Fresno gives Granite Park Friday deadline for proof of insurance. Alcohol sales at stake
Fresno’s city attorney wrote a letter to the Granite Park operator Monday threatening to end the lease if alcohol is sold at the park next weekend, pending verification of proper insurance.
City Attorney Doug Sloan gave Central Valley Community Sports Foundation until 5 p.m. on Friday, April 15, to provide proof of proper insurance. If the foundation is unable to provide the insurance and continues to serve alcohol at the park, the city may terminate the lease or take other legal action, Sloan wrote.
The letter was sent Monday morning after the Fresno City Council discussed potential legal action against the foundation during a special, closed session meeting early Monday morning. The city council did not report taking any votes on action items.
Last week, Fresno City Councilmembers Garry Bredefeld and Mike Karbassi revealed that the city is not covered by Granite Park’s insurance, leaving the city open to liability for lawsuits. Mayor Jerry Dyer and City Manager Georgeanne White said they’ve tried to resolve the issue to no avail for months.
Terance Frazier, a local developer who runs Central Valley Community Sports Foundation, said he has the proper park insurance.
Sloan wrote in his letter that the city has concerns about the liquor license insurance since Frazier’s current policy doesn’t name the city as an additional insured for general liability coverage. Furthermore, the policy doesn’t insure the park at the limits required in the lease agreement between the city and foundation, Sloan wrote.
Frazier said in a statement that the city’s claims about insurance are not true and are the latest effort to push out his nonprofit as the Granite Park operator.
“Instead of holding us out as an asset to the community, the city of Fresno has crafted claim after claim in an effort to push us out as operators of Granite Park so that they can sell to other parties and or take it over because they feel it’s a money-making operation,” he said.
Frazier said the nonprofit has maintained the liquor liability insurance at all times and that his insurance broker said there is sufficient coverage for the city.
“As the records show, Granite Park has a commercial general liability policy, the city is named as ‘additionally insured,’ and our broker has stipulated this covers our liquor policy as well,” Frazier said. “Why the city continues to attack me personally and the nonprofit, rather than help, is beyond me. All I’ve tried to do is operate and maintain a public recreation space for the benefit of our city’s kids and residents. This is an unfortunate example of ‘no good deed goes unpunished.’”
The insurance issue is the latest in a years-long, politically charged, and public dispute between the city and Frazier’s foundation.
Conflict began in 2019 when the city released an audit of the foundation’s finances. Since then, players on both sides — including a congressman and business partner, city manager, mayor, and mayoral chief of staff — have left their respective positions. Frazier is suing the city, alleging discrimination. Bredefeld, for years, has alleged Frazier gets special treatment from the city because he’s engaged to Councilmember Esmeralda Soria.
Despite all the clashes, Frazier continues to operate the park, drawing thousands of visitors each year. Before leasing the property, Granite Park sat unused for years.