a side of rice and beans were enjoyed. As cheerful music played, adults were visiting with each other and staff in between entertainment as they enjoyed their meals, and even some of the children were playing catch with the Tulare County Sheriffs.

SVMC President and CEO, Donna Hefner reached out and personally gave accolades to all who helped put on the successful event: “The Jolly Jingle was an amazing event for our Terra Bella community. I appreciate everyone who contributed to this huge success. Your donation of your time and service went above and beyond and thank you for your commitment. It takes a village to make an event like this impactful and your teamwork made it very special.”

As far as the surrounding towns such as Lindsay to right across the street from the community health center in Terra Bella, families joined in for the holiday event that SVMC’s Terra Bella Community Health Center hopes to host again in the future. Attendees walked away with educational resources, results from various health screenings, teddy bears, warm blankets, a full stomach, smiles and even free flu shots, just in time to make their way to the much anticipated nearby Children’s Christmas Parade in Porterville. To learn more about the Terra Bella Community health Center services, visit sierra-view.com/hospital-services/terra-bella-community-health-center/.

California’s extraordinarily wet year brought the state vast quantities of water that have soaked into the ground and given a substantial boost to the state’s groundwater supplies, but not nearly enough to reverse long-term losses from over-pumping in many areas, according to a new state report.

Officials with the Department of Water Resources examined water-level measurements in thousands of wells statewide and found that from spring 2022 to spring 2023, water levels rose significantly in 34% of wells, and declined in 9%. Others saw little change.

The rise in aquifer levels in many areas represents an improvement from the rapid and widespread declines that occurred during the last three years of extreme drought. Still, state officials cautioned that California’s groundwater remains depleted by decades of overuse.

“This year, groundwater levels began to recover from the prior drought years, but only partially,” officials wrote in the semiannual report. “Above average precipitation across the state alone can’t undo the damage from years of drought. Groundwater levels, while recovering, are still lower than the period after the 2012-2016 drought.”

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The report’s authors said it will still require “several more wet years, in addition to more focused efforts to increase recharge and reduce pumping, to recover from the most recent drought and the cumulative depletion of groundwater aquifers that occurred over the years.”

The report includes data through August, and water managers said it will take more time to see the full effects of water that percolates through soil and sediment to aquifers.

“Water moves very slowly within groundwater basins, and that infiltration of surface water into the groundwater system, it does take time,” said Steven Springhorn, a supervising engineering geologist who worked on the department’s report.

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The data show more recovery has occurred in shallow layers of aquifers. In areas where much of the pumping draws on deeper aquifers, which are often tapped by agricultural wells, there has been less of a rise, Springhorn said.

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The groundwater measurements also show how conditions vary widely from one part of the state to another. Some of the largest declines in recent years have been driven by heavy agricultural pumping in the San Joaquin Valley, which has left many residents with dry wells.

The state report said that some of the largest recent extractions of groundwater have occurred in the Tulare Lake hydrologic region, in Kings and Kern counties, and that water levels declined more than5 feet in nearly a third of the area’s monitoring wells this year, a larger proportion than in any other hydrologic region. Since 2018, more than 70% of the wells in the region have declined significantly.

In contrast, more than 50% of monitoring wells increased during the same five-year period in the heavily urban South Coast region.

In farming areas of the Central Valley, water levels have been helped in some areas by a combination of natural recharge and state-supported recharge efforts. With more water available from canals, growers and agricultural districts have also been able to reduce groundwater pumping, which has helped to lessen the pressures in some areas.

Over decades, heavy pumping has drained aquifers to a point that clay layers collapse, causing portions of the valley floor to sink, and permanently reducing aquifer storage capacity. In some areas, the ground has sunk more than 30 feet. The phenomenon of land subsidence has caused damage to canals, roads and other infrastructure.

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State officials said the abundance of water during the recently ended water year — which runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 — has slowed the rate of subsidence for now. And in one part of the western San Joaquin Valley where water levels rose significantly, the ground surface also rose slightly.

In this farming area, located along the 5 Freeway in the Westlands Water District, rising water levels have caused this small “rebound,” Springhorn said. According to state data, he said, the ground level rose nearly an inch within a year after sinking about 3 inches over the last decade — an uplift that scientists describe as a recoverable “elastic” deformation of the land surface.

The long-term trend in the San Joaquin Valley, however, has been continuing subsidence across large stretches of farming areas.

State water regulators have told six local agencies in the San Joaquin Valley that their groundwater plans are inadequate, a step that clears the way for potential state intervention to force stronger measures to curb over-pumping.

The State Water Resources Control Board announced this week that the agency’s staff has recommended placing the Tulare Lake basin on probationary status, because the area’s local plan doesn’t include adequate measures to stop declines in water levels, degradation of water quality and rapid land subsidence.

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Tulare Lake was drained generations ago and transformed into cotton and tomato fields, but this year, the lake reappeared on thousands of acres of farmland.

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State officials pointed out that parts of Tulare Lake have sunk up to 6 feet since 2015, which has sent floodwaters into areas that emerged unscathed in previous floods. To deal with the subsidence and reduce risks, local flood control districts have had to raise the levees that protect the city of Corcoran.

“We recognize that we should start where problems are most urgent and solutions appear to be further away,” said Natalie Stork, supervising engineering geologist for the State Water Board. “We are very concerned about potential impacts … that could occur due to continued lowering of water levels, subsidence, water quality degradation.”

The State Water Board’s staff analyzed local agencies’ groundwater plan and found it would allow declines in water levels that could leave 700 household wells dry.

Stork said the reappearance of Tulare Lake doesn’t fix groundwater issues in the area.

“The lake bed contains clays that prevent water from moving into aquifers below the ground, and the water quality is not ideal for uses like drinking water,” Stork said.

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The board scheduled an April 16 hearing to consider whether to place the basin and its five local groundwater management agencies on probationary status. If the board decides to put the area on probation, most well owners would be required to start reporting their water usage and start paying pumping fees, among other requirements.

The action is the state’s latest step in implementing the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which requires local agencies to develop plans and curb over-pumping by 2040 in many areas.

Farms in the Central Valley have long depended on groundwater to produce crops such as almonds and grapes.

Despite this year’s historic snowpack and record rainfall in parts of the state, California has received much less precipitation since 2000 than the 20th century average.

State water officials describe this as the “accumulated precipitation deficit,” reflecting repeated droughts alongside the effects of climate change.

“As California transitions to a warmer and drier climate, this scenario of persistent groundwater depletion becomes increasingly likely, further emphasizing the importance of sustainable groundwater management,” state officials wrote in the report.

In wet years, groundwater typically accounts for 30% to 40% of the state’s water use, but in dry years, that often grows to about 60% of water usage.

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The increased pumping during droughts has led to especially large drawdowns. According to state data, about 1,500 dry household wells were reported during the severe drought last year.

This year, more than 400 dry wells have been reported, many of them in farming areas of the Central Valley.

The wet weather also affected the drilling of new wells. According to the report, fewer new wells were drilled in 2023 than in any year since 2014.

The latest data underline the importance of continued efforts to manage groundwater, Springhorn said.

“Sometimes it’s out of sight, out of mind,” Springhorn said, “but it’s so critical for the state’s overall water resiliency.”

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Four years ago on April 14, 2017, Planet officially acquired Terra Bella from Google and integrated their stellar team and high-resolution SkySat constellation into our team and business. The agreement between Planet and Google was more than just an acquisition, it was a partnership that included a significant investment in Planet by Google by way of a strategic data deal, where Planet agreed to provide SkySat images back to Google. What a ride it has been since then! At the time of the close, Terra Bella had seven SkySats in-orbit, capturing sub-meter data. After a total of eight launches, there are now 21 SkySats in operation, providing unmatched revisit capabilities across the globe.

Today, we’re sharing some highlights to celebrate our anniversary, and the incredible work this team has done over the past four years.

Since the first launch in 2013 all 21 SkySats combined have:

Just this past year, our SkySat Mission Operations Team completed:

And who doesn’t love to look at stunning satellite imagery? Here are a few captures that have stood out to us over the years:

Morning sunlight highlights individual livestock near the Lactear Dairy in Córdoba, Argentina. © 2021, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

False-color (near infrared, red, and green) light helps highlight the path of the molten lava at Fagradalsfjall Volcano. © 2021, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Spin Buldak, a town in Afghanistan. © 2018, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Grasberg mine is the largest gold mine and the second-largest copper mine in the world. It is located in the province of Papua in Indonesia near Puncak Jaya, the highest mountain in Indonesia. © 2017, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Oblique view of the Kincade Fire that burned in Sonoma County, California. © 2019, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Lithium mine in Salar de Olaroz, Argentina. © 2017, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Oblique view of the Hoover Dam in Nevada. © 2018, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Burrup, Australia. © 2020, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Four years in, many accomplishments to celebrate, and we’re just getting started. To learn more about our SkySat fleet and how the constellation can provide meaningful insights into your work, click here.

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

(KTXL) — Those looking to head north or south through California have two main highways to choose from, Interstate 5 or California State Route 99, but there could have been a third.

As I-5 serves the west side of the Central Valley and CA-99 serves the heart of the Central Valley, California State Route 65 was destined to serve those communities along the east side of the Central Valley and the foothills.

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The 300-mile freeway was envisioned to traverse 300 miles along the eastern central valley from Bakersfield to Olivehurst.

What we have today is 95 completed miles of a disjointed highway that varies between a four-lane highway down to a two-lane country road.

From Oildale to Exeter

Construction on the project began in 1964 in Kern County, as a northeast junction with CA-99, just north of the Meadows Field Airport, near Oildale.

The Eastside Freeway, as it was known, would continue northeast towards Terra Bella, Porterville, Strathmore, Lindsay and finally ending in Exeter.

This 65 miles of completed roadway is the longest completed section of the proposed CA-65. The roadway continues a bit past Exeter, before ending at a junction with SR-198.

From Roseville to Olivehurst

The sole northern portion of CA-65 is a 30-mile run from Roseville, over Taylor Road, north to Olivehurst, before it becomes SR-70.

Initially, no construction was done on this portion of the roadway as it was renumbered in 1964 from CA-99E to CA-65.

The original route would make its way through to central portions of Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln before the Roseville Bypass project was approved in 1984 to move the route to its current location.

By that time though it had been a decade since the state had terminated any future development of CA-65.

It would not be until the 2010s that the City of Lincoln would open its own bypass with the completion of the first phase of the Lincoln Bypass in October 2012.

These two bypasses would turn SR-65 into a four-lane highway from Roseville to Lincoln before it returns to a two-lane highway north of West Wise Road.

The roadway remains a two-lane highway before expanding back to four lanes, south of South Beale Road, and continues on in this way before its merge with SR-70 near Olivehurst.

Construction Halted and Unserved Communities

Construction was slow in the first years of the Eastside Freeway project and the simultaneous construction of I-5, the Westside Freeway, and improvements to SR-99, would continue to push back progress on CA-65.

As California began to slow down on nonessential roadway projects, future development of CA-65 halted in the mid-1970s.

With more than 200 miles of proposed roadway uncompleted, several communities along the foothills and eastern Central Valley were left without nearby access to a main north-south freeway.

Some of those communities included Ivanhoe, Reedley, Sanger, Waterford and Oakdale.

The communities of Oakdale and Reedly, each with populations over 20,000 people, must now commute 20 to 30 minutes to get access to the nearest on-ramp onto CA-99.

For now, there have been no major announcements from counties or cities impacted by the lack of a major north-south highway to connect the two completed sections of SR-65.

Over the last decade or so, CA-65 has been rerouted and improved between Roseville and Lincoln to accommodate the large increase in population.

Several more projects are on the table for CA-65 in Placer County, but funding and planning are still in the process.