Here’s where City Council candidates stand on SEDA, Fresno’s massive development plan
Nearly all of the candidates running for Fresno City Council say they don’t support Mayor Jerry Dyer’s massive development plan to expand the city’s southeast side in its current form.
The Southeast Development Area plan, or SEDA, is a controversial large-scale expansion proposal that would add 9,000 acres and an estimated 45,000 homes in southeast Fresno.
The Bee recently asked each of the city council candidates in the June 2 primary election to answer a series of questions related to their campaign and positions on local issues, including SEDA.
The election results could impact the outcome of the SEDA plan. The four council seats up for grabs have drawn a slate of progressive candidates who either oppose the plan entirely or want many revisions to win their support.
To secure a seat, a candidate must receive over 50% of the vote. If no one gets a majority of the vote in the primary, the top two candidates will advance to the Nov. 3 election.
Dyer says his goals for SEDA are essential to stay competitive in the housing market and attract good-paying manufacturing jobs. In December, the council voted to send the project back to the city administration for further review. Hundreds of residents voiced opposition at that meeting.
Here’s where Fresno City Council candidates stand on SEDA. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Fresno City Council District 1 candidates
Monte Forkas: “At this time, I do not support the SEDA proposal in its current form. A project of this scale of 9,000 acres and tens of thousands of homes will have long-term impacts on Fresno’s infrastructure, water supply, traffic, public safety services, school districts and overall quality of life. Right now, I don’t believe those impacts have been fully addressed.”
Naindeep Singh: “SEDA, the city’s proposed southeastern expansion, is a promise Fresno cannot afford to keep. I live west of Highway 99, and I know firsthand what broken city promises look like: sidewalks that don’t exist, streets that flood, infrastructure calls that go unanswered.
The city’s own economic consultants concluded SEDA isn’t financially viable at any phase. Developer fees cover 20% of the $4.3 billion cost, leaving a $3 billion gap on taxpayers. Meanwhile, Fresno already carries $1.5 billion in deferred road and sidewalk repairs and has chronically undersupported our school districts.”
Joe Hinojosa: “I am not currently in support of SEDA. It is my belief that any District 1 council member that is pro-SEDA is not a good fit for District 1. Most of what is west of 99 and between Clinton and Shaw is District 1. That part lacks curb, gutter, sidewalks, sewer and water and other essential services.
Adding thousands of acres to the City of Fresno when we have not taken care of current residents is just going to dig a bigger hole for the City of Fresno when we have over $1 billion dollars of deferred road maintenance costs.”
Rob Fuentes: “My priority is squarely on revitalizing our existing neighborhoods throughout District 1, including by repairing our roads and sidewalks, improving our street lighting, and expanding our parks and green spaces. As a resident of an older neighborhood, and the proud recipient of the Fresno Teachers Association’s endorsement, I am opposed to any proposal that would cut our city’s general fund or negatively impact our Fresno and Central unified schools.”
Fresno City Council District 3 candidates
Joaquin Arambula: “I do not support SEDA in its current form. Before we think of expansions and sprawl, we need to do a deep dive into really figuring out if the City can afford new developments. What will that mean for fire, water and sewer, schools and police? I also believe that SEDA will benefit the cities of Clovis and Sanger more than it will benefit Fresno, the city that will absorb the cost of the expansion. I support investing in our existing neighborhoods.”
Keshia Thomas: “I do not support the entire plan, but I recognize that Fresno must grow and is in critical need of housing stock. I am open to discussing a much smaller growth area and looking at it on a project by project basis within the master plan.
We do need to have a plan for the next 100 years of growth, the lack of planning has caused a lot of Fresno’s past problems, but we need to ensure it is sustainable growth that supports itself and does not strain the existing city services and its taxpayers.”
Fernando Alvarez: “At this time, I am not in favor of the SEDA proposal as it stands. I am open to continued conversations if a more balanced and responsible approach can be developed, but I believe we must be thoughtful about how and where we grow.
I would not support large-scale expansion that undermines the urgent need for infill and reinvestment in existing neighborhoods, especially in District 3, where many areas have been historically overlooked. We have a responsibility to strengthen the communities we already have before extending our resources outward.”
Charles Montoya: “I am not in support of it right now. I do believe that it will have to happen one day as the population grows. My biggest point of concern is that housing zones in southwest Fresno can be changed to industrial, and with SEDA in play, the city can add those homes into that hypothetical plan. The Elm Avenue redistricting is a great example of that, where Southwest Fresno can lose housing that it may never get back.”
District three candidates Larry Burrus, Jalen Swank and Anjanette Brown did not respond to The Bee’s candidate questionnaire.
Fresno City Council District 5 candidates
Brandon Vang (incumbent): “I do not support SEDA as currently proposed. This project is too large and too consequential to move forward without getting the fundamentals right. We need to stop and restart the process with meaningful community input to ensure residents help shape the future of their neighborhoods.
Any development of this scale must be financially sound and transparent. It cannot risk bankrupting the city, raising taxes on residents, or relying on unrealistic projections.”
Danielle Parra: “I support thoughtful, responsible growth, and I believe Fresno’s Southeast Development Area (SEDA) presents an opportunity to shape the city’s future in a positive way. As surrounding communities like Madera, Sanger, and Clovis continue to grow and attract families seeking affordable living, Fresno must grow strategically to remain competitive and provide the communities residents deserve. At the same time, this growth must include careful planning, strong community input, and a clear commitment to transparency.”
Jose Leon Barraza: “I oppose SEDA because of the new funding requirements to be imposed by the new infrastructure like sewer and water, roads and sidewalks, fire and police stations, libraries and schools that take funding resources from the older parts of our city. The low-income neighborhoods of District 5 continue to be ignored by the City Council as the adoption of the Central Southeast Fresno Specific Plan continues to be postponed. Before SEDA’s approval is considered, the needs of the older parts of District 5 must be addressed.”
Nickolas Wildstar: “Like most of the residents in Fresno, I do not support the SEDA project proposal in its current state.
While I do recognize the dire need for more affordable housing, I do not think the concerns of the community should be side stepped and disregarded. As a council member, I will support further research on how to use the land more cost effectively and will host town hall meetings to discuss how city officials can deliver on the community’s demands.”
Fresno City Council District 7 candidates
Ariana Martinez Lott: “I am opposed to SEDA’s outward expansion plan because this proposal would stretch our public services far too thin. The conditions of our existing neighborhoods and business corridors tell the story of ongoing disinvestment as the city continues to grow outward.
In a city that struggles to hire police officers and maintain staffing for essential services, we also must protect the sustainability of the workers that help our city run on a daily basis. We are entering into a growing financial deficit, and we must be responsible with the limited resources we have. Working families deserve leaders who are willing to make our existing neighborhoods their priority.”
AJ Rassamni:
“My position is that expansion should not happen in isolation. If we expand outward, the city should require that development be tied directly to building infill housing at the same time within existing neighborhoods.
Fresno has many vacant lots, underutilized properties, and aging areas that need reinvestment. Unfortunately, developers often avoid these projects because infill development can be more expensive and less profitable than building on open land. That is why the city should create incentives for infill development, streamlined approvals, reduced fees, infrastructure support, and other tools that make it financially viable for developers to invest in our existing neighborhoods.
I support growth, but it must be balanced growth: expanding when appropriate while simultaneously revitalizing Fresno’s existing neighborhoods so that no part of the city is left behind.”
Nav Gurm: “Any expansion beyond current city boundaries must be strictly managed. Developers should be required to prove the project can fully pay for itself — including roads, water, sewer, schools, and public safety — through developer fees and strong community benefit agreements, with clawback provisions and clear prohibitions on using city general funds.
I strongly believe growth must not negatively impact Fresno Unified School District students or overburden existing infrastructure. Instead, I favor a “jobs-first” model of smart, infill-focused development that revitalizes our existing neighborhoods, reduces vehicle miles traveled, improves air quality, and promotes equity. Only when these safeguards and priorities are firmly in place would I consider supporting outward expansion.”
District 7 candidate Jason Keomanee could not be reached by The Bee for the candidate questionnaire.