After nearly eight years, the plan for “forgotten Fresno” west of Highway 99 will go before the city council on Thursday, Oct. 16.

Residents told planning commissioners last week they hope the plan for the quickly growing area will bring an improved neighborhood identity along with better transportation, sidewalks, retail, and safe routes to schools.

April Henry, executive director of Highway City Community Development, said despite west Fresno being the fastest-growing part of the city, it only has one grocery store, one bank, and one health clinic.

“If there was a train derailment or some catastrophe that stopped us from getting from the west area to central Fresno, would we be able to survive?” Henry said. “Would we be able to sustain west of the 99? The answer really is no.”

The West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan outlines land use — commercial and residential — and street and sidewalk codes. Most residents at the Oct. 1 planning commission meeting praised the plan, with the only criticisms coming from a handful of property owners seeking specific changes to their land.

For example, Rod Deluca said the plan rezones his property into a park, which he said he wouldn’t be able to sell with the park designation.

Commission members unanimously recommended approval along with zoning changes for property owners.

Commissioner Monica Diaz was not present and Commissioner Gurdeep Shergill recused himself as he lives in the area. He commented in favor as a community member.

Perea and Karbassi Like the Plan

Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea and Council President Mike Karbassi praised the plan. Their districts comprise nearly all of the area.

“This plan represents a long-overdue promise to the residents west of Highway 99. Since joining the council, I’ve pushed tirelessly for its completion. Despite the setbacks along the way, I’m thrilled  that this vital part of Fresno will finally receive the planning roadmap it should have had from the very beginning,” Perea said.

“The days of neglect and poor planning for neighborhoods west of the 99 are behind us.”

Karbassi said the plan gave community members input on how their neighborhoods should look. However, given the plan’s long delays, he said rushing it through now could bring changes property owners don’t know about. State laws around housing have also changed over the years, and he wants to be sure they’re compliant.

“It’s been so long, do the property owners themselves understand the changes to the properties and the use changes and what it’s going to mean for them?” Karbassi said. “If this was fresh on people’s minds, I would feel a lot more comfortable.”

West Area Grew 20% in 10 Years. City Grew 9%

The west area 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 the 9% citywide, according to plan documents. Fresno encompasses nearly 116 square miles.

Despite that growth, the west area has languished, Henry said. One of the two grocery stores in the area closed as did one bank, she said. The patchwork of county and city land has streets that suddenly narrow and sidewalks that abruptly end. Children often have to walk on private property to get to schools. Henry said the area needs about 30 miles of sidewalks to do complete streets.

Community members have wanted a HAWK crosswalk — protected pedestrian crosswalks — at Teague Elementary for more than 10 years, she said. Teague will be one of four areas to get such a crosswalk if the plan is approved, she said.

Access to west Fresno did ease with the opening of Veterans Boulevard, but residents still await the revamping of the Shaw Avenue interchange at Highway 99.

“We don’t want to be considered ‘forgotten Fresno’ anymore,” Henry said. “It’s a quickly growing community, but we want to feel like we’re a full community and not just this pieced-together landscape.”

Shaw Avenue to Be Community Hub

The west area plan maps out how land should be developed. Major development would focus around six “catalytic corridors” including along Shaw Avenue, Ashlan Avenue, Shields Avenue, Clinton Avenue, Brawley Avenue, and Veterans Boulevard.

Those stretches would have wider sidewalks, diverse retail options, and enhanced public transit options.

West Shaw Avenue between Polk and Granland avenues would serve as the community hub.

The plan decreases housing capacity from the current general plan by about 1,800 units while increasing commercial capacity by about 6.9 million square feet.

Community members called for a regional park, but the plan says a large park would need vetting with community members first.

Enhancing the Area’s Farm Identity for Economic Opportunities

Given the agriculture still present in the area, the plan calls for a focus on agritourism, including bed-and-breakfasts, wineries, and farmers markets. It also directs the city to explore allowances for chickens, goats, and bees.

Henry said the semi-rural feel was a major reason she moved to the area.

“We love that my neighborhood sits there. It’s a small neighborhood and the backside of our fence is all farmland still behind us,” Henry said. “We thought we’re getting the best of both worlds.”

Fresno County Supervisor Brian Pacheco said he approves of the plan because the westward Garfield Avenue limit does not interfere with agriculture.

He said Fresno needs to preserve its agricultural way of life lest it become like Los Angeles, which once was a significant agricultural area.

“If we don’t remember where we come from, we’re doomed to be like Los Angeles,” Pacheco said.

A survey indicated that a plurality of respondents, about 27%, said there were too many apartments, townhouses, or condos for the area, with 23% wanting more luxury or custom home options. However, about 16% said there wasn’t enough affordable housing, according to the 2022 plan.

Zoning plans dedicate most available land to medium- and medium-low type zoning.

Residents told planners they wanted more grocery stores, bakeries, and restaurants that aren’t fast food.

Commissioners First Approved the Plan in 2022

The first community meetings for the west area plan were held in 2017, said long-range planner Casey Lauderdale. By 2022, the Fresno Planning Commission had approved the plan. However, the city council never heard it.

It was placed on the council agenda in October 2022 but tabled indefinitely. The city recirculated the required environmental study in 2023 and, after the city lost a lawsuit for its citywide environmental study the year after that, the council needed to allocate more money to finish that study.

Karbassi said he will ask city staff about the plan ahead of its upcoming council hearing.

“This document will hopefully help with development,” Karbassi said. “I just want to make sure what we pass actually helps with development and isn’t something that hurts. That’s why one of the things I want to know is, have the developers or the property owners seen this recently? Are they aware this is happening?”