Quote of the Week
“I put my own perspective into these songs. Even on a song like “Just for Fun,” [Beyoncé] sings about Clovis, which is the town I grew up in. So if you really look into the details of it, you can hear my perspective in there, I think.”
-Clovis songwriter Ryan Beatty discussing writing songs for Cowboy Carter and his upcoming tours in this interview with Billboard.
This Week in Fresnoland
An effective housing program in Fresno could soon run out of money
Until 18 months ago, tenants lucky enough to win the housing choice voucher lottery had just a one-in-three chance of finding housing before it expired, due in part to Fresno’s increasingly competitive rental market, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela reported.
Two new programs have helped improve those chances, but one of them is soon to expire, and it’s unclear whether Fresno – facing a nearly $40 million budget deficit – will have the money or political will to save it.
“These landlord services and these incentive programs can help but you still need more housing…that’s modestly priced,” said Andrew Aurand, senior vice president for research at the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “You sort of need both the supply side and the cooperation of landlords…you really need both to come together.”
More parking and fewer trash bins in downtown Fresno
Downtown Fresno is expected to get some much-needed parking space in the future, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reported.
Speaking at the annual State of Downtown event last week, Mayor Jerry Dyer said one new parking structure would be on H and Inyo streets and include about 900 stalls. There’s another coming to Fulton and Tuolumne streets, and parallel efforts to “spruce up” the spiral garage on Van Ness Avenue.
“These parking structures will not be your traditional parking structures,” he said. “They will be aesthetically pleasing to the eye and strategically located for convenience.”
The mayor also pledged to rid downtown of all trash bins in the next two years and replace them with trash compactors, citing complaints about “the unsheltered population rifling through the alley dumpsters for recyclables, resulting in trash being strewn about our downtown area.”
Will Fresno plant its way out of a tree deficit?
Fresno has one of the most intense urban heat islands in the U.S. Improving the tree canopy can help, along with improving air quality – but the city has to evaluate its funding priorities and policies to make it happen, Fresnoland’s Danielle Bergstrom reported this week.
The draft plan, available for public comment until April 30, sets a goal of planting 80,000 new trees in the next 40 years, or about 4,600 new trees per year.
Why Fresno’s mayor is counting on the real estate industry next year
Fresno real estate leaders are celebrating some industry wins in the county over the last year, including completed affordable housing projects and below-average vacancy rates in office and retail spaces, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reported.
But they acknowledge many challenges lie ahead for the real estate sector in 2024 as ambitious projects like the Southeast Development Area face a feasibility check, aging buildings send insurance costs for homebuyers and landlords through the roof, and the value of agricultural land drops.
Fresnoland wins tops journalism honors
Fresnoland reporters collected top honors this week at the 36th annual George F. Gruner Awards ceremony at Fresno State.
It was Fresnoland’s first time participating in the Valley’s most prestigious journalism competition and it ended with reporter Omar Shaikh Rashad taking home the ceremony’s top prize – the public service award journalism. Judges praised Omar’s work shining a light on the Fresno City Council’s secretive budget committee.
The public service journalism award was shared between Omar and SJV Water Editor Lois Henry.
Gregory Weaver collected two top prizes – best news story for his investigation into unanswered environmental questions tied to a Caltrans highway expansion in Fresno County and best writing for his story detailing the power struggles between two of the region’s wealthiest farmers.
Julianna Morano received an honorable mention award for her story exploring the financial challenges of working and living as an artist in Fresno.
Outside the Lines
Clovis songwriter Ryan Beatty talks about co-writing songs on Cowboy Carter and his upcoming tours in this interview with Billboard. “I put my own perspective into these songs. Even on a song like “Just for Fun,” [Beyoncé] sings about Clovis, which is the town I grew up in [in California]. So if you really look into the details of it, you can hear my perspective in there, I think.”
One of the most troubling local headlines this week was also one of the most predictable annual news stories in Fresno. A new report this week from the American Lung Association puts the Fresno area in the top five most polluted cities in the United States – again. Fresno was joined in the annual bad air hall of fame by Visalia and Bakersfield.
The Fresno Unified school board is weighing whether to make cuts to personnel in the Ethnic Studies department, which could jeopardize the soon-to-be adopted statewide graduation requirement. 100 total district positions might get axed to accommodate the district’s new contract with the Fresno Teachers Association that came with costly raises and class size reductions. The Fresno Bee
A half mile section of Golden State Boulevard between Olive and Belmont avenues in Fresno permanently closed this week ahead of more high-speed rail construction, KVPR reported.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Wednesday announced a 5% increase in the Central Valley Project 2024 water supply allocation for south-of-Delta contractors and those in the Friant Division. While north-of-Delta CVP contractors have seen 100% of their supplies, south-of-Delta agricultural contractors won an increase from 35% to 40%. A week earlier, the Friant Division Class 1 allocation was increased from 95% to 100% and the Class 2 allocation increased from 0% to 5%.
In California there’s no cap on how much rent a landlord can charge, but the Tenant Protection Act limits how much they can raise the rent to 5% plus the percentage change in cost of living or 10% (whichever of the two is lower) over 12 months. A new state law also limits how much landlords can charge for security deposits. The Sacramento Bee
Block Beat
TOWER DISTRICT: This weekend is Porchfest, the annual bash in Fresno’s Tower District during which dozens of porches turn into impromptu live music venues for one day only, starting at 10 a.m. Saturday. The Fresno Bee
FASHION FAIR: The Express store at Fashion Fair will close after decades in operation in the wake of the retailer’s parent company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The Business Journal
BELMONT: A recently-made TikTok account from the owner of Mark’s Kitchen on Belmont Avenue has garnered hundreds of thousands of followers for the restaurant’s owner Heak “Helen” Po, famous locally for her sense of humor, profanity, and generously portioned Chinese food and hamburgers. The Fresno Bee
TOWER DISTRICT: The public is invited to the next meeting of the Tower District Specific Plan Implementation Committee meeting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30 at the Ted C. Wills Community Center, 770 N. Pablo Ave. The meeting includes a review of the draft policies for land use and presentations from Public Works regarding traffic and circulation. The policies will be incorporated into the public review draft for the Specific Plan. You can register for the Zoom meeting link here.
HIGHWAY CITY: Kids ages 5 to 17 are invited to a Bike Safety Rodeo! “Enjoy a week filled with exciting activities, educational presentations, and the highlight of the week: our awesome bike rodeo.” The event runs from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 1 to Friday, May 3. Questions? Call 559-621-PLAY (7529). FRESNOPARCS
LOWELL: The Senior Spring Resource Fair is set for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, May 10 at the Ted C. Wills Community Center, 1770 N. San Pablo Ave in Fresno. FRESNOPARCS
Department of New Construction
SUNNYSIDE: A development permit is under review to add a new drive-thru window and bypass lane to a McDonald’s on Kings Canyon Road, east of Clovis Avenue. The application also proposes improvements to the interior and exterior of the restaurant, including removing an infill wall, adding a new exterior door, re-striping the parking lot, and repainting the entire exterior. The permit is currently on hold.
SOUTHEAST FRESNO: A permit is under review to provide cross access and a drainage agreement between two city-owned parcels of land for the development of South Peach Park.
Around Town
Sally Gomez is officially the top librarian in Fresno County after receiving the Fresno County Board of Supervisors’ approval Tuesday. The almost 20-year veteran of the Fresno County Public Library system had served as Interim County Library since October 2023.
Fresno residents can park for free on Sunday, April 28 at all three of the city’s regional parks – Roeding Park, Woodward Park and the Regional Sports Complex. City leaders encourage residents to “round up the family, pack a picnic, and enjoy a day of outdoor fun at one of our beautiful parks.”
The “fine and fabulous” San Joaquin Clay & Glass Festival is set May 11 at the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1084 W. Bullard Ave., in Fresno. Local artisans will be on hand with original handmade treasures. Support local artists! SJCGA
Clovis Unified is taking recommendations from the community on what to name its new Clovis South middle school that will open in 2025. Suggestions can be sent via email to district administrator Stephanie Hanks at stephaniehanks@cusd.com. The Fresno Bee
