REPORT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION
MAY 21, 2025
FROM: JENNIFER CLARK, Director
Planning and Development Department
THROUGH: ASHLEY ATKINSON, Assistant Director
Planning and Development Department
Sophia Pagoulatos, Planning Manager
Planning and Development Department
BY: ADRIENNE ASADOORIAN-GILBERT, Supervising Planner
Planning and Development Department
SUBJECT
Title
Public hearing to consider the adoption of the Southeast Development Area Specific Plan and related Final Environmental Impact Report, State Clearinghouse (SCH No. 2022020486). The following applications have been filed by the City of Fresno and pertain to approximately 9,000 acres in the Development Area-3 Southeast and Development Area-4 East:
1. RECOMMEND CERTIFICATION (to the City Council) of Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR SCH No. 2022020486), for the Southeast Development Area Specific Plan.
a. RECOMMEND ADOPTION (to the City Council) of an appropriate Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations prepared pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15091; and
b. RECOMMEND ADOPTION (to the City Council) of an appropriate Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) prepared pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15097.
2. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of Plan Amendment Application No. P23-03090 which proposes to adopt the Southeast Development Area Specific Plan and accompanying Planned Land Use Map (see Exhibits E and H).
3. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of Plan Amendment Application No. P23-03091 which proposes to update the Planned Land Use Map (Figure LU-1), the Dual Designation Map (Figure LU-2) and text of the Fresno General Plan to incorporate the land use changes proposed in the Southeast Development Area Specific Plan (see Exhibits D and F).
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The proposed project is the adoption of the Southeast Development Area (SEDA) Specific Plan (the Specific Plan), which entails amendment of the Fresno General Plan, certification of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and future updates to the City of Fresno Zoning Code. The Plan Area is generally bound on the north by the Gould Canal, on the east by McCall and Highland avenues, on the south by Jensen and North avenues, and on the West by Locan, Temperance and Minnewawa avenues. This report describes the history and background of the SEDA Specific Plan, its relation to the current General Plan, the outreach and planning process, and key elements of the Plan. It also describes near term housing demand, phasing and infrastructure costs, with a recommendation to focus initial development in Phase 1S (see Phasing Map in Exhibit G).
BACKGROUND
The City’s past and present General Plans have served to inform and prepare the Fresno for population growth, and the SEDA Specific Plan accommodates the growth that has long predicted for this area. In 2006, the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) approved approximately 9,000 acres of the SEDA - previously known as the Southeast Growth Area (SEGA) - for incorporation into the City of Fresno’s Sphere of Influence (SOI). As part of this approval, the City was required to prepare a Specific Plan and associated environmental review prior to authorizing development. The City initiated the Specific Plan for SEGA, but set it aside amidst the uncertainty of the recession in 2010. Concepts from the draft SEGA plan pertaining to compact, multi-unit development, i.e. “complete communities,” were then incorporated into the current Fresno General Plan adopted in 2014. Planning for SEDA resumed in 2019, in response to the housing crisis and after the City received Senate Bill 2 grant funds to support the environmental review process. The SEDA Specific Plan builds upon the elements of SEGA within the General Plan and includes a land use framework for compact communities that offer opportunities to live, work and play. The Specific Plan also includes “town center” concepts that provide for a variety of housing types, access to multi-modal transportation, green spaces, and amenities and services.
Planning for Growth
California Government Code Section 65450 defines Specific Plans and establishes the authority for public agencies to adopt Specific Plans as a tool for the systematic implementation of their general plans. Specific Plans systematically implement the Fresno General Plan for all or part of the area under their scope in one of three ways: 1) by acting as statements of planning policy that refine the Fresno General Plan policies applicable to a defined area; 2) by directly regulating land use, or 3) by bringing together detailed policies and regulations into a focused development scheme. The proposed SEDA Specific Plan aligns with and refines policies in the Fresno General Plan, implements new land uses and incorporates policies focused on a compact development scheme.
One of the first General Plans adopted by the City of Fresno in 1958 predicted population increases from 160,000 to 400,000 over 20 years, with homes anticipated between Easton, Clovis, Belmont Country Club, and Kearney Park. To account for this growth, maps in the 1964 General Plan indicate the City of Fresno project area extending east to McCall Avenue. The 1964 plan further identifies the Temperance area within the “path of growth,” with a projected 6,600 dwelling units by 1985.
As the area’s population continued to increase, the City adopted the 1974 General Plan with a projected population of 600,000 in the Fresno-Clovis Metropolitan Area by the year 2000. This plan included standards for adopting a five-year urban growth management plan to control the pattern and timing of growth on the fringe of the City. It designated areas beyond the primary zones of influence but within the SOI as urban growth reserves, and further stipulated that specific project areas may be released from the urban growth reserve and developed contingent upon annexation into the City and conformance with applicable plans. Then, the 1984 General Plan was the first to formally identify the possibility of expanding City limits for eventual urbanization to the northwest or southeast. More specifically, it provided for capacity within the Southeast Growth Area for 30,654 residents.
The 2002 Fresno General Plan, which looked ahead to 2025, provided strategies to account for ongoing increases in population citywide and provided capacity for 790,000 new residents over the 25-year planning horizon. The Plan also noted that community and/or specific plans would be completed to provide more direct guidance for development of the North Growth Area and Southeast Growth Area. Growth projections specific to the Southeast Growth Area accounted for up to 57,956 residents by 2025.
The current Fresno General Plan was approved by the Fresno City Council on December 18, 2014. This General Plan includes objectives for creating a balanced city, with growth and re-investment targeted equally to both infill and growth areas. It anticipates that 15,000 of SEDA’s 45,000-unit capacity will be constructed by 2035, with the remaining 30,000 units expected between 2035 and 2050. However, in accordance with plan objectives, the City has prioritized and sequenced various Community and Specific Plans for infill areas ahead of the SEDA Specific Plan. Completed plans include the Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan, Southwest Fresno Specific Plan and Fulton Corridor Specific Plan. Plans underway include the Tower District Specific Plan Update, West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan, Central Southeast Specific Plan, and South Central Specific Plan.
SEGA Planning
In 2006, LAFCO approved the SEGA for incorporation into the City with a number of provisions that included preparation of a Specific Plan and associated environmental review prior to approval of any annexations of land in the area (See LAFCO Resolution USOI-144, dated April 12, 2006).
From 2006 to 2010, SEGA planning involved several stages of public input and engagement, including listening sessions, monthly advisory committee meetings, community and stakeholder meetings and public workshops. The SEGA Advisory Committee included a group of 16 locally appointed residents, with regularly scheduled meetings that included informational presentations covering relevant aspects of the plan. A series of listening sessions were held in the winter of 2006, which solicited input from more than 600 community members. In addition, City staff conducted more than 30 presentations and face-to-face meetings on preliminary SEGA planning concepts, which reached more than 3,000 stakeholders. From September 2007 to June 2008, the City held additional outreach events and workshops that attracted more than 800 attendees.
These outreach efforts informed preparation of a draft Specific Plan. However, amidst growing uncertainty due to the recession in 2010, SEGA planning was set aside without the required environmental review documents having been completed. Planning for SEGA was then rolled into the Citywide General Plan update.
In 2016, in response to an initiative by LAFCO to remove SEDA from the City’s SOI, the City Council unanimously adopted Resolution No. 2016-105, re-affirming its commitment to retain SEDA within its SOI to ensure orderly and thoughtful planning and stating that removal of SEDA from the City’s SOI could lead to a patchwork of uncoordinated and inefficient development.
SEDA Planning
Planning for SEDA resumed in 2019, when on September 19 the City Council approved Resolution No. 2019-177 authorizing an application to the SB 2 Planning Grants Program through the Department of Housing and Community Development. SB 2 grants were awarded to support planning efforts that streamline housing approvals and accelerate housing production. The City was awarded $625,000 in SB 2 funds for the SEDA EIR in 2020, and the City Council approved a consultant contract with First Carbon Solutions (FCS) to complete the EIR and related technical documents.
The draft SEDA Specific Plan provides a framework for efficient and compact land use planning, carrying forward the land use concepts proposed in the SEGA Specific Plan that meet General Plan goals for complete communities. This model emphasizes environments where individuals can live, work and play, and provides for a diversity of housing types within a walkable and bikeable environment. Other plan goals include fiscal responsibility, social equity, environmental sustainability, housing choice, high-quality transit service, walkable neighborhoods, parks, open space and trails, mixed-use town centers, innovative employment centers, and community farming and agriculture.
To achieve this, the SEDA Plan includes the following proposed land uses:
• Regional Town Center
• Community Town Center
• Neighborhood Town Center
• Office Center
• Flexible Research & Development
• Mixed Residential
• Neighborhood Residential
• Rural Residential
• Rural Cluster Residential
• Institutional
Existing land uses on affected parcels within the Specific Plan area may remain under the Annexed Rural Residential Transitional (ANX) Overlay District (Fresno Municipal Code Section 15-606). This district provides standards that protect uses associated with rural residential areas and permit existing legal uses to continue on properties that are annexed into the City.
The Specific Plan anticipates between 40,000 and 45,000 dwelling units and between 30,000 and 37,000 jobs at full buildout. Buildout of the plan area requires investments in new infrastructure for water, sewer, and transportation, which is analyzed in more detail in the Public Facilities Financing Options report prepared by Economic & Planning Systems. Buildout of private development would occur according to demand and market conditions and may take place over more than 25 years. Current demand is evaluated in the April 2025 Housing Market Demand and Segmentation Analysis prepared by Clarity Real Estate Advisors.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PUBLIC INPUT
In 2021, more than 20 stakeholder meetings were held to obtain input on the project, and in 2022 and 2023 planning staff hosted a series of seven public meetings and a listening session to provide information on the SEDA Plan and receive community feedback.
A “SEDA Policy Memo” that included proposed policies for the updated SEDA plan was released to the public in March 2022. Throughout spring and summer 2022, the City hosted three public workshops and one listening session. The purpose of these outreach efforts was to 1) announce the launch of the environmental study; 2) remind the public about the draft Specific Plan; and 3) garner community feedback. The schedule of outreach events was as follows:
• Public Meeting #1: Tuesday, May 3, 2022, 6:00pm, Simonian Farms
• Public Meeting #2: Tuesday, May 17, 2022, 6:00pm, Sequoia Elementary School
• Public Meeting #3: Tuesday, May 31, 2022, 6:00pm, Simonian Farms
• Listening Session: Tuesday, June 14, 2022
More than 240 individuals attended these events. Issues raised at these meetings were addressed in the updated policies included in the 2023 Draft Plan. Policies that were updated in response to public comment include:
• Right to Farm ordinance
• Williamson Act protections
• Street infrastructure
• A Parks and Trails Master Plan as a new implementation measure
The revised draft Specific Plan and its draft EIR were released to the public for review on July 14, 2023 for the 45-day public comment period. Upon commencement of the public comment period, stakeholders were notified via email.
Additional outreach efforts continued in the summer of 2023 during the 45-day public comment period. The City hosted three “drop-in” events and one Zoom webinar, the purpose of which was to 1) inform the public of the draft EIR and 45-day public comment period; 2) provide information about how to comment on the EIR; 3) answer questions on the draft Specific Plan. The events were formatted in an open house style, where attendees could drop-in to the events during the allotted time and visit various stations and boards for discussion with staff. Staff from the departments of Public Utilities and Public Works were also in attendance to provide information on infrastructure improvements. More than 230 individuals attended these events, the schedule of which was as follows:
• Summer Drop-in #1: Monday, July 24, 2023, 5:00 pm, Hmong Alliance Church
• Summer Drop-in #2: Thursday, July 27, 2023, 5:00 pm, Sequoia Elementary School
• Summer Drop-in #3: Saturday, August 12, 2023: 10 am, Young Elementary School
• Zoom webinar: Wednesday, August 16, 2023: 6:00 pm
Outreach was conducted in multiple ways, including direct mailers, emails, phone calls, and social media posts. Materials provided at each of the outreach events were routinely provided in English, Spanish, Punjabi, and Hmong.
Plan documents were featured on a special webpage created for the project (www.fresno.gov/seda <http://www.fresno.gov/seda>) and hard copies were placed at the City of Fresno Planning and Development Department Public Counter, in addition to the Central Branch Fresno Library, Sanger Branch Library and Sunnyside Branch Library.
In addition to comments provided during the meetings outlined above, staff also received formal comment submissions (see Exhibit I). The most frequent comments can be categorized as follows:
Specific Plan Comments
• Category 1: Annexation/City service requirements
• Category 2: Land use changes on private property
• Category 3: Fiscal impacts
EIR Comments
• Category 1: Air quality and greenhouse gas emissions
• Category 2: Water resources
• Category 3: Agricultural resources
Council District 5 Project Review Committee and Airport Land Use Commission
If adopted, the Plan Area would expand the boundaries of Council District 5 and 7, and is currently located within Fresno Yosemite International Airport Safety Zones 6 and 7. As such, the Plan was presented to both the Council District 5 Project Review Committee and Airport Land Use Commission and received the following recommendations:
The Council District 5 Project Review Committee reviewed the Plan on September 11, 2023, and voted 3-to-1 to recommend approval of the project.
The Airport Land Use Committee reviewed the Plan on August 7, 2023 and found the Plan consistent with the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The EIR was partially recirculated from October 3, 2023 to November 17, 2023 to address responses to comments received during the initial circulation and include the Geology, Soils and Seismicity Chapter, which had been inadvertently omitted.
In 2024, it was determined that the Draft PEIR for the SEDA Specific Plan had to be revised to remove all references to the 2021 General Plan PEIR and 2021 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan, and to update findings and mitigation measures accordingly. These revisions constituted significant new information which required recirculation of the entire document. All comments received in response to the Notice of Preparation, previously circulated Draft PEIR, and partially recirculated Draft PEIR were considered in preparing the Recirculated Draft PEIR. This document was made available for public comment for another 45 day public comment period beginning on February 7, 2025.
The EIR analyzes the following areas that were determined to have potential impacts:
• Aesthetics, Light and Glare
• Agricultural Resources and Forestry Resources
• Air Quality
• Biological Resources
• Cultural Resources and Tribal Cultural Resources
• Energy
• Geology, Soils and Seismicity
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Hazards and Hazardous Materials
• Hydrology and Water Quality
• Land Use and Planning
• Mineral Resources
• Noise
• Population and Housing
• Public Services
• Recreation
• Transportation and Traffic
• Utilities and Service Systems
• Wildfire
•
The EIR finds impacts to Aesthetics, Light and Glare, Agricultural Resources and Forestry Resources; Air Quality; Biological Resources; Cultural Resources and Tribal Cultural Resources; Geology, Soils and Seismicity; Hazards and Hazardous Materials; Noise; Hydrology and Water Quality; Noise; Recreation; Transportation and Traffic; and Utilities and Service Systems. The EIR includes recommended mitigation measures in these areas, which reduce impacts to less than significant in all areas except Aesthetics, Light and Glare; Agricultural Resources and Forestry Resources; Air Quality; and Noise.
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 in the areas of Aesthetics, Light and Glare; Agricultural Resources and Forestry Resources; Air Quality; and Noise. Staff recommends that the following overriding considerations be considered:
• The Specific Plan would implement a key vision of the Fresno General Plan, in providing for the orderly development of the Southeast Development Area (SEDA) and maintaining the City’s decision to plan for the development of land within the SOI.
• The Specific Plan would implement policies designed to facilitate housing affordable to a range of household incomes. This would also further a key goal of the Fresno General Plan and would be a valuable tool in supporting the objectives and policies of the 6th Cycle Housing Element, such as Goals and Policies 1-7, which are related to New Housing Development, Affordable Housing, Housing and Neighborhood Conservation, Special Needs Housing, Fair and Equal Housing Opportunities, Energy Conservation and Sustainable Development, and the Prevention of Displacement and Homelessness.
• The Specific Plan would implement policies designed to establish active Employment Districts, which will provide a variety of employment opportunities to meet the needs of residents and employers. This would further policies of the Fresno General Plan oriented toward job creation, including Policy ED-3-f.
• The Specific Plan would implement policies designed to provide an accessible and well-balanced transportation network with a range of transportation options for residents and employees, including high-capacity public transit, bicycle and pedestrian routes, and a network of bicycle-priority routes. This would further objectives and policies of the Fresno General Plan addressing multimodal transportation, including Objective UF-14; and Policies MT-1-j, RC-2-a, and HC-2-d.
• The Specific Plan would implement policies designed to support and promote local agriculture, community farming, and small-scale agriculture to both improve economic opportunities for residents and increase access to local foods. This would further objectives and policies of the Fresno General Plan promoting and supporting urban agriculture and access to healthy foods, including Objective HC-5; and Policy HC-5-f.
• The Specific Plan would implement a key requirement of LAFCO Resolution USOI-144 calling for a specific plan in the SEDA, thus ensuring orderly and meaningful development of land within the City’s SOI.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The Fresno Municipal Code and the California Government Code require consistency between the General Plan and a Specific Plan. The Specific Plan contains proposed land uses that are different than those on the Fresno General Plan Land Use Map (Figure LU-1) and the Dual Designation Map (Figure LU-2). Therefore, a General Plan Amendment to the Land Use Map and text in Chapter 3: Urban Form, Land Use and Design, is proposed to ensure land use consistency between both plans. In terms of policy, the Specific Plan is in alignment with the goals and objectives of the General Plan, which provides specific standards for development of the Southeast Development Area. General Plan consistency is discussed in Exhibit K, Municipal Code Findings.
FRESNO MUNICIPAL CODE FINDINGS
Section 15-5812 of the Fresno Municipal Code provides that the Planning Commission shall not recommend, and the City Council shall not approve, an application unless the proposed Plan Amendment meets Criteria A, B and C as shown in Exhibit K.
NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING
The Planning Commission hearing was noticed in the Fresno Bee pursuant to Section 15-5007 of the Fresno Municipal Code (see Exhibit M).
CONCLUSION
The appropriateness of the proposed project has been examined with respect to its consistency with goals and policies of the Fresno General Plan; its compatibility with surrounding existing or proposed uses; and its avoidance or mitigation of potentially significant adverse environmental impacts. These factors have been evaluated as described above and by the accompanying EIR. Based upon this evaluation, it can be concluded that the Southeast Development Area Specific Plan, adopted through all the applications noted in the title of this staff report, is appropriate for the subject area. Action by the Planning Commission will be a recommendation to City Council.
Attachments:
Exhibit A - Initiating Documents
Exhibit B - Vicinity Map
Exhibit C - General Plan Land Use Map
Exhibit D - Proposed Changes to General Plan Planned Land Use Map (Figure LU-1) and Dual Designation Map (Figure LU-2) (P23-03091)
Exhibit E - Proposed Land Use Map (P23-03090)
Exhibit F - General Plan Text Amendment
Exhibit G - Proposed SEDA Phasing Map
Exhibit H - SEDA Specific Plan Draft
Exhibit I - Comment Letters
Exhibit J - Draft Program EIR
Exhibit K - Fresno Municipal Code Findings
Exhibit L - Outreach Materials
Exhibit M - Public Notice
Supplemental Exhibit N - Comment Letters Received from the Public