Regular Council Meeting
June 9, 2022
Email / eComment Report
The Following item(s) were commented on:
• File ID 22-906, 10: 15 A.M.
HEARING to consider Rezone Application No. P22-00451 and related Environmental Assessment No. P22-00451 pertaining to ±5.57 acres of property located on the southwest corner of West Bullard Avenue and North Del Mar Avenue (Council District 4) - Planning and Development Department.
Total number of emails: 5
• Unscheduled Communiction (No Specific Item Identified) Total number of emails: 1
ltem(s)
Supplemental Information:
Any agenda related public documents received and distributed to a majority of the City Council after the Agenda Packet is printed are included in Supplemental Packets. Supplemental Packets are produced as needed. The Supplemental Packet is available for public inspection in the City Clerk's Office, 2600 Fresno Street, during normal business hours (main location pursuant to the Brown Act, G.C. 54957.5(2). In addition, Supplemental Packets are available for public review at the City Council meeting in the City Council Chambers, 2600 Fresno Street. Supplemental Packets are also available on-line on the City Clerk's website.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):
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From: Clerk
To: Amanda Martin
Subject: FW: Agenda Item 22-895
Date: Thursday, June 2, 2022 11:47:26 AM
From: Rodney Delara
Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2022 2:52 PM
To: Clerk
Subject: Agenda Item 22-895
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
My name is Roding Delara. My address is 93704-2023. I am writing in regards to the proposed rezone of the property located at 255 W. Bullard Avenue.
My neighbors & I continue to find other neighbors who never received notification of the rezone application from The City of Fresno.
Our telephone calls & emails to The City of Fresno, The Planning Commission, & our Council Member Tyler Maxwell have produced more questions than answers.
Councilman Maxwell is in the process of scheduling a community meeting with the neighborhood to hear the results of our research & answer our questions.
As of today, that meeting has not been
scheduled.
Therefore, in order to provide complete transparency, we request that The Planning Commission’s final vote be postponed until such time as all our concerns have been addressed & ALL our questions have been answered.
Thank You
From: Clerk
To: Amanda Martin
Subject: FW: District 4 Resident
Date: Thursday, June 2, 2022 11:50:06 AM
From: Elena Silva
Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2022 4:54 PM
To: Clerk
Subject: District 4 Resident
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Dear Fresno City,
As a resident of District 4, I oppose the rezoning of 255 W. Bullard Ave, previously Milan Institute.
Thank you,
Elena Silva and Family
Fresno, CA 93704
From: Clerk
To: Amanda Martin
Subject: FW: Opposition of Removal of Conditional Zoning 255 W Bullard Ave Date: Thursday, June 2, 2022 11:49:16 AM
From: Priscilla Aguayo
Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2022 3:16 PM
To: Clerk
Subject: Opposition of Removal of Conditional Zoning 255 W Bullard Ave External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Dear Clerk,
My name is Priscilla Aguayo. I live in district 4 Fresno, CA 93704. My address
is I
am in total opposition of the proposed rezoning of 255 W Bullard Ave Fresno, CA 93704. I do not want removal of the conditional zoning.
Sincerely,
Priscilla Aguayo
From: Clerk
To: Amanda Martin
Subject: FW: Opposition of Removal of Proposed Rezoning 255 W Bullard Ave Date: Thursday, June 2, 2022 11:48:49 AM
From: Ava Aguayo
Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2022 3:15 PM
To: Clerk
Subject: Opposition of Removal of Proposed Rezoning 255 W Bullard Ave External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Dear Clerk,
My name is Ava Aguayo. I live in district 4 Fresno, CA 93704. My address
is I am
in total opposition of the proposed rezoning of 255 W Bullard Ave Fresno, CA 93704. I do not want removal of the conditional zoning.
Sincerely,
Ava Aguayo
From: Clerk
To: Amanda Martin
Subject: FW: Rezone Application Number P22-00451
Date: Thursday, June 2, 2022 11:43:45 AM
From: Rodney Delara
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2022 6:34 PM
To: Nabil Kherfan
Cc: Clerk
Subject: Rezone Application Number P22-00451
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Nabil,
I am writing to document our telephone conversation this morning regarding the proposed rezoning of the 5.57 acre parcel of property located at 255 West Bullard Avenue.
I called to inquire as to the date of the community meeting with Tyler Maxwell as described in your May 27, 2022 email to me.
Based upon our findings in the past 2 weeks, my neighbors & I believe that a thorough & transparent investigation is necessary.
As a result, we request that the June 1, 2022 public hearing & vote be rescheduled until such time as all our comments & concerns
have been addressed & all our questions have been answered to our satisfaction.
Thank You
Rodney Delara
City of Fresno2600 Fresno Street Fresno, CA 93721June 2, 2022 <sent via email>
Letter RE: Fresno Community Priorities for the FY 2023 Annual Budget and GuidingPrinciples for a Just and Equitable Economic Recovery For All Dear Mayor Dyer and Fresno City Councilmembers,
The undersigned community-based organizations work hand-in-hand with communitiesthroughout the City of Fresno. We thank you for taking the time to read the following budgetletter and welcome the opportunity to discuss our letter in further detail. The priorities andprojects identified below were developed alongside resident partners through our ongoingcollaboration as well as a series of recent community meetings.
The City of Fresno continues to consistently rank the highest in poor air quality 1 in the state, nearlast in the Trust for Public Land’s park score 2 nationwide,houses some of the most burdenedcensus tracts in all of California, 3 and the existinghousing crisis has only worsened making it 3 https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen-40 2 https://www.tpl.org/parkscore
1 https://www.lung.org/research/sota/city-rankings/msas/fresno-madera-hanford-ca#pmann 1 that much more unaffordable even for those earning salaries that equate to area median incomes. 4 These data and statistics are not just numbers we cite, but the realities of a majority of theresidents and communities you serve and represent. The City of Fresno, Councilmembers andMayor Dyer must fundamentally shift the way decisions are made and meaningfully include allFresno communities being especially intentional in including historically excluded groups.
This list of priorities is in no way comprehensive and we recommend that budget allocation andconversations prioritize community voices through town halls and a participatory public process.The City of Fresno must fund and invest in projects, programs, and plans and implementlegislation driven by the people for equitable growth and access getting us closer to one healthyFresno. We present our comments below and ask that you include these priorities in thisupcoming budget:
I. Affordable and Accessible Housing
A. Minimum of a 3-Year Funding Commitment for a Fully Funded ComprehensiveEviction Protection Program We recommend an allocation of $6 million dollars per year for three years each budget cycle($18 million over three years) for a fully funded and improved program. All over Fresno, tenantscontinue to face illegal eviction proceedings, verbal and physical harassment, and retaliationtactics from property managers and landlords. Tenants facing unlawful detainers,many of whomspeak and read languages other than English and are juggling multiple jobs and responsibilities,must navigate a complicated legal system with little to no assistance, which is hard for anyperson even with formal higher education and English fluency.
A fully established Eviction Protection Program in the City of Fresno includes:
● A city-wide, multi-language public awareness and targeted outreach campaign, ● Public education workshops and mobile clinics, in multiple languages, on tenant andlandlord rights and responsibilities, 4 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/06/fresno-housing-prices-rent-california 2 ● A hotline to support tenants with notices from the landlords (e.g. 3-day notice, notice ofrent increase) or other housing-related questions and assistance, ● Legal representation for tenants facing unlawful detainers, ● Real-time/same-day legal advice and representation at the Fresno County courthouse oneviction court days An investment in a comprehensive eviction protection program now will lead to reducedexpenditures on the cost of providing public benefits from job loss, costs associated withhomelessness, the cost of social services and the lasting impacts of evictions such as markedcredit scores making it difficult finding new housing. Initial funding could come from theAmerican Rescue Plan dollars or other funding streams coming to the City of Fresno.
B. $3 million Homeowner and Rent Assistance Program
We ask the City of Fresno to continue and improve upon the Emergency Rental AssistanceProgram as it has helped thousands of households. Staff should work with community leadersand advocates to ensure the program is effective and efficient. While the City has createdhomeownership programs and opportunities, those efforts have not reached some of the residentswho would benefit most. This program should include robust engagement and outreach soFresnans who need it most can obtain access. Residents also recommend that any and allhomeowner and rental assistance opportunities be made available to all lower-income householdsregardless of immigration status. The City should be partnering with financial institutions tosupport affordable and accessible loans to low-income potential homeowners with poor or nocredit or ITIN. Homeownership provides our communities and families with the stability toremain and invest in their neighborhood, meanwhile breaking the cycle of generational povertyas it builds families’ wealth.
C. $3 million for Housing Improvement and Rehabilitation Projects A $3 million dollar initial fund for rehabilitation of older, blighted, and abandoned homes wouldhelp the City of Fresno face its housing crisis and climate crisis. As our climate crisis continuesto increase extreme heat weather events, we urge the City Council and Mayor Dyer toappropriate funding for lower-income households to conduct weatherization improvements totheir home. Additionally, this funding should be used to rehabilitate blighted, abandoned homes 3 and sell to lower-income households as another means to provide affordable homeownershipopportunities. This could then be a revolving fund that sells upgraded homes at-cost allowing theprogram to fund itself. We request the City support and fund these programs and other similarones prioritized in the Here to Stay Report such as the Land Bank Program, Community LandTrusts, and so on through this revolving fund.
D. Rent Stabilization Resolution
The City of Fresno’s rental rates rank high within national and state rankings and rents are onlygetting higher. With an increase of 28% over the lastyear, the median price for a two-bedroom isapproximately $1,500 according to Rent.com. A family of four would have to make $60,000 inorder to afford this rent, however, US census data shows that Fresno's median household incomeis $53,000. And while Fresno rents continue to increase, wages remain stagnant. Fresno isdeemed to have one of the “hottest” rental marketsin the state. Our longtime neighbors andfriends are being displaced and losing their homes as these trends continue. Renters are facedwith the choice to stay and pay exorbitant rents or leave their homes. Stabilizing rents is criticalto the well-being of households and neighborhoods alike.
Residents of all walks of life have been urging this Council and Administration to adopt acomprehensive Rent Stabilization Ordinance that would allow landlords to gain reasonableprofits while keeping families housed. This City can lead in the San Joaquin Valley by adopting aresolution that includes ‘Just Cause’ eviction language; a rent control board that allows landlordsand tenants to make requests such as higher rental increases; and for single-family homesexcluded by the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act. We are recommending that the Counciladopt one rent stabilization policy with a suite of interrelated components to ensure that in theimmediate and short-term, we keep people housed.
E. $1 million for a Tiny Home Community Pilot Program
As our homeless population continues to grow, we must provide a healthy, safe transition fromhouselessness into permanent housing. The first step comes by providing shelter in order toprovide the stability a home can bring to get folks the support and assistance they may need. Atiny home pilot program would provide houseless community members with shelter, basicamenities, and a community to support their transition from not having a stable home. Tinyhomes are an innovative, affordable, and scalable solution for our ongoing housing crisis. One of 4 the many empty lots the City of Fresno owns can serve as the location for 30 tiny homes for 1 to2 individuals. Tiny homes should provide heating, air-conditioning, and 1 to 2 beds. Further,onsite showers, case management workers, housing navigation, and mental health servicesshould be provided on-site in order to transition folks into permanent housing and launch theirown personal development.
II. Climate Resilient Infrastructure and Park Improvements The City must invest in climate-resilient infrastructure improvements in neighborhoods that rankthe highest on CalEnviroScreen for pollution and poor health outcomes and are most vulnerableto climate change. Existing neighborhoods have not seen improvements for decades on theiralready deteriorated roads and parks, and lack bike and pedestrian infrastructures like completesidewalks, bike lanes, lighting, and greening. We ask the City Council to support and prioritizecommunity-identified and community-driven projects including the ones listed below, which alsoalign with the Housing Element Program 27.
A. Community Identified Transportation Improvements
For years, long-standing communities have asked for investments in their communities,and now is the time for the City of Fresno to make those investments in much-neededtransportation improvements. Below are transportation projects your constituents have identifiedas top priorities for their communities.:
a. Bike lanes need to be placed around the following areas:
i. Complete protected bike lanes beginning on NW Olive and Hughes andgoing along Hughes to Mckinley. This would be conducive to a safe bikingpath to Addams Elementary (District 3) b. Complete Street projects need to be completed around the following areas:
i. Complete streets on Olive between Hughes and Marks (District 3) ii. Cedar Ave between Mckinley Ave and Jensen Ave street needs to berepaved and maintained, as well as bike lanes (District 5) 5 iii. Butler Ave between East and Hazelwood Avenues needs to be repaved.(District 5) iv. Local roads in the Winchel and Sequoia area need to be repaved such asFifth Street from California to Ventura Avenues. (District 5) c. Traffic lights need to be placed around the following areas:
i. Traffic lights on Olive and Hughes as there have been fatal accidents at thatintersection. (District 3) ii. Fremont Elementary School on Weldon and Tellman needs a traffic light.Lots of students and families cross this dangerous intersection for school.(District 3) iii. Comprehensive safety upgrades near Calwa Elementary: For years, thecommunity and the parents of Calwa Elementary have asked the City toplace stop lights on the corners of Cedar and Jensen, Jensen and Rowell,and a safe crossing path on Jensen between Cedar and Rowell. This willcreate a safe walking path for children, who have experienced nearcollisions with traffic. (District 5) d. Street lights need to be placed around the following areas:
i. Near Addams Elementary neighborhood to ensure safe and secure travelfor residents, especially after dark (District 3) ii. On Mckinley between Marks to West Ave (District 3)
iii. On N Golden State Blvd between 3 Palms mobile home park and Olive(District 3) iv. On S. Crystal from Sunset Elementary toW. Kearny Blvd (District 3) v. All corners at the intersection of Willow Ave and Tulare Ave need adequatestreet lighting (District 7) 6 vi. Street lighting is needed on Tulare Ave between Chestnut Ave and PeachAve (District 7) e. Bus upgrades need to occur along the following routes:
i. Higher bus frequency with Route 35 that goes to Addams; and protectedbike lanes that go along Cambridge starting from Blackstone to Clark(District 3) A. Community Identified Park and Community Center Projects a. Extend Maxie L Parks Community Center. The south wall within this communitycenter needs constant maintenance and shading is needed (District 3) b. Community residents and parents of the Addams community have asked for apark nearby for several years and have identified vacant lots for a green space thatthey want to be able to design as a community. (District 3) The following spaceshave been identified:
i. Southwest corner of Mckinley and Marks
ii. Northeast corner of Mckinley and Marks
iii. Using the ponding basin behind Addams Elementary to place aCommunity Center B. $9 million for Youth and Community Resilience Centers If the pandemic has highlighted anything, it is that community gathering spaces are crucial for acommunity's quality of life. Communal spaces are critical to people's health and well-being andhave served to provide Fresnans with COVID tests and vaccinations, food distribution centers,and other necessary resources. Further, community centers are critical in times of excessiveweather events, especially as cooling is not readily available in every housing unit. Youthespecially need spaces to play, connect and socialize, in safe, enriching, and non-judgmentalenvironments and they need these spaces more than ever after a year and a half of disruptedsocial development. Now is the moment to expand access to youth and community resilience 7 centers for low-income communities in Fresno that have not seen requisite investments in theirneighborhoods. Access to quality community gathering spaces should not be a privilege onlyavailable to some.
Recently, the state has appropriated several rounds of funding to support and build climateresilience centers throughout the state. It would be a missed opportunity for the City of Fresno tonot allocate funds towards this to be able to leverage statewide resources.
III. Northpointe Settlement Agreements
In 2021, the City of Fresno came into a settlement agreement with South Fresno CommunityAlliance legally committing the city to mitigate the industrial impacts surrounding thiscommunity and improve the overall quality of life. We ask this Council to appropriate funding tocomplete the projects that City has already committed to completing:
a. A crosswalk and pedestrian signage and push buttons at the intersection of EastCentral Avenue and South Orange Avenue.b. An installation of a High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (“HAWK”), with push andkick buttons to promote accessibility, at the intersection of East Central Avenue andSouth Cherry Avenue. The HAWK installation will include signage in advance of theintersection advising traffic of the upcoming stop. The City Manager will issue awritten request to the County Chief Administrative Officer to cooperate on theattainment of East Central Avenue Pedestrian Safety Improvements, and the Citywill make its best efforts to work proactively with the County to complete the EastCentral Avenue Pedestrian Safety Improvements.c. Funding a public process for the development and adoption of a plan to determinepedestrian and bicycle safety needs and priorities in the area bounded by Highways41 and 99, and the Southern border of the City’s Sphere of Influence.d. Provide for the installation of traffic control signs on East Central Avenue, EastNorth Avenue, and South Cherry Avenue directing truck traffic to preferred truckroutes on East North Avenue and South Orange Avenue and away from East CentralAvenue and South Orange Avenue. 8 III. Inclusive & Transparent Public Process
Finally, as the City of Fresno develops its City budget including appropriating the rest of theAmerican Rescue Plan dollars along with other federal and state funding sources, it is imperativeto implement an inclusive, transparent, and responsivepublic process. We highly recommendparticipatory budgeting as the City has implemented such a process before through theTransformative Climate Community (TCC) process.
The City and Councilmembers should conduct inclusive participatory processes to meaningfullyand intentionally include all Fresno residents.Weinvited all South Fresno representatives to abudget town hall where we hosted staff. Of 5 council members invited only 2 councilmembers’staff attended: Councilmembers Esmeralda Soria and Miguel Arias.While residents appreciateCouncil Staff’s presence, they want to ensure their elected officials are hearing the prioritiesdirectly from them to ensure they fully grasp their neighborhood’s needs and solutions.
We do want to note that constituents appreciate Councilmember Arias’ efforts to engage hisconstituents across District 3. Residents look forward to seeing priorities and projects raisedduring conversations be reflected in this year's budget. * * * * * * *
2022 is a year in which the City of Fresno must create change and move past the status quo. Wehave the priorities, the funding, and the revenue, all we need is the drive from the City Counciland the Mayor to move the City of Fresno into a state of equitable opportunity. We respectfullyask that the FY22-23 Budget process be transparent, meaningful, inclusive, and responsive so asto ensure equitable investments for all Fresnans regardless of zip code, income, race, gender,immigration status, and housing circumstance. Now is the time for the City of Fresno to lead theSan Joaquin Valley with bold initiatives, policies, and investments, and start to address the yearsof systemic oppression against BIPOC communities.
Respectfully,
9 Lilia BecerrilFamilias en Accion
Janine NkosiFaith in the Valley
Ruben EspinozaFresno Barrios Unidos
Kimberly McCoyFresno Building Healthy Communities
Karla MartinezLeadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability Brandi Nuse-VillegasCentral Valley Community Action / District 7 resident Marisa MorazaPower CA Action
Dez MartinezWe Are Not Invisible/Fresno Homeless Union
10