CITY OF FRESNO
STATUTORY EXEMPTION
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
THE PROJECT DESCRIBED HEREIN IS DETERMINED TO BE STATUTORILY
EXEMPT FROM THE PREPARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS
PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 18 OF THE STATE CEQA GUIDELINES.
APPLICANT: City of Fresno – Public Works Department
2600 Fresno Street
Fresno, California 93721
PROJECT LOCATION: City of Fresno, Citywide.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The proposed project consists of City of Fresno Development Impact Fee Updates, including the Citywide Locally Regionally Significant Street Impact Fee, the New Growth Area Major Street Impact Fee, Traffic Signal Mitigation Impact Fees, Fire Impact Fee, and Police Facilities Impact Fee.
This project is exempt under Section 15273 (Rates, Tolls, Fares, and Charges) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
Pursuant to Section 15273 of the CEQA Guidelines, CEQA does not apply to the establishment, modification, structuring, restructuring, or approval of rates, tolls, fares, or other charges by public agencies which the public agency finds are for the purpose of: (1) Meeting operating expenses, including employee wage rates and fringe benefits; (2) Purchasing or leasing supplies, equipment, or materials; (3) Meeting financial reserve needs and requirements; (4) Obtaining funds for capital projects necessary to maintain service within existing service areas; or, (5) Obtaining funds necessary to maintain such int ra-city transfers as are authorized by city charter.
In March 2007, the City of Fresno (City) adopted the Fresno Major Street Impact Fee Program and established the Citywide Regional Street Impact Fee Program and the New Growth Area Major Street Impact Fee Program, collectively referred to as the Fresno Major Street Impact Fee Program (FMSI Fee Program). The FMSI Fee Program was implemented to provide a funding mechanism for transportation facilities required to serve future development through 2025. The FMSI Fee Program is a successor fee program that replaced the previous transportation facility components of the City’s Urban Growth Management (UGM) fee program.
The City of Fresno’s Traffic Signal Impact (TSMI) fees are charged to all new develo pment throughout the City, to mitigate traffic impacts through the funding of traffic signal improvements that serve new development. The capital improvement program associated with the TSMI fee includes facilities in the existing core of the City as well as the new growth areas, in order to accommodate the traffic demands from new development throughout the City.
In 2005, the City of Fresno (City) implemented Citywide Fire and Police Facilities Development Impact Fee (Fire Fee and Police Fee) programs to fund needed facilities. The Fire Fee and Police Fee programs were implemented to provide a funding mechanism for facilities and equipment required to serve future development through 2025. These fee programs are successor fee programs that replaced the pr evious public safety components of the City’s Urban Growth Management (UGM) fee program.
Environmental Assessment
June 14, 2022
The City currently levies a number of development impact fees on new development within the City’s service area. These impact fees are generally designed to recover costs for facilities that benefit growth.
In December 2014, the City of Fresno adopted a new General Plan that establishes growth projections through the General Plan Horizon year of 2035 as well as through buildout of the General Plan.
Traffic:
A General Plan traffic model was prepared that was consistent with the goals, objectives, and policies of the General Plan. In accordance with the identified transportation needs based on traffic volume growth forecasts generated by the traffic model, the City’s Public Works Department subsequently provided an FMSI Fee Program Capital Improvement Program (Street CIP) that outlines the planned facilities and costs for FMSI Fee Program funded transportation improvements through General Plan buildout.
Police & Fire:
The General Plan also i ncludes policies and implementation actions for police and fire protection services. In accordance with the development projections and public service policies laid out in the General Plan, the Fresno Fire Department (FFD) and Fresno Police Department (FPD) subsequently provided updated Fire and Police Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) that outline the planned capital costs for the FFD and FPD through 2035. These CIPs describe the facilities and equipment required to provide continuing public safety service in the City.
On December 8, 2016, the Fresno City Council adopted a Fin ding of Statutory Exemption pursuant to Section 15273 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines and subsequently adopted Resolution No. 2016- 258 to adopt the 529 th Amendment to the Master
Fee Schedule Resolution No. 80- 420 to increase and dec rease various Development Impact Fees; including but not limited to the Citywide Locally Regionally Significant Street Impact Fee, the New Growth Area Major Street Impact Fee, Traffic Signal Mitigation Impact Fees, Fire Impact Fee, and Police Facilities Impact Fee. At the same hearing, the Fresno City Council also adopted Resolution No. 2016-259 to amend the Implementing Policies for the Citywide Regional Street and New Growth Area Major Street Impact Fees as previously adopted by Resolution No. 2007-291 and as amended by Resolution No. 2007-347, 2007-348, 2008-278, 2008-349 and 2013-27. Accordingly this finding of Statutory Exemption has been prepared in a manner consistent and for similar purpose.
Date: June 14, 2022
Prepared By: Will Tackett, Planning Manager
Submitted by:
Will Tackett, Planning Manager
City of Fresno
Planning & Development Department
(559) 621-8277