100 years later, this Fresno neighborhood still has no sidewalks. Will they be in city budget?
An ad in a 1912 edition of The Fresno Morning Republican newspaper touted the Echo Tract neighborhood as a residential subdivision “with all city conveniences” such as cement curbs and sidewalks, shade trees, city water, gas and electricity.
In 2021 — 109 years later — that same neighborhood, now known as South Tower, still lacks many of those “city conveniences.”
Instead, the streets have such big potholes and cracks that grass grows in them and residents maintain the growth with weed trimmers. Sidewalks are hit and miss, even near John Muir Elementary School. Residents complain about the hazard posed by large branches breaking off mature trees.
Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias, who represents the neighborhood, hopes to “keep the promises that were made 100 years ago” in the upcoming fiscal year by investing millions in neighborhood infrastructure projects. Arias also is proposing an incentive program for developers to build affordable housing on vacant lots within the city limits. He pointed to higher tax revenue and one-time funding from the American Rescue Plan that could make the proposals a reality.
“We won’t allow this opportunity to go wasted by not making sure that neighborhoods are prioritized in the $1.5 billion budget of the city,” Arias said at a news conference across from Muir Elementary.
The housing incentive proposal goes to a vote at Thursday’s City Council meeting. The proposal includes $5 million from American Rescue funds, waiving impact fees and 50% credit for developers who build affordable housing on vacant lots and install infrastructure such as sidewalks and gas lines.
The proposals are in line with the City Council’s budget priorities, which they’ve dubbed “Rebuild Fresno.” Those priorities include big infrastructure investments into Fresno’s older southern neighborhoods.
The Fresno City Council will begin budget hearings next week. The councilmembers will debate Mayor Jerry Dyer’s proposed budget and suggest changes of their own. The budget must be passed by the end of the month.
Neighborhood residents showed up to Arias’ news conference to ask questions. Adam Frank said one of the most pressing needs in the neighborhood is tree trimming. He runs his own tree trimming business, but he can’t do work in his own neighborhood because many trees belong to the city, and he’d need a permit to do the work.
“These branches are heavy, and they’re snapping left and right,” he said. “It seems like we don’t have the infrastructure set up to take care of it. That’s my primary concern. Yeah, these roads are bad. We need sidewalks, sure. But the trees are dangerous. They kill people, and they’re not being taken care of.”
Frank said Arias’ proposal is a step in the right direction.
Frank moved into the South Tower neighborhood about three years ago. He said it’s a “beacon of light in a rough city.” He knows all of his neighbors. Some organize alley clean-up events, and they have an informal neighborhood watch system to keep an eye on criminal activity.
Investing in infrastructure will make the neighborhood safer, he said.
“It’s just gonna make it safer for the kids man. The kids are all up and down the streets every day on their bicycles,” he said. “This stuff right here can cut them up and the trees can hurt them. This is about safety.”