Fresno council candidates share downtown views

Published online on Thursday, Apr. 10, 2008

Candidates for Fresno City Council agree downtown needs more housing and parking to attract crowds back to the area. They disagree about ways to achieve those goals.

Six of seven candidates running for council in the June 3 election discussed their views at a forum Wednesday night dedicated to downtown issues.

Council Member Larry Westerlund, who's running for re-election in District 4, said he didn't attend because he had a campaign fundraiser Wednesday night, an event that had been scheduled for some time.

Candidates provided short responses to a series of questions and were asked not to attack opponents, such as in a debate. They stuck to the format with one exception -- Susan Good criticized her opponent, Westerlund, for not attending the forum.

About 50 people attended the forum, or less than a third of the turnout for the mayoral forum hosted by the same groups last week. Organizers said the mayor's race has attracted more interest, as indicated by the 11 candidates in the running, compared with seven candidates competing in three City Council races.

Candidates, including Andreas Borgeas and Michael Karbassi running in District 2, said housing was the most important step toward revitalizing downtown. More housing would bring an established base of people, and thus attract retail and other development to the area.

But one of the most anticipated downtown projects, by Forest City Enterprises, was the source of some disagreement. The proposed South Stadium redevelopment project would build residential and commercial buildings on 85 acres.

Some candidates, including Matt White, who is running in District 6, said they would seriously consider investing public money in the project. Forest City has said it needs up to $100 million in public funds for the project.

But some candidates said that was too much money. And attorney Michelle Jorgensen, who's running in council District 6, said the developer has already taken five years to get started, far too long. The city needs to back other projects, she said.

Businessman Lee Brand, also running in District 6, said, however, that complicated projects like Forest City take a long time to complete.

City officials have said they might need to use eminent domain to obtain property for the Forest City project. But some candidates for City Council said they wouldn't support the use of condemnation powers for the project. Good, district director for state Sen. Dean Florez, said she wouldn't support eminent domain for any project to benefit a private developer.

Candidates agreed on the need for parking and more signs downtown.

"We all know where City Hall is because it's such an unusual building," Good said. "But that isn't true of other buildings."

The forum was hosted by the Downtown Association of Fresno, Fresno's Leading Young Professionals, Creative Fresno, the Fresno Arts Council, Fresno Coalition for Arts, Science and History, Chinatown Revitalization Inc. and Fresno Fusion.