Addressing Fresno’s food, healthcare deserts; there’s one grocery store west of Hwy 99
West Fresno residents live in what some describe as a food and healthcare desert, which puts residents at increased risk for a number of chronic diseases. A new plan is designed to bring long-awaited resources to the area divided by Highway 99.
After seven years in the works, Fresno’s City Council voted unanimously at a Sept. 16 meeting to approve a new development plan, known as the West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan. The new policy establishes guidelines and goals for future growth and development in the area historically left behind, including a dearth of grocery stores and hospitals.
“Approval of the West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan finally gives the west area the roadmap it has long needed to grow responsibly and equitably,” said Councilmember Annalisa Perea, who represents the affected area. “By approving it, we’re ensuring that families west of HWY 99 finally get the same level of planning and opportunity seen in other parts of our city.”
Today, the community of over 50,000 has only one grocery store and medical clinic, with another scheduled to open next month.
The opening of the new United Health Centers in southwest Fresno, at 122 East Cesar Chaves Blvd., on Nov. 3, will be the second physicians’ center west of Highway 99. The area has no comprehensive hospitals.
“There’s nothing for families on this side of town, which makes equity a much harder thing,” April Henry, CEO and Executive Director of Highway City Community Development, Inc., told The Fresno Bee.
The local non-profit has served and advocated for economic, community, health and wellness development in west central Fresno since 1997, offering about 40 different services to residents.
One of the guiding principles, which serves as a foundation for the West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan, is to “attract desired and needed local retail establishments to serve the needs of the community, including grocery stores, bakeries and restaurants (other than fast food).”
The plan also mentions the development of hospitals through its “inclusion of mixed-use, commercial, employment and public and semi-public land use designations where health care uses are permitted.”
“It’s just a plan, and while we understand that is the reality of it, what it does is give a blueprint of what the needs are and where those things could be placed,” Henry said.
There should be 30-40 doctors for every 50,000 people
Henry recounted that the previous Medical Director of Valley Children’s, Dr. Jolie Limon, told her there should be 30 to 40 doctors for every 50,000 people in a community.
Life expectancy in West Fresno is more than 20 years lower than in northeast Fresno, according to a 2012 study done by a team of researchers, including the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State. West Fresnans live in one of California’s most polluted neighborhoods, surrounded by industry, freeways and rail lines.
The HCCD provides a monthly free health clinic for anyone in the community, working to fill in health care gaps where they can.
The non-profit also organizes school-ready immunization clinics for students so they do not miss assimilation into their classrooms. This year, HCCD saw over 100 students in five hours who all needed their vaccines, according to Henry.
It can be difficult for residents in the west with a lack of personal transportation to travel to receive health care and access grocery stores, Henry said.
Another guiding principle of the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan is to “accommodate and improve roadway access, connectivity and mobility among all modes of transportation.”
Even with a car, Henry said it can take her up to 30 minutes to get to a grocery store, with high-speed rail construction and traffic making it more difficult.
According to the National Institute of Health, food deserts negatively impact health by increasing the risk of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease due to limited access to fresh, affordable food, leading residents to rely on less healthy, processed foods.
To combat the area’s food desert, HCCD organizes a food pantry that serves 15 families a week who face food insecurity, up to over 5,500 people this year.
Henry and a handful of other community members spoke out in support of the West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan at the Sept. 16 meeting, urging the council to approve the plan.
“Without this plan, the west continues facing fragmented development, homes before roads, families before services and traffic before safety,” Henry said during public comment. “But with the plan, we can finally align our energy of non-profits, schools, developers and our city to build a equitable, prosperous and connected community.”