REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: FRANCISCO PARTIDA, Interim Director of Aviation
Airports Department
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the Fresno Yosemite International Airport Air Traffic Control Placement Project
1. RESOLUTION - Certifying Final Environmental Impact Report (SCH No. 2024030739), as related to the Airport Air Traffic Control Tower Replacement at Fresno Yosemite International Airport
a. ADOPT Findings of Facts as required by Public Resources Code Section 21081(A) and CEQA Guidelines, Section 15091; and
b. APPROVE a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program as required by Public Resources Code Section 21081.6 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15097; and
c. ADOPT the Findings and Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations as required by Public Resources Code Section21081(B) and CEQA Guidelines Section 15093.
2. ***RESOLUTION - Authorizing the Director of Aviation or other authorized representative to execute all implicated documentation for pre-application and application to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Airport Terminal Program (ATP) for Federal Fiscal Year 2026 for the Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) to upgrade, modernize, and rebuild the Air Traffic Control Tower. (Subject to Mayor’s Veto)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends certification of the EIR and related Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Consideration, adoption of the Mitigation and Monitoring Reporting Program and approve the Resolution authorizing the Director of Aviation or other authorized representative to execute all implicated documentation for grants and amendments thereto for the Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), from the Federal Aviation Administration FFY 2026 related to the Fresno Yosemite Internation Airport (FAT) Air Traffic Control Tower Project .
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The requested Resolution will allow pre-application, application, acceptance of grants and amendments, and execution of all related documents by the Director of Aviation or other authorized representative of the City for grants, which may be offered by the FAA to the Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) for the Air Traffic Control Tower Project. The application deadline is January 15, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). The approved Resolution must be submitted with the application documents.
The following required actions are permitted by the Resolution; (i) submit to the FAA grant Pre-Applications, and Applications for FFY 2026 grants for the Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), and (ii) accept FFY 2026 FAA grants and amendments for improvements for FAT.
BACKGROUND
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Airport Terminal Program (ATP). The purpose of the program is to support airport development projects that upgrade, modernize, and rebuild aging airport terminals and airport-owned Airport Traffic Control Towers (ATCTs). There is up to $1 billion in total program funding. The minimum award size is $25,000. The application deadline is January 15, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), but FAA encourages airports to submit proposals as soon as possible. Please note that FAA expects this FY 2026 round to serve as the final opportunity for program funding.
FAA states that ATP funds may be used for airport terminal development; on-airport rail access projects “as set forth in Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) Update 75-21;” or the relocation, reconstruction, repair, or improvement of sponsor-owned ATCTs. FAA defines airport terminal development as the “development of an airport passenger terminal building; access roads servicing exclusively airport traffic that leads directly to or from an airport passenger terminal building, and walkways that lead directly to or from an airport passenger terminal building. Under the ATP, FAA may consider projects that quality as ‘terminal development’ (including multimodal terminal development), as that term is defined in 49 U.S.C. §47102(28).” All projects must be justified based on civil aeronautical demand.
FAA will consider projects that:
• Expand capacity and passenger access;
• Replace aging infrastructure;
• Aid in achieving compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements and improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities;
• Enhance airport access for historically disadvantaged communities;
• Bring airport facilities into conformity with current standards;
• Improve energy efficiency, including by upgrading environmental systems or plant facilities and achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation standards;
• Enhance airfield safety through terminal relocation; and
• Encourage actual and potential competition.
FAA will also fund projects that relocate, reconstruct, repair, or improve airport-owned ATCTs. The agency will assess these projects based on overall impact to the National Airspace System, including age of the facility, operational constraints, and nonstandard facilities.
FAA will award not more than 55 percent of funding for large hub airports, not more than 15 percent of funding for medium hub airports, not more than 20 percent of funding for small hub airports, and not less than 10 percent of funding for non-hub and non-primary airports. There is a 20 percent nonfederal cost share requirement for projects sponsored by large and medium hub airports and a 5 percent nonfederal cost share requirement for projects sponsored by small, non-hub, and non-primary airports.
The attached Airports Grants Resolution gives the Director of Aviation or another authorized representative the authority to comply with the FAA required application process for the Airport Terminal Program (ATP) final grant cycle (FFY 2026), and the grant acceptance process for FFY 2026 grants that may be offered to the Department. The attached Resolution has been approved as to form by the City Attorney’s Office. All required local match funding will be provided from Local Measure C revenues (as they are received during the year) and Airport revenues.
The projects currently associated with this Resolution which have been identified in the City’s approved FY 2026 budget are comprised of the following:
Federal Fiscal Year 2026 Federal Share 90%
FAT Tower ATCT Replacement (Const.) $ 100,000,000
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
The City, as the lead agency under the CEQA, determined and EIR was required for the proposed project. Consulting firm RS&H prepared the EIR. The review and certification of the EIR involves the following procedural steps: 1. Notice of Preparation, 2. Notice of Availability and Public Review Period, 3. Final EIR and Response to Comments, and 4. Certification.
Notice of Preparation (NOP): Upon the City’s determination that an EIR was required for this project, an NOP was made available to the general public and responsible trustee agencies to solicit input on issues of concern that should be addressed in the EIR. The NOP was issued on March 22, 2024, and included a project description, project location, and a brief overview of the topics to be covered in the EIR. Four comment letters were received from public agencies and community members and were incorporated into the Draft EIR (DEIR).
Comments on DEIR: The DEIR was available for public review and comment from September 10, 2025 through October 27, 2025. Written comments on the DEIR were submitted to the City of Fresno during the review period. The comments were summarized and addressed in the FEIR. None of these comments contained new information that revealed any potentially new or more significant environmental impacts that could have required recirculation of the DEIR pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15088.5.
2025 Final EIR (FEIR): In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15088, the Final EIR responds to the written comments received on the 2025 DEIR.
Certification of the EIR: The City Council will hold a public hearing to consider the adequacy and completeness of the EIR under CEQA and to certify the EIR and adopt the necessary Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations.
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP): The City Council will also consider adopting a program to implement the EIR’s recommended mitigation measures to mitigate, avoid, or substantially lessen the significant impacts of the project. The final MMRP is included in the FEIR.
Environmental Impact Report Analysis and Conclusions
Project Objectives
Pursuant to Section 15124 of the CEQA Guidelines, the EIR must identify the objectives of the project. The following represent project objectives as required:
• Provide an ATCT facility that meets current FAA, Sate, and local building standards.
• Provide an ATCT facility that is of adequate height and has an unobstructed line of sight.
• Provide an ATCT facility that allows for operation efficiency.
• Provide an ATCT facility that does not result in high costs of repairs and disruptions to facility operations due to frequent repairs and emergency maintenance.
• Provide an ATCT facility that is secure from unauthorized access.
Impacts Analyzed
The EIR analyzed impacts to the following environmental areas, as these were the areas determined to have potential impacts:
• Aesthetics and Visual Resources (Chapter 3.2)
• Agricultural Resources (Chapter 3.3)
• Air Quality (Chapter 3.4)
• Biological Resources (Chapter 3.5)
• Cultural and Tribal Resources (Chapter 3.6)
• Energy (Chapter 3.7)
• Geology, Soils and Seismicity (Chapter 3.8)
• Greenhouse Gases, Climate Change, and Energy (Chapter 3.9)
• Hazards and Hazardous Materials (Chapter 3.10)
• Land Use (Chapter 3.12)
• Mineral Resources (Chapter 3.13)
• Noise (Chapter 3.14)
• Population and Housing (Chapter 3.15)
• Public Services and Recreation (Chapter 3.16)
• Recreation (Chapter 3.17)
• Transportation and Circulation (Chapter 3.15)
• Utilities (Chapter 3.16)
• Wildfire (Chapter 3.17)
The EIR found impacts to the following areas: Cultural and Tribal Resources; Geology, Soils and Seismicity; Hazards and Hazardous Materials; The EIR includes recommended mitigation measures in these areas (see MMRP included in the FEIR). The recommended mitigation measures were found to reduce impacts to less than significant in all but the areas listed below:
• Geology, Soils and Seismicity
• Hazards and Hazardous Materials
Overriding Considerations
Pursuant to CEQA requirements, findings of fact and a statement of overriding consideration are required to approve the project because the project will result in significant unavoidable impacts. Staff recommends that the following overriding considerations be considered in approving the project despite its unavoidable significant impacts: Implementation of the Proposed Project would provide an ATCT facility that meets current FAA, State, and local building standards, would improve safety and security at the Airport, and would improve sustainability and reduce maintenance costs.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not considered because the Resolution does not include a bid or award of a construction or services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact to the General Fund from this action. Approval of the Resolution will allow the Airports Department to continue applying for and accepting grants from the FAA for project(s) listed in the City’s approved FY 2026 Budget, using matching funding provided by local Measure C, Passenger Facility Charges (PFC’s) and Airport Revenues.
Attachments:
Resolution Certifying the EIR with attachments
Draft EIR
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
Resolution - Authorizing to Execute Documentation