The Clovis City Council approved the next step for student housing at California Health Sciences University.

With a 3-1 vote Monday, the city council approved land use changes to allow CHSU to build 70 acres of campus housing along Temperance Avenue, north of Highway 168.

The zoning change affects 63 other properties in the area. Most (41) accepted the rezone into the “research-technology” designation. The remaining 22 chose an overlay, allowing for both residential and R-T.

The exact nature of what the student housing may look like remains unclear, which concerned several neighbors speaking at the meeting.

“You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig,” attorney David Gilmore, representing neighbors Debbie and Martin Britz, told the city council. He is concerned there are not enough guidelines in the rezone. The way the city is approaching the project is avoiding the necessary impact studies, he said.

Gilmore warned about possible litigation.

Vong Mouanoutoua called the project a benefit for Clovis.

“It allows the R-T park to have a wider array of potential,” Mouanoutoua said.

Lynne Ashbeck expressed concern over the plan’s guardrails and she wants to see more work on the project. She questioned the urgency to approve the rezoning at the meeting.

Mouanoutoua, Drew Bessinger, and Diane Pearce voted in favor; Ashbeck opposed. Matt Basgall recused himself, as he is a CHSU employee.

(Disclosure: GV Wire publisher Darius Assemi is president/CEO of Granville Homes. Eleven of the 63 parcels are owned by Granville or an affiliate. Assemi is a member of the CHSU Board of Trustees.)

Karbassi-Soria Trial Date Set

Mike Karbassi and Esmeralda Soria were once colleagues on the Fresno City Council. They became opponents in the 2022 primary for a state Assembly seat. Now, they will be opponents in a defamation trial.

Fresno County Superior Court Commissioner Daniel Brickey set a Dec. 1, 2025, trial date.

Soria won the primary and the 2022 general election. She is running for re-election this year. Karbassi sued for defamation, claiming a Soria mailer to voters unfairly implying he had a criminal record (it was actually a former consultant to the Karbassi campaign).

The court initially tossed the case, granting Soria’s anti-SLAPP motion. But, the Fifth District Court of Appeal reinstated the case. The state Supreme Court denied hearing Soria’s appeal.

Because both are public figures, Karbassi would have to prove malice — that Soria knowingly lied about him in the flyer with reckless disregard for the truth.

The case returns to court Sept. 12 for a Soria motion on attorney fees.

Fresno Council Affirms Camping Ban

After another long session of public input, the Fresno City Council affirmed its anti-camping ordinance with a 6-1 vote on Aug. 15. The ban takes effect Sept. 15.

The ordinance bans camping in public places, and on private property when requested by the owner. Dozens of speakers at the meeting — as they did when the ordinance was introduced on July 29 — called the measure anti-homeless.

City Council President Annalisa Perea changed her mind from the July 29 7-0 vote, saying the language of the ordinance was “confusing.”

Thurmond’s Interesting Campaign Pitch

Tony Thurmond has an interesting campaign pitch for governor — letting potential donors know how poorly his campaign is faring.

“I hate to be so blunt, friend, but at this stage in the California governor’s race, I’m getting outraised — badly,” Thurmond wrote in a fundraising email, bold and italics included.

Raising only $16,000 for the first half of the year, it is true when Thurmond also wrote “Over the first half of 2024, every single one of my opponents outraised my campaign.”

All the major candidates — Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis ($1.4 million), former state Treasurer Betty Yee ($918,000), state Sen. Toni Atkins ($4.1 million) — raised more.

As of June 30, Thurmond has $673,000 cash on hand. He also has another $11,000 in his State Superintendent of Public Instruction account.

Kounalakis has $4.5 million banked in her governor account, with another $4.5 million remaining in her lieutenant governor account.