Don’t rush Fresno development code

Last year, in the middle of the holidays, the city released a revised draft General Plan and hundreds of pages of associated documents. The city gave the public and the Planning Commission a week – including Thanksgiving – to review the 500-page plan before its vote. Over 20 community-based organizations, private sector representatives, and The Bee Editorial Board urged the mayor not to rush a vote during the holidays – to no avail.

The city is now following this same modus operandi for its new development code, which will establish the rules for new development in Fresno. If the General Plan is the foundation of a house, the new code is the detailing, the interior and exterior which give the house its character and determine the quality and health of our lives for years to come. The code will govern subdivision development, parks and open-space requirements, liquor store siting, industrial permitting and everything between.

The Planning Commission hearing occurred on Sept. 30 and the Fresno City Council is scheduled to vote Oct. 29 on the recently released revised code, which contains extensive changes – changes which few Fresnans have seen. More time is needed, not less, to make sure that we get this right.

This story was originally published October 1, 2015 at 9:14 AM with the headline "Don’t rush Fresno development code."