Quote of the Week
“I want all of you to know we are committed to eliminating trash dumpsters in our downtown and Chinatown areas,” he added, “and replacing all of them with strategically placed trash compactors.”
– Mayor Jerry Dyer, announcing a new initiative at the State of Downtown on Friday, April 19, along with previews of upcoming projects in the pipeline, including two new parking garages downtown to be funded with state infrastructure money.
This Week in Fresnoland
‘A get-out-of-jail-free card?’
The family of Joseph Perez wants its day in court.
Perez, a 41-year-old father of two, was killed on May 10, 2017 after he was restrained by Fresno police and county sheriff’s deputies.
The Fresno County Coroner called the death a homicide – a death at the hands of another person – and cited the cause of death as “compression asphyxia during restraint,” with methamphetamine use as a contributing factor.
An appeals court ruling this week affirmed a lower federal court ruling that the officers, deputies and paramedics were entitled to “qualified immunity,” a protection created by the courts – not legislators – that broadly shields government workers, including police, from liability.
“The opinion is not a judicial determination that the officers did not use excessive force,” said John Taylor, one of the attorneys representing the Perez family.
In an interview with Fresnoland this week, Taylor criticized the qualified immunity doctrine and said the family believes the court’s ruling remains legally incorrect.
“Qualified immunity is a court-created safety blanket for deputies and officers who don’t follow their training when interacting with people in the city,” Taylor said. “It’s a get-out-jail-free card that leads to horrible results like this.”
Taylor said the family plans to continue the legal battle. In the coming weeks, the family expects to ask the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for a full hearing, called an “en banc” hearing before a full panel of appellate court judges.
Previous appeal arguments were heard by a three-judge panel that split on the question of immunity for the law enforcement officers at the scene.
Fresno County greenlights special pesticide to protect tomato crops
Declaring a local emergency this week, Fresno County will allow growers to use a recently restricted pesticide in an effort to head off a virus deadly to one of the region’s key crops.
The Beet Curly Top Virus, commonly carried by the Beatleaf Hopper insect, wreaks havoc on tomato plants, one of Fresno’s most valuable crops that raked in more than $429 million in the county in 2022, county spokesperson Sonja Dosti said in an email to Fresnoland on Friday.
California is the largest producer of processing tomatoes and the second largest producer of fresh tomatoes in the United States.
“At this time, counts are relatively low, but as host forage in the foothills dries up, we expect to see a migration into the Valley,” Dosti said.
The insect is a pest to processing tomatoes and fresh market tomatoes, primarily on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.
“Neonicotinoids are the most reliable pesticides controlling the BLH insect. The imminent migration of BLH (insects) into Fresno County is an extreme threat to tomato crops,” county officials said in a statement. “According to California state authorities, the emergency use of neonicotinoid pesticides is the most efficacious method to mitigate this threat against tomato crops.”
New Supreme Court ruling could have big impact Fresno
A unanimous ruling from the nation’s highest court opens the door for developers to challenge fees they believe are too high, Frensoland’s Gregory Weaver reported.
Many Fresno-area developers applauded the ruling handed down April 12 by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Mike Prandini, head of the Fresno/Madera Building Industry Association, described it as good news for builders.
“This may get people to think twice about how they make those calculations,” Prandini said, referring to how cities estimate developer fees.
Prandini acknowledged that challenging fees in court remains an uphill battle, but said he hopes the case sparks “more serious discussions” around estimated developer fees.
However, housing policy experts caution that the ruling is unlikely to significantly impact housing affordability in the near term.
“This is not going to lead to a huge reduction in impact fees,” said Bill Fulton, former director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University. “And I don’t think this is going to make a fundamental difference in whether we’re building enough housing, or affordable housing.”
Fresno near dead last in small business loans
A new analysis of the 100 largest cities and counties in the U.S. shows that when it comes to small business lending, Fresno comes in at almost dead-last, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reported.
In a new report released this week, researchers at the Urban Institute found that Fresno County and the city of Fresno ranked second and third from last on loans to small businesses compared with other large cities and counties across the country.
The report also noted racial and geographic disparities in small business lending, showing that investments were clustered in the northern and eastern parts of the city and favored census tracts where less than 20% of the population was Hispanic.
The findings didn’t surprise local experts.
Tale as old as time: Costco packing up to move further north
Six weeks after delaying a vote to relocate the Costco Wholesale in northwest Fresno, the City Council on Thursday unanimously approved the move with new traffic and parking requirements, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela reported.
Costco plans to relocate its warehouse store on West Shaw Avenue to West Herndon Avenue and North Riverside Drive after the lease on its current location expires next year.
The 219-000-square-foot Herndon facility will be outfitted with a gas station and additional services, including a new car wash. Costco also presented backup plans should the carwash fall through, including converting the area into additional parking or leasing the property to a third party.
Outside the Lines
Fresno’s voter turnout was relatively low for the most recent March election, at 30.84% of registered voters sending in their ballots – but it wasn’t the record low that some experts were predicting. Plus, an interactive map of neighborhood voter turnout. FRESNOLAND
A bankruptcy judge this week rejected a last-minute push to delay efforts to reopen Madera’s bankrupt hospital amid community criticism of the hospital’s new operator. FRESNOLAND
A Fresno man became the fastest American to participate in the 128th Boston Marathon, finishing seventh overall with a time of 2 hours 9 minutes, and 53 seconds. CJ Albertson is also the head men’s cross country coach at Clovis Community College. KSEE
Fresno is hiring for positions that could provide valuable experience for a future teaching career, just one of the job openings we found that doesn’t require a college degree. THE FRESNO BEE
Block Beat
COPPER RIVER: Mad Duck Craft Brewing Company opened its fourth Fresno-area location this week, featuring its largest dining room to date. FRESNO BIZ JOURNAL
TOWER DISTRICT: The Tower Porchfest returns April 27, Fresno’s “grassroots” music festival converts the porches and front yards of home in the city’s most famous neighborhood into mini concert venues featuring some of the very best local musicians and performers. PORCHFEST
AIRPORT: Food trucks landed at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport this week, featuring Tacos Tepa and Los Mexicanos Frutas y Antojos serving up their signature dishes to late night travelers. Dishes are served in “travel-ready containers to enjoy prior to boarding flights or to carry onboard the aircraft for an in-flight meal,” airport officials said in a news release this week.
DOWNTOWN: Fresno’s Brewery District is growing once again with a new development on the way. The pair behind Sun Stereo Warehouse, Jamin Brazil and Reza Assemi, have purchased what was previously Downtown Auto Care. FRESNO BIZ JOURNAL
SOUTH TOWER: 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
SUNNYSIDE: On April 22 (Monday), Tulare Avenue just east of Clovis Avenue will close for road improvements. Northbound Clovis Avenue will be reduced to two lanes just north of Kings Canyon Road to north of Tulare Avenue, city officials said in a brief statement Friday. “Tulare Avenue is a hard closure, and drivers should utilize Fowler Avenue to Tulare Avenue or Fancher Creek Drive as an alternate route.” The closure is expected to last until May 16, pending any unforeseen delays.
ROEDING PARK: Also on April 22 (still Monday), Golden State Boulevard between Belmont, and Olive Avenues will permanently close for the California High-Speed Rail Belmont Avenue grade separation project. Drivers can utilize Highway 99, Marks Avenue or find an alternate route.
Department of New Construction
WEST CENTRAL: A development permit application is in the works for Brent Looney of LRB Architecture and Urban Design to install a new 500-gallon liquid petroleum gas tank at the Valera at 4245 W Ashlan Ave.
MANCHESTER: An application has been submitted for a change of occupancy with site modifications to convert existing office space to a religious assembly space on the southeast corner of Shields and Fresno Streets.
BELTERRA: Granville Homes filed a development permit application, proposing to add a 680-square-foot canopy over the outdoor common area of the group’s Princeton Apartments development plan at Fowler and Princeton Avenues. The original project was approved for 15, six-unit apartment buildings, two stories high, for a total of 90 residential units.
AIRPORT DISTRICT: A conditional use permit application has been submitted to operate an outpatient substance use disorder program at 1900 Gateway Blvd. Services would include group and individual counseling. No modifications to the property or landscape are required. Ample parking is available.
LOWELL: An environmental assessment is in the works as Fresno prepares to place 24 “tiny homes” at scattered sites’ throughout the city. The city partnered with Fresno City College to construct homes and is finalizing negotiations with the Lowell Community Development Corporation to place the homes at sites of the company’s choosing.
Around Town
Valley Forward HOSTS a workers rights resource fair in Calwa Park. The April 21 event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., called Tacos con Derechos, will offer resources related to wage theft, retaliation, health and safety, Cal/OSHA, and more, as well as free food, a PS5 raffle, and, of course, tacos.
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.”
Apply now for the 2024 Youth Fee Waiver Program to see if you qualify to lower recreation program fees from $75 to $20 for eligible youth. Application details in bio. For inquiries, call 559- 621-PLAY (7529). Remember to reapply annually, as the 2023 fee waiver expired Dec. 31, 2023. FRESNOPARCS
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
