Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 10

28 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 10 accommodate these changing population and employment trends.” These products cater to all income sectors, from entry-level to high-end units, creating a diversified portfolio across the major housing markets. “There’s something for everyone being constructed right now,” Hamilton insists. Chowchilla has also implemented a more holistic mapping adapted for the patterns of mixed uses and incomes that a successful 21st- century city requires. “Our 2018 zoning code update actually allowed for a really diversified downtown,” says Hamilton. “There are options for new residential apartments in our downtown if someone wants to build them. There’s also a lot of vacant land, as well as vacant storefronts, that are currently being repurposed for future commercial ventures. One section that’s especially nice covers two or three blocks of downtown Chowchilla. It’s been repurposed and recreated in many ways, and that’s brought with it a new energy and uplift for our residents. It’s spread a lot of positive vibes throughout our community. One block in particular has become a trendy area, with a lot of boutique and niche shops that are really fun to browse.” It’s an encouraging sign to see the downtown coming into its own, as a place around which people can live, work, play, raise families, and put down long-term roots. “I moved my own business to Chowchilla about 10 years ago,” offers Mayor Diana Palmer. “The city is very welcoming, and the amenities that we have in the way of small businesses are very valuable to the community. My business has grown and thrived in the small- town environment because the residents are very supportive of local businesses, just as those businesses are very supportive of local causes like Little League. It’s very reciprocal. Everyone in Chowchilla supports one another like a family.” With feelings of pride and loyalty towards its community members, what the City of Mayor, Diana Palmer