The west side of Fresno finally has a road map for development.

After eight years of planning, the Fresno City Council has approved the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan. The land use document will help guide the growth west of Highway 99, an area known as “Forgotten Fresno.” It passed unanimously, 7-0, at Thursday’s council meeting.

“There is a trend of investments that is long overdue,” District 1 Councilmember Annalisa Perea said. She represents 49% of the plan area’s residents. Perea affixed a literal sign of support in front of her on the dais.

District 2 Councilmember Mike Karbassi also supported the plan but had some reservations. He wished more landowners could be notified about potential zoning changes that could affect their property.

Karbassi also balked at an idea of a regional park spanning both sides of Shaw Avenue at Hayes Avenue, connected by a pedestrian bridge. He doubted the city would ever build such a bridge. The city changed the park site to include only the south side of Shaw.

Advocates hope the plan will lead to improved housing, infrastructure, and retail. City planners say 400 housing units would be added under the plan.

“I’m extremely excited for the potential for our community to be developed the right way,” said April Henry, an advocate of the plan and director of Highway City Community Development.

Henry looks forward to added infrastructure. She said the area is missing 30 miles of sidewalks.

The west side is one of Fresno’s fastest-growing areas. From 2010 to 2020, population in the 11-square-mile part of town grew 20%, compared to 9% citywide, according to plan documents. Fresno encompasses nearly 116 square miles.

Several candidates and public officeholders were at the meeting: Central Unified trustees Nabil Kherfan and Naindeep Singh, and Mayra Campa. Singh and Campa are running for the District 1 City Council seat in 2026, while Perea is running for state Assembly.

GV Wire’s Edward Smith contributed to this story.

Arias Calls Out Clovis, Supervisors Over Prop. 50 Opposition

Miguel Arias used his city council update time to call the Clovis City Council and the Fresno County Board of Supervisors hypocrites.

Both bodies officially voted to oppose Proposition 50, the Nov. 4 special election to adopt new gerrymandered congressional maps. Experts say it would benefit the Democratic Party.

Clovis councilmembers complained that the new maps would split the city from one congressional district into three. Supervisors made similar complaints about the county.

Arias, noting that the city of Fresno is split into the five supervisor districts, said that he finds it “ironic that these two bodies who both exercise their own ability to redistrict their own boundaries to fit their own self-interest … sit silent when Fresno is diluted by supervisor districts.”

He advised his colleagues in Clovis and on the Board of Supervisors to “focus on fixing streets and parks instead of engaging in false arguments and disingenuous positions.”

Stermer Raise

The city council approved a raise for City Clerk Todd Stermer.

His compensation increases 6% from his first contract to $153,716. This is Stermer’s first council-approved raise since being hired in November 2021. While most executive positions are under the authority of the mayor’s office, the city clerk and city attorney are hired and fired by the city council.

The 5-0 vote happened on the consent calendar without discussion. Karbassi and Arias were absent from Thursday’s consent agenda voting.

New Selland Scoreboard with Bulldogs on the Way

Thanks to a $605,000 donation from the Fresno/Clovis Convention & Visitors Bureau, the city of Fresno can replace the 18-year-old Selland Arena scoreboard.

The donation comes as Fresno State men’s basketball announced it will play its Nov. 30 men’s basketball game against CSU Bakersfield at Selland.

“Thanks to this incredible donation, we’re investing in its future,” Mayor Jerry Dyer said in a news release. “A modern scoreboard will add to the energy and excitement that makes an event unforgettable.”

The 5-0 vote happened on the consent calendar without discussion.

Other Council Notes

Traffic for several areas in Fresno will be smoother because the city council approved software for Intelligent Transportation System — City Hall speak for synchronized traffic lights. The 5-0 consent calendar vote allows improved traffic flow for 62 intersections at Jensen Avenue, Clovis Avenue, Palm Avenue, Tulare and Tuolumne streets, Cesar Chavez Boulevard, and Friant Road.

The city council voted 5-0 on the consent agenda to approve labor contracts with several units including the sanitation engineers, professional employees, and the Fresno City Employees Association. In closed session, the city council voted 6-0 to withdraw its unfair labor complaint against the Amalgamated Transit Union, representing city bus drivers. Arias was absent from that vote.

Although the official presentation was for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the city council took time to honor Nicole Linder, outgoing CEO at the Marjaree Mason Center. Linder announced last month she plans to leave after nine years leading the group.

Linder has a few more months at the helm and does not yet have a plan for what she’ll do after she leaves the center. However, she has ruled out any run for political office.