Important Project Status Update

The City of Shafter is temporarily pausing work on the General Plan Update while the City determines how to proceed with land use and circulation planning, considering recent developments related to the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA).

Why Are We Pausing?

At the October 27, 2025 City Council meeting, the Council unanimously voted to reject proposed changes to the 2018 High-Speed Rail settlement agreement and requested that CHSRA work with the City and property owners to reroute the alignment around the city’s core, if possible, but will accept what was negotiated in the 2018 settlement agreement if a rerouting of the alignment is not feasible. This decision came after overwhelming community opposition to proposed changes that would introduce overpasses and underpasses at several rail intersections instead of elevating rail lines over the city’s existing roadway network.

Watch the October 27, 2025 City Council meeting

The work on the General Plan update, including establishing Shafter’s future land use pattern, transportation network, and circulation system, should be conducted with consideration of how the High-Speed Rail alignment and over/under passes will ultimately be configured. The City has determined it is appropriate to pause General Plan work while these infrastructure questions are being addressed.

What Work Will Continue?

Housing Element Rezoning Implementation will move forward as planned. The project team will continue processing rezonings required to implement the City's adopted Housing Element. This work is subject to a statutory deadline and must be completed prior to April 2027 or the City will face potential penalties related to having a non-compliant Housing Element. This is a state-mandated obligation that cannot be delayed.

What Does This Mean for the General Plan?

The remainder of the General Plan Update work, including finalizing land use alternatives, circulation planning, and environmental review, will resume as the City works through the uncertainty around the impact of the High-Speed Rail project on the community.

We appreciate all the community input and the time community members have invested in this process so far. The City is committed to developing a General Plan that reflects the community's desires for the future and responds appropriately to infrastructure planning considerations.

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October 2025 Project Updates

While we work through High-Speed Rail-related issues, we also wanted to share project updates from October:

Recent Progress

The City of Shafter made significant progress on the General Plan Update through October 2025. The project team worked with the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) and Environmental Justice Working Group (EJWG) to develop and review land use and circulation concepts that will shape how our community grows over the coming decades. This important work was built on extensive community input gathered over the past year and responded to demographic trends, market conditions, and state requirements.

While this work has been paused to ensure the General Plan appropriately considers implications of the High Speed Rail project, we will continue to build on the work we have done to implement the Housing Element, and we will pick up from here as we re-initiate our land use and circulation planning work.

Recent Meetings & Community Engagement

GPAC Meeting #3 (September 23, 2025)
The General Plan Advisory Committee continued reviewing land use alternatives and providing input on growth scenarios.

>>Visit the GPAC page to see meeting materials and more

EJWG Meeting #1 (October 2, 2025)
The Environmental Justice Working Group began focused discussions on ensuring equitable outcomes in the General Plan Update.

>>Visit the EJWG Meeting #1 page to see the discussion summary and meeting materials

GPAC Meeting #4 (October 20, 2025)
The committee discussed land use strategies and circulation alternatives, exploring different options for:

• How and where Shafter should grow
• Regional roadway connections that serve residents and businesses while minimizing negative impacts
• Balancing state law, industrial growth, agricultural preservation, and residential development to minimize conflicts

>>Visit the GPAC page to see meeting materials and more

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Looking Ahead

The City will continue to monitor developments related to the High-Speed Rail alignment and will provide updates as new information becomes available. We remain committed to creating a General Plan that reflects community priorities while addressing state requirements and infrastructure planning considerations.

Stay Connected

We will resume broader public engagement activities once General Plan work resumes. In the meantime:

• Housing Element Implementation: Community members with questions about rezoning proposals related to Housing Element implementation can contact the Planning Department
• Project Updates: Check planshafter.com for the latest information
• Questions or Comments: Email us at myinput@planshafter.com

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Thank you for your continued engagement in shaping Shafter's future. Your participation in this process is invaluable, and we look forward to resuming our work together as infrastructure planning considerations are addressed.