Campus Pointe developer requests a half-million dollar refund for newest housing fees

Campus Pointe — the largest public-private project in the California State University system — unveiled a 142-unit apartment complex for adults 55 and older Wednesday as the project’s developer presses for a refund from the City of Fresno of about a half-million dollars in fees.

Maravillosa is the fourth phase of a “mixed-use, intergenerational community” on a 45-acre plot on the edge of Fresno State’s campus built as part of a partnership between the university and developer Kashian Enterprises, according to a Maravillosa news release.

Campus Pointe is already the home to a 983-unit student housing and a 144-unit workforce housing apartment complex, as well as a movie theater and restaurants.

“This is exactly the vision that we have for the entire state of California,” state Sen. Anna Caballero said of the mixed-use project. “The more that we can build infill projects, the more we can reduce greenhouse gases, the more we can get people out of their cars and into walking.”

Tyler Maxwell, Fresno City Council District 4 councilmember who sponsored the refund request, said the item was mistakenly put on Thursday’s council meeting agenda.

The item calls on the council to vote on whether or not to refund $517,022 to Kashian Enterprises for some of the developer fees paid in November 2020 for the Maravillosa project. The developer agreed to pay the fees as part of a 2007 settlement after the City of Fresno sued him over whether a university-affiliated project should be subject to city rules and ordinances.

According to the council agenda item, Kashian Enterprises has paid roughly $68,728 in police facility impact fees and $448,294 in park facility impact fees. However, the developer claims that because the project is under the jurisdiction of Fresno State Campus Police and because residents of Maravillosa have access to parks on Fresno State’s campus, the city should refund the fees.

Five affirmative votes are required to reverse the fees.

Fresno does not have a policy established to determine what types of projects are eligible for impact fee refunds. Some types of developments, if located in a disadvantaged neighborhood, or in an industrial business park, are eligible for impact fee waivers under city policy.

Kashian Enterprises also sued the California State University Fresno Association in August after being denied permission to build a convenience store with gas pumps.

Campus Pointe applauded for public-private partnership

Roughly 100 people attended the Maravillosa ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday, including state Sens. Andreas Borgeas, R-Fresno, and Caballero, D-Salinas, California Treasurer Fiona Ma and Assemblymember Jim Patterson, R-Fresno.

“Campus Pointe, the partnership with Fresno State, is getting attention and appreciation from a lot of my colleagues in Sacramento,” Patterson said. “You are leading something that others are looking at.”

He also referred to the project as “one of the very best public-private partnerships.”

Maravillosa offers studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.

According to GSF Property Management, the three-story complex has started pre-leasing for January 2022. All apartments will be market rate, ranging from $1,776 to $2,260 per month.

“We need more housing here in the city of Fresno,” said Maxwell during the ribbon-cutting event for the new apartments. “The growing demands require that we meet the housing needs of our community for all age groups.”

This story was originally published December 1, 2021 at 7:18 PM.