‘We can’t ignore the data’ Could Fresno sprawl come from a potential new policy?
Plans to kick off a full-scale update to Fresno’s general plan slowed this week, but continue to advance after the City Council created a committee to study the idea, which some are afraid will cause further sprawl.
The Fresno City Council voted 6-1 on Thursday to set up a diverse committee of 17 people who will gather public input and study the potential update, which supporters say would loosen regulations and spur development.
Each councilmember will choose two members of the committee and another three will be handpicked by Mayor Lee Brand. The plan was co-sponsored by councilmembers Luis Chavez, Mike Karbassi and Miguel Arias.
“This housing crisis that we have is literally something we can build ourselves out of,” Chavez said on Thursday.
The city last adopted the General Plan in 2014, which restrained the city’s sphere of influence in an attempt to encourage infill projects over newer developments on the outskirts of the city. The southern edge of town has more space for growth, while parts of the northern border abuts the San Joaquin River.
The plan projected about 76,000 new homes could be built over the first decade.
Decrease in building permits pulled
However, since the plan’s adoption, developers from 2014 to 2018 only pulled 7,331 building permits, according to numbers from the city. Plus, the number of permits has fallen from 3,270 in 2015 to 1,337 last year.
“We can’t ignore the data,” Councilmember Garry Bredefeld said.
Several speakers from the public warned leaders to study the potential effects before jumping into development headlong. Joe White, who said he lives in a neighborhood east of downtown, said residents there meet regularly and its clear they prefer infill projects.
“Our neighborhood wants more affordable housing options close to where they already live,” he said. “They’re not looking to see it on the outskirts.”
Supporters of a general plan update argue not allowing Fresno to grow near its borders has driven developers away. They point to growth in cities like Sanger and Clovis, and to the growing community of more than 100,000 homes planned north of the San Joaquin River in Madera County.
Councilmember Nelson Esparza, whose district doesn’t touch the outer borders of the city, cast the lone vote, saying city leaders have failed to implement the city’s current general plan. So an update is premature.
“I think what we should be doing right now is doubling down on this (current general) plan instead of retreating from it,” Esparza said.
The lack of housing in Fresno, as in much of California, is a pressure that pushes rents and home prices up. Fixing that problem is going to take leaders who are willing to make unpopular decisions, according to Arias.
He said infill projects are typically significantly more expensive per unit than fresh development, which makes attracting developers difficult. Then there’s county residents who either get swallowed up by annexed land or ask the city to make their home into a county island.
“We were given a very clear and ambitious goal, but the tools were not put in place to allow us to do it effectively,” he said.
This story was originally published December 12, 2019 at 4:30 PM.
