Quote of the Week
“If we support new housing and we’re in a housing crisis, why are we allowing the commission to deny housing projects?”
— Councilmember Miguel Arias commenting from the council dais on the Planning Commission’s rejection of a large market-rate apartment complex project in northwest Fresno.
This Week in Fresnoland
Planning Commission shoots down northwest apartment project, despite housing crisis
The Fresno Planning Commission this week rejected a proposal to build a 82-home apartment complex in northwest Fresno.
It’s unclear whether the developer plans to fight the ruling and city leaders have said nobody has asked them for an appeal, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela reported.
The development would be market rate, without any subsidy for people who cannot afford rent – but the hearing saw comments that perpetuate stereotypes that have been mostly disproven— such as decreasing property value, increased crime rates and worsening traffic.
Architect Scott Vincent represented developer Land Value Management at this week’s hearing and addressed some of those concerns directly.
“Crime does not necessarily go up if the project is well maintained and well managed, and that’s what we expect here,” he said. “We’re coming into a prime area and expecting prime rents. We’re not going to let people come in and ruin that value.”
City leaders could step in. Mayor Jerry Dyer and Councilmember Mike Karbassi–who represents the district in question–could appeal the ruling.
However, with the clock already ticking on a 15-day deadline and what certainly appeared to be overwhelming opposition from surrounding neighborhoods, whether anyone could or would try to muster the political will remained very much in question heading into the week.
How do you close a $47 million budget deficit?
After months of talking about belt-tightening, Mayor Jerry Dyer proposed a record-breaking $2 billion city budget, Fresnoland’s Omar Shaikh Rashad reported.
Dyer on Thursday told the City Council his plan avoids layoffs and staff furloughs, but relies heavily on attrition and some new untested revenue streams. The mayor’s first draft also does not fund an eviction protection program that councilmembers have fought to preserve before.
Want to get involved in the budget hearing process? Pablo Orihuela breaks down the next steps in the process here.
‘A huge step forward’ for mobile food vendors
Fresno nonprofit Cultiva La Salud has secured a space for a new community kitchen to serve the city’s mobile food vendors. It’s soon to be one of multiple shared kitchen spaces operating in the Fresno area – although without any funding support from the city that officials pledged after a street vendor was killed in 2021, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano and Diego Vargas reported.
The additional kitchen will benefit “hundreds and hundreds” of mobile food vendors that the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation assists with licensing and permitting, said the foundation’s president Dora Westerlund.
“It’s necessary and much needed,” she said. “For mobile food vendors to be fully equipped and fully functioning, they need to have a space where they’re able to prepare their food.”
Near tragedy led to ped and bike improvements to Tulare Avenue in Fresno’s Jackson neighborhood
The pair of near tragedies inspired the Whites to demand improvements for their neighborhood of Jackson, a community of more than 900 homes southeast of the 41 and 180 freeway interchange. Over time, by building support with their neighbors, they came together to create a nonprofit organization, the Jackson Community Development Corp, Dayana Jiselle reported for Fresnoland.
In just a few more weeks, they’ll celebrate the completion of a multi-year project to create bike lanes, install a sidewalk and upgrade curbs and gutters along Tulare Avenue in their neighborhood.
Did you work for Bitwise? Fresnoland wants to talk to you.
It’s been nearly one year since one-time tech darling Bitwise Industries imploded amid allegations of executive fraud.
Now, nearly 12 months later, the defunct company’s top executives are negotiating plea agreements with the United States Justice Department.
Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano wants to hear former Bitwise workers’ reflections on all of the above, one year after the collapse. How have your lives changed? Did you struggle to pay bills? Did you find a new job? Did you change career paths or move somewhere else? Did you have any more thoughts on why what happened happened?
Please fill out our Google Form if you’re interested in sharing – we appreciate any input you can provide our reporting. Your name will not be printed with your responses unless you’ve given us express permission to do so.
Outside the Lines
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors will hold a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities, Fresnoland’s Diego Vargas reported.
More than 100 people applied for a spot on a contentious new “community standards” committee charged with reviewing library books in Fresno County. Appointments to the 11-member Community Parent and Guardian Review Committee could begin as early as next month, Fresnoland’s Rob Parsons reported.
The Wonderful Co, the $6 billion agricultural giant owned by Stewart and Lynda Resnick, is suing the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, challenging the constitutionality of the state’s new card-check system, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law in 2022, the LA Times reported.
A Merced city councilmember is under investigation for allegedly threatening a witness in her son’s child sex crimes case, the Merced FOCUS reported, and it’s not the first time the councilmember has been accused of threatening people.
Block Beat
NORTHWEST: Leaders from Valley Teen Ranch and the city broke ground on 96 new ‘permanent supportive’ homes for unhoused youth ages 18-24 aging out of the foster system on Sierra and Polk Avenues. Fresno Business Journal
MANCHESTER: A 600-home development called ‘One Fresno at Manchester Center’ is making its way through the permitting process at the former Manchester Mall. The Fresno Bee
RIVERPARK: A new Japanese ‘all you can eat’ (but not a buffet!) restaurant has soft-opened in the former California Pizza Kitchen space on Blackstone and Nees. The Fresno Bee
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER: The Fresno lawmaker who secured $15 million in operations funding for the San Joaquin River Parkway is frustrated about how it’s being spent. The Fresno Bee Opinion
Department of New Construction
CHINATOWN: Ittai Hernandez has filed a conditional use permit to open a liquor store on E Street in between Tulare and Kern.
OLD FIG GARDEN: Aspen Public Schools, a nonprofit operating three public charter schools in Fresno, has filed a development permit to start a community garden across the street from Aspen Meadow Public School on Saginaw Way. The project description states that the nonprofit purchased the property from Fresno First Baptist Church that previously used the space for a garden. It also notes the space hasn’t been used as a garden since 2019 and that an “empty space of dirt and trash will be transformed into a space full of plant life” if the application is approved.
HIGHWAY CITY: A development permit has been filed to build a two-story shell building on El Capitan Avenue off of Shaw Avenue for a JST office. The application notes that an existing metal building at the location will be demolished.
OLD FIG GARDEN: YBA Architects have proposed revisions to the Libre Commons affordable housing project being built on the southeast corner of North Glenn Avenue and West Shaw Avenue, which the affordable housing development company UPholdings said “has been vacant for decades.” The revisions, currently under review, include direct connections from the dwelling units to Shaw Avenue right-of-way and landscaping plans for the south property line. UPholdings indicates the project comes with 86 units of affordable rentals.
BLACKSTONE CORRIDOR: Teter Architects & Engineers are seeking a zone clearance for the Fresno City Studios affordable housing project on Blackstone with help from the state’s Homekey program. The project will convert existing hotel rooms into 33 units for renters making 30% of the area median income.
Around Town
Make plans to attend the FREE Fresno Art Museum Family Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 19 at the museum, 2233 N. First St. Lots of fun activities, including a couple of storytime sessions featuring Children’s Services Librarians!
As summer temperatures are upon us, good news – the city’s splash pads will be opening for the season beginning next Saturday, May 25. They’ll be open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The African American Historical & Cultural Museum of the San Joaquin Valley invites the public to an opening ceremony for Juneteenth 2024 from 4:30 t0 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13 at the museum, 1857 Fulton St.
Mobile food vendors are invited to two public meetings in May detailing new procedure and operational requirements for street vending in Fresno parks. Join the City of Fresno and County Health Department to learn about permit and license requirements. Spanish interpretation will be available. The first meeting takes place at 5:30 p.m. May 22 at City Hall, 2600 Fresno St. The second is set for 9 a.m. May 24 at Mosqueda Park, 4670 E. Butler Ave. LEARN MORE
CMAC invites you to participate in Crowdsourced Cinema, a creative challenge that brings community members together to remake a feature-length film. This year, local filmmakers will collaborate to remake scenes from the the 90s classic family film “Home Alone.” You do not need to be a CMAC member to participate. You can work alone or as part of a team. Everyone who signs up will be randomly assigned a 1-3 minute scene from the movie. We will provide you with a video clip of your scene and the written script. Completed scenes are due in September. LEARN MORE
The Fresno Rainbow Pride & Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 1 at various locations around the Tower District and Fresno City College.
Rainbow Family Day at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 8.
June 22 is Diversity & Inclusion Night at Chukchansi Park in downtown Fresno. Watch the Grizzlies take on the Stockton Ports at 6:50 p.m.
