Another Industrial Project in south Fresno? City leaders must vote no | Opinion
I moved to south Fresno when I was 6 years old, back when the area was still known for its beautiful agricultural fields. It was one of the main reasons why my family left Visalia. My parents’ dream of owning a small farm was made true out here.
As a kid, I remember walking by the canal, playing outside and being surrounded by a close, tight-knit community. Those are the same memories I hoped to share with my children when I placed them at Orange Center Elementary, but it’s hard for us to ignore the industrial takeover happening right in front of us.
Over the past few years, we’ve watched our neighborhoods change dramatically, especially with the addition of our most recent “neighbors”: the Ulta and Amazon warehouses that have given us even more heavy-duty trucks in exchange for broken promises of “employment.”
Quiet streets have been replaced by constant truck traffic. Clear skies have been taken over by toxic pollutants that linger in the air, forcing themselves into your lungs. Reckless, inexperienced drivers speed down our streets all day, on roads that don’t even have sidewalks for children walking to school.
Now, the City of Fresno wants to approve Central Transport, a 100-plus door freight and trucking facility, less than half a mile away from the school.
As an Orange Center parent, this absolutely terrifies me. This project threatens our children’s safety, their health and the future of our community. South Fresno residents have been left to fend for themselves with high rates of pollution and health issues, especially those near freeways and heavy truck routes — exposure that feels impossible to escape around here.
I’ve seen the impacts of heavy industry on my own family. Several of my nieces and nephews already struggle with asthma and other respiratory issues. And now, I’m seeing the same warning signs on my daughter when she comes home from volleyball practice, winded and coughing more than usual.
City leaders, however, are still considering a proposal that would bring even more truck emissions, traffic and industrial activity right next to where our kids play and learn.
Where’s the promise of the South Central Specific Plan — the one rooted with community input? We’ve asked time and time again for a plan that provides a clear balance between our health and economic growth. Instead of making south Fresno a healthier, liveable community, we’re stuck with industrial encroachment and displacement. Blocks filled with family homes are now being replaced by industry.
What’s worse is that many of us aren’t even considered into these decisions or even notified. The proposed Central Transport project only had to notify those of us who live a thousand feet from where they are trying to build their facility, and most of those parcels are either vacant or industrial.
Why does a “healthier Fresno” have to stop in Clovis or northwest Fresno? Why don’t our children deserve the same protections put into place?
This issue extends beyond south Fresno. It’s about the kind of city we want to be: One that values everyone’s health and well-being over profits and protects our children, parents and future generations.
I’m asking the City of Fresno to vote no on this project. To honor our wishes and stop trading us in for corporate gain. And I’m asking residents in every part of Fresno to stand with us.
Sandra Hernandez has lived in south Fresno for 20 years and is an Orange Center parent who is concerned about the industrial expansion in south Fresno.
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 11:00 AM.