‘Unprecedented’ agreement paves way for Amazon neighbors, Fresno industry to coexist
The Fresno City Council unanimously approved Thursday an “unprecedented” settlement agreement that establishes a community benefit fund for residents facing increased traffic, noise, light and air pollution from the construction of a second Amazon fulfillment center.
The new warehouse will be the third large fulfillment center in an area called the “reverse” or “industrial” triangle of Fresno, where one Amazon warehouse and an Ulta Beauty warehouse already exist. The area is home to Orange Center Elementary School and about 100 homes. The census tract remains the most pollution-burdened in the state under the new draft version of the CalEnviroScreen.
The agreement came after hundreds of hours of negotiations between city leaders, the developer and environmental justice attorneys representing the residents in the area.
It was lauded by city leaders as an example for future projects, but an attorney and advocate with Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability said the agreement is “just the tip of the iceberg” of much-needed future land use planning.
“We must continue to do this hard work and to turn our attention to the bigger challenges that need to be resolved through the South Central Specific Plan and completing the environmental justice element of the General Plan,” said Ivanka Saunders, a policy advocate with Leadership Counsel. “If we can work on those, then these individual arguments and fights and all this hard work that we’ve just done on this one project won’t have to be so arduous.”
Councilmember Miguel Arias, who represents the area where the warehouse will be built and helped negotiate the deal, said the agreement addresses the environmental impacts residents have raised for years.
“The settlement before us begins to systematically address what should have happened years ago,” he said before the vote. “This agreement will further provide evidence that we can create quality jobs that do not harm a neighborhood and do no require millions in taxpayer subsidies.”
Arias also apologized to residents on behalf of the City Council.
“I do want to sincerely apologize to the neighbors that are technically county residents, but they’re our city neighbors, and thank them for their hard work,” he said. “It shouldn’t have taken this long to have their voices and concerns addressed, but I appreciate the fact that they have been patient and persistent on addressing the impacts that industry has created. We, as a city, will be better off as we rebuild a precedent for everyone.”
 "amazon-ulta map (2)")
The Parnagian family’s project
The Parnagian family, known for the Fowler Packing ag company, has a development company called G4 Enterprises that will build a 470,000-square-foot warehouse that will operate 24/7, year-round adjacent to the current Amazon facility.
The city’s director of planning and development quietly approved in December changes to the development permit for the new project with no public input and little additional environmental review. The changes included adding a number of truck docks to the original permit approved years ago.
The permit was scheduled to be heard by the Fresno Planning Commission when Leadership Counsel submitted a lengthy comment letter and appeal on behalf of the resident group, called South Fresno Community Alliance.
Leland Parnagian said the family business decided to work with Leadership Counsel on the agreement rather than fight the appeal.
While Parnagian declined to identify the future tenant, sources told The Bee it’s Amazon. Parnagian said once the lease agreement is finalized there will be an announcement.
The Bee emailed Amazon for confirmation and comment but did not receive a response.
Parnagian called the agreement “unprecedented” during the meeting and thanked those involved in the negotiations.
“I think these negotiations and the resulting settlement demonstrate and prove that all stakeholders can come together and resolve these really complex challenges of industrial development in this area,” he said. “I’m hopeful that these efforts will carry forward to other projects, as well as the South Central Specific Plan that we hope to be working on soon. We’re committed as a family to continue to invest in Fresno, and we look forward to working with the city and the community in the coming months and years.”
He said the negotiations helped all parties build trust that will be needed moving forward with the South Central Specific Plan.
“Until we work through the broader issues that affect this area in an all-encompassing plan, it will be difficult to continue to develop out that area,” Parnagian said.
Settlement agreement
The settlement agreement binds the resident group, South Fresno Community Alliance, and Leadership Counsel, the nonprofit environmental justice group representing residents, from suing the city over the project, and it requires the group to abandon its appeal of the project. Under the agreement, the city and developer will pay no attorney fees to Leadership Counsel.
According to the agreement, the city of Fresno will facilitate $300,000 paid by the developer for improvements and installations to offset light, traffic, air and noise pollution to residents’ homes. No city money will be used.
The agreement also calls for the city to find funding and extend city water and sewer services to residents’ homes through federal, state and local programs.
Under the agreement, residents would receive air filtration and filter systems in their homes.
It also includes a number of measures to study traffic patterns and take steps to protect pedestrian safety, such as installing traffic control signs, enforcing truck parking restrictions and potentially requiring trucks to use alternate routes. It calls on the city and county to work together on a pedestrian and cyclist safety plan with the help of residents and to seek funding to make the plan a reality.
City staff must analyze policies and programs for new development to find ways to promote and incentive hiring residents who live near the project.
Now that the agreement is in place, Mayor Jerry Dyer said the city will complete an environmental review of the area for future projects as well as work on the South Central Specific plan.
“This agreement will allow us to add hundreds of much needed jobs in our community while respecting the surrounding neighborhoods,” Dyer said in a statement to The Bee. “Job growth and economic prosperity will continue to be a top priority for my administration as we create shared opportunities for those living in disadvantaged areas with high rates of unemployment.”
This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 6:31 PM.