Exhibit H Comment Summary Matrix and Comment Letters — Fresno City Council, October 13, 2022

Exhibit H
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan
Comment Summary Matrix and Public Draft
Comment Letters

West Area
Neighborhoods

SPECIFIC PLAN
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan
Comment Summary Matrix with Letters
Table of Contents
Item # Item Name Page Number

1. Comment Summary Matrix 2

2. Comment Letters 42
Comment Summary Matrix
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan - Comment Summary Matrix All Comments Comment ID Category Change? Name Organization Summarized Comment/Question Date Staff Response Status 01-01 2 Y Anonymous Section 3.2.B - Please ensure that there are safe crossings across 99 at both Herndon and Veteran's Blvd.

Crossing 99 at Herndon is currently very unsafe with
multiple high-speed streets and on/off-ramps. The
current Veteran's Blvd plan calls for a separated bike
trail that partially bypasses freeway ramps, please make sure that those bypasses remain in the plan.
8/26/2021 The Active Transportation Plan and West Area
Neighborhoods Specific Plan continue to call for Class I bike facilities to be installed at Herndon Avenue and
Veterans Boulevard. The plan for the bike trail bypasses along Veterans also remain unchanged.

In addition, staff will modify IPR 1.11 as follows to further promote bike accessibility across Highway 99: "Improve
multimodal transportation access across Highway 99 by a) completing the Veterans Boulevard interchange project
and the underpass at West Gettysburg Avenue, b)
consider updating the ATP and General Plan to include
potential future multimodal crossings (such as an
extension of Cornelia Avenue either across Highway 99 or from Shaw to the future undercrossing at Gettysburg
Avenue), and c) update Golden State Avenue in the ATP
and General Plan to have enhanced bike facilities."
Staff will also create a map to outline the proposed
changes identified in IPR 1.11.

Incorporated into Revised
Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.
02-01 4 N Anonymous With farm animals a brick fence makes a better barrier than a wooden fence. Horses will eat a wood fence.
8/31/2021 Comment appreciated. n/a
03-01 3 N April Henry Highway City Community
Development, Inc
Request to redesignate the Highway City Community
Development, Inc. property (APN 510-030-23) from
Public Facility (Public/Quasi-Public Facility) with an
underlying zoning of Medium Density Residential to
NMX - Neighborhood Mixed Use.
6/4/2021 This request will be considered for recommendation by the Steering Committee.

See Land Use Change Request
Matrix
04-01 3 N Bill Brouhard Guillion, Inc. Request to change APN 505-070-44 from Business Park to Residential Urban Neighborhood.
8/19/2020 This request will be considered for recommendation by the Steering Committee.

See Land Use Change Request
Matrix
04-02 4 N Bill Brouhard Guillion, Inc. Request that land use change be processed as part of the initial Plan adoption rather than by subsequent plan amendment.
8/19/2020 Staff understands the desire to have the change be concurrent with the Specific Plan adoption, however we
defer to the recommendation of our environmental
review consultants to process the change in a way most
prudent with required environmental review.
n/a
04-03 4 N Bill Brouhard Guillion, Inc. Request that staff, Steering Committee and Planning Commission be given the opportunity to opine on any
changes to the Plan based on information and or events
occurring since the Committee last met (i.e. COVID,
Draft EIR, public comment, etc.)
8/19/2020 Staff have reviewed the requests. The Steering Committee and Planning Commission will review and provide
recommendations on the proposed changes before they
are considered by the City Council.
n/a
Updated: Sept. 27, 2022 1
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan - Comment Summary Matrix All Comments Comment ID Category Change? Name Organization Summarized Comment/Question Date Staff Response Status 04-04 4 N Bill Brouhard Guillion, Inc. Request that changes supported by Council falling within prior CEQA thresholds be reflected in the initial Plan adoption.
8/19/2020 The proposed changes will need to be considered together for their cumulative impact under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
n/a
04-05 4 N Bill Brouhard Guillion, Inc. Request that changes supported by Council falling outside of prior CEQA thresholds be the basis of a
supplemental yet highly focused environmental review,
and that the Councils' final action incorporate supported changes.
8/19/2020 At the same time as the hearing to adopt the Plan, staff will ask Council for their decision on which proposed
changes should undergo environmental review. Following
the review the Council will make a final determination on the proposed changes via a Plan Amendment.
n/a
04-06 4 N Bill Brouhard Guillion, Inc. Request that a copy of the comment letter (along with attachments) be provided to the Steering Committee,
Planning Commission, and City Council.
8/19/2020 The comment letter and Attachment A to the letter will be included in the meeting packets for review by the Steering Committee, Planning Commission, and City Council.
n/a
04-07 4 N Bill Brouhard Guillion, Inc. Request that staff make an inquiry to the CEQA consultant as to: a. the scope and cost estimate for
determining whether or not the requested change from
BP to RM2 would represent an impact triggering
additional environmental analysis. b. and if so, a scope and cost estimate to complete the required additional
environmental analysis.
8/19/2020 Because the proposed changes need to be considered cumulatively, the cost and scope will be determined when the list of approved proposed changes is finalized.
n/a
05-01 4 N Bill Diedrich Traffic at Herndon and Parkway is an issue and inhibits access to the communities of Sample, Tenaya, and
Menlo. Traffic backs up out of the gas station and blocks Parkway. Veterans Boulevard has to be completed soon,
and this gas station should be removed. Residents of the area do not want additional development.
5/5/2021 The gas station is currently in the County and traffic flow issues would need to be reviewed by the County Public
Works and Planning Department. Staff will forward this
concern to the County.

Veterans Boulevard is anticipated to reduce some of the traffic from this area and is expected to be completed in 2023.

Per the General Plan, the West Area is anticipated to grow with new development over time to the Sphere of
Influence, however, a goal of the Specific Plan is to have that growth be sequenced and designed in a way that
respects the more rural communities already established in the area. The associated Infrastructure Financing Plan will also determine solutions to fund the needed
infrastructure to accompany future growth.
n/a
06-01 3 N Bonique Emerson Precision Civil Engineering Request to change APN 511-022-01, located on the northeast corner of West Shields and North Polk
Avenues at 3120 North Polk Avenue, from 18 acres of
Community Commercial to 2-3 acres of Community
Commercial and 15-16 acres of Residential – Medium
Density.
8/31/2021 This request will be considered for recommendation by the Steering Committee.

See Land Use Change Request
Matrix
Updated: Sept. 27, 2022 2
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan - Comment Summary Matrix All Comments Comment ID Category Change? Name Organization Summarized Comment/Question Date Staff Response Status 07-01 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Land Use Planning. Nearly all development projects
within the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin have the
potential to generate air pollutants, making it more
difficult to attain ambient air quality standards. Land use decisions are critical to improving air quality because land use patterns greatly influence transportation needs and motor vehicle emissions are the largest source of air pollution in the Valley. Land use decisions such as
preventing urban sprawl, encouraging mix-use
development, and project design elements that reduce
vehicle miles traveled (VMT) have proven beneficial for air quality.

The District appreciates the City’s vision to create a mix- use community, incorporating walking and biking
elements into the WANSP design, and designating buffer
areas between industrial and residential uses.
9/1/2021 Comment appreciated. n/a
07-02 2 Y Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Land Use Planning. The District recommends that the
WANSP incorporate strategies that require future
industrial developments to utilize the cleanest available Heavy-Heavy Duty (HHD) trucks and vehicles, including
zero and near-zero technologies.
9/1/2021 As a general note, 32.75 acres (less than one percent of the Plan Area) are currently designated as Light Industrial and would remain unchanged by the plan. Approximately

24.09 acres is developed as a personal storage facility. The remaining 8.66 acres is either undeveloped or is being
used for truck parking.

Staff will update Policy 1.13 to read: "Reduce the impacts of freight trucks through a) examining truck routes in the West Area to provide a strategy to alter any routes that utilize lower-intensity residential roads or are near K-12 schools and b) reviewing the Development Code for
potential improvements that will help mitigate health
impacts from freight-related uses."
Incorporated into Revised
Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.
07-03 2 Y Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Land Use Planning. The District recommends that the
WANSP incorporate strategies that will advance
implementation of the best practices listed in Tables 5 and 6 of CARB’s Freight Handbook Concept Paper, to the
extent feasible. This document compiles best practices
designed to address air pollution impacts as “practices” which may apply to the siting, design, construction, and operation of freight facilities to minimize health impacts on nearby communities.
9/1/2021 Staff will update Policy 1.13 to read: "Reduce the impacts of freight trucks through a) examining truck routes in the West Area to provide a strategy to alter any routes that utilize lower-intensity residential roads or are near K-12 schools and b) reviewing the Development Code for
potential improvements that will help mitigate health
impacts from freight-related uses."
Incorporated into Revised
Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.

Updated: Sept. 27, 2022 3
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan - Comment Summary Matrix All Comments Comment ID Category Change? Name Organization Summarized Comment/Question Date Staff Response Status 07-04 2 Y Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Project Siting. In order to prevent or reduce localized and cumulative air pollution impacts from future
development projects, it would be beneficial for the
WANSP to include project siting-related goals, policies, and objectives and include measures and concepts
outlined in the California Air Resource Board’s (CARB)
Air Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community
Health Perspective related to recommended buffer
distances and CARB’s Freight Handbook Concept Paper
related to the design and operation of freight facilities. 9/1/2021 Staff will update Policy 1.13 to read: "Reduce the impacts of freight trucks through a) examining truck routes in the West Area to provide a strategy to alter any routes that utilize lower-intensity residential roads or are near K-12 schools and b) reviewing the Development Code for
potential improvements that will help mitigate health
impacts from freight-related uses."
Furthermore, the Industrial Compatibility Study (ICS) was initiated to examine and make recommendations
regarding the interface of industrial uses and sensitive receptors. These resources will be forwarded to the
project manager for the ICS.

Incorporated into Revised
Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.07-05 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Truck Routing. The District recommends the City
evaluate HHD truck routing patterns with the aim of
limiting emission exposure to residential communities
and sensitive receptors. This evaluation should consider the current and potential future truck routes, the
quantity and type of each truck (MHD, HHD, etc.), the
destination and origin of each trip, traffic volume
correlation with the time of day or the day of the week, overall VMT, and associated exhaust emissions. The
truck routing evaluation would also identify alternative truck routes and their impacts on VMT, GHG emissions,
and air quality.
9/1/2021 Policy 1.13 calls for a truck route analysis in the West Area and Staff has initiated a citywide truck route study. This recommendation will be forwarded to the project
manager for the citywide analysis.
n/a
07-06 2 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Electric On-Site Off-Road and On-Road Equipment. Since
the future development projects may include industrial
uses, they may have the potential to result in increased use of off-road equipment (i.e. forklifts) and on-road
equipment (i.e. mobile yard trucks with the ability to
move materials). The District recommends that the
WANSP stipulate requirements for future project
proponents to utilize electric or zero emission off-road and on-road equipment.
9/1/2021 Staff feels that such a policy should be considered on a citywide level, in conjunction with the Industrial
Compatibility Study (ICS). This recommendation will be
forwarded to the project manager of the ICS for review. n/a
07-07 2 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Under-fired Charbroilers. The District recommends that
the WANSP include a measure requiring the assessment
and potential installation, as technologically feasible, of particulate matter emission control systems for new
large restaurants operating under-fired charbroilers.
9/1/2021 Staff feels this recommendation should be applied on a citywide level and will review what opportunities are best suited for implementation.
n/a
Updated: Sept. 27, 2022 4
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan - Comment Summary Matrix All Comments Comment ID Category Change? Name Organization Summarized Comment/Question Date Staff Response Status 07-08 2 Y Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Vegetative Barriers and Urban Greening. For future
development projects within the WANSP, and at
strategic locations throughout the WANSP in general,
the District supports the City incorporating vegetative barriers and urban greening as a measure to further
reduce air pollution exposure on sensitive receptors
(e.g. residences, schools, healthcare facilities).
9/1/2021 Policy IPR 2.7 directs the City to work with residents to create unique landscape districts, which may include
vegetative barriers, notably along Highway 99. In order to better support urban greening efforts, staff will also add the following policy: Policy IPR 2.10 "Increase tree canopy coverage in the West Area, with prioritization for areas that a) currently have minimal tree coverage, b) have a high level of pedestrian activity (ex. near schools,
commercial centers, etc.) and c) are disproportionately exposed to pollution."
Incorporated into Revised
Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.
07-09 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Solar Deployment in the Community. The District
suggests that the City consider incorporating solar
power systems as an emission reduction strategy for
future development projects within the WANSP.
9/1/2021 Staff feels this recommendation should be applied on a citywide level and will review what opportunities are best suited for implementation. This recommendation will also be forwarded to Facilities staff that works on energy
efficiency in City-managed buildings.

As an additional note, as of January 1, 2020, all new
residential construction must be zero net energy, which usually sees the incorporation of solar panels.
n/a
07-10 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Electric Vehicle Chargers. The District recommends that the City and project proponents install electric vehicle chargers at project sites, and at strategic locations
throughout the WANSP.
9/1/2021 The City has requirements for electric vehicle parking for new development in Section 15-2416 and charging
stations in Section 14-1022 of the Fresno Municipal Code (FMC). The City has sponsored the installation of vehicle charging stations throughout the city.
n/a
07-11 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Nuisance Odors. The City should consider all available
pertinent information to determine if future
development projects could have a significant impact
related to nuisance odors and should stipulate odor
mitigation measures in the WANSP as conditions of
approval for those business and industry types.
9/1/2021 Projects are evaluated for odor potential as part of environmental review. Projects with potential impacts
are required to prepare odor impacts assessment and
implement odor control measures recommended by
SJVAPCD. Furthermore, Section 15-2510 of the
Development Code states that "No use, process, or
activity shall produce objectionable odors that are
perceptible without instruments by a reasonable person
at the lot lines of a site." The Specific Plan EIR will also include mitigation measures to reduce odor impacts.
n/a
07-12 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Recommended Measure: For projects subject to
permitting by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution
Control District, demonstration of compliance with
District Rule 2201 shall be provided to the City before issuance of the first building permit.
9/1/2021 This is a regulation already applied at the project level. n/a Updated: Sept. 27, 2022 5
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan - Comment Summary Matrix All Comments Comment ID Category Change? Name Organization Summarized Comment/Question Date Staff Response Status 07-13 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
The District recommends that demonstration of
compliance with District Rule 9510 prior to issuance of the first building permit, be made a condition of project approval.
9/1/2021 This is a regulation already applied at the project level. n/a 07-14 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Information is provided on District Rules 4901, 4002,
Regulation VIII, and others.
9/1/2021 Comments appreciated. These are applied at the project level.
n/a
07-15 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Criteria Pollutant Emissions. The District recommends
that the future environmental assessments stipulate
that development projects within the WANSP identify
and characterize project construction and operational
air emissions.

The District recommends the air emissions be compared
to the following CEQA significance thresholds for annual emissions of criteria pollutants: 100 tons per year of
carbon monoxide (CO), 10 tons per year of oxides of
nitrogen (NOx), 10 tons per year of reactive organic
gases (ROG), 27 tons per year of oxides of sulfur (SOx), 15 tons per year of particulate matter with an
aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal
10 or 2.5 microns (PM10 or PM2.5).

The District recommends that future proposed projects
be mitigated to the extent feasible, and that future
proposed projects with air emissions above the
aforementioned thresholds be mitigated to below these
thresholds.
9/1/2021 Staff feels this recommendation should be applied on a citywide level and will review what opportunities are best suited for implementation. In addition, Staff would ask the District to review the forthcoming Environmental
Impact Report and comment as the District may feel is
necessary.
n/a
07-16 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Construction Emissions. Construction air emissions are
short-term emissions generated from construction
activities such as mobile HHD diesel off-road equipment, and should be evaluated separately from operational
emissions. If air emissions from ongoing operational
activities occur within the same year as construction
emissions, those emissions should be combined.

Recommended Measure: To reduce impacts from
construction-related diesel exhaust emissions, the
project should utilize clean off-road construction
equipment, including the latest tier equipment as
feasible.
9/1/2021 Staff feels this recommendation should be applied on a citywide level and will review what opportunities are best suited for implementation. In addition, Staff would ask the District to review the forthcoming Environmental
Impact Report and comment as the District may feel is
necessary.
n/a
Updated: Sept. 27, 2022 6
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan - Comment Summary Matrix All Comments Comment ID Category Change? Name Organization Summarized Comment/Question Date Staff Response Status 07-17 2 Y Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Operational Emissions. Operational (ongoing) air
emissions from mobile sources and stationary sources
should be analyzed separately.

Staff will also update Policy 1.13 to read: "Reduce the impacts of freight trucks through a) examining truck
routes in the West Area to provide a strategy to alter any routes that utilize lower-intensity residential roads or are near K-12 schools and b) reviewing the Development Code for potential improvements that will help mitigate health impacts from freight-related uses."
Incorporated into Revised
Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.
07-18 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Recommended Model for Quantifying Air Emissions.

Project-related criteria pollutant emissions from
construction and operational sources should be
identified and quantified. Emissions analysis should be performed using the California Emission Estimator
Model (CalEEMod), which uses the most recent CARB-
approved version of relevant emissions models and
emission factors.
9/1/2021 Staff feels this recommendation should be applied on a citywide level and will review what opportunities are best suited for implementation. In addition, Staff would ask the District to review the forthcoming Environmental
Impact Report and comment as the District may feel is
necessary.
n/a
07-19 2 Y Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Cleanest Available HHD Trucks. The District
recommends that the following mitigation measures be
included in the WANSP for project-related operational
emissions:

Recommended Measure: Fleets associated with
operational activities utilize the cleanest available HHD trucks, including zero and near-zero (0.02g/bhp-hr NOx) technologies.

Recommended Measure: All on-site service equipment
(cargo handling, yard hostlers, forklifts, pallet jacks, etc.) utilize zero-emissions technologies.
9/1/2021 Staff feels this recommendation should be applied on a citywide level and will review what opportunities are best suited for implementation. In addition, Staff would ask the District to review the forthcoming Environmental
Impact Report and comment as the District may feel is
necessary.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.

Updated: Sept. 27, 2022 7
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan - Comment Summary Matrix All Comments Comment ID Category Change? Name Organization Summarized Comment/Question Date Staff Response Status 07-20 2 Y Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Reduce Idling of HHD Trucks. The WANSP should deploy
strategies to ensure compliance of the anti-idling
regulation, especially near sensitive receptors, and
discuss the importance of limiting the amount of idling within the WANSP.

Recommended Measure: Construction and operational
fleets based within the WANSP area limit vehicle idling pursuant to 13 CCR § 2485 and 13 CCR § 2480.
9/1/2021 Staff feels this recommendation should be applied on a citywide level and will review what opportunities are best suited for implementation. In addition, Staff would ask the District to review the forthcoming Environmental
Impact Report and comment as the District may feel is
necessary.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.07-21 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Health Risk Screening/Assessment. To determine
potential health impacts on surrounding receptors
(residences, businesses, hospitals, day-care facilities, health care facilities, etc.) a Prioritization and/or a health risk assessment (HRA) should be performed for
future projects within the WANSP.
9/1/2021 Staff feels this recommendation should be applied on a citywide level and will review what opportunities are best suited for implementation. In addition, Staff would ask the District to review the forthcoming Environmental
Impact Report and comment as the District may feel is
necessary.
n/a
07-22 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Recommended Measure: Development projects
resulting in toxic air contaminant emissions should be
located an adequate distance from residential areas and other sensitive receptors in accordance to CARB's Air
Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community Health
Perspective.
9/1/2021 Staff feels this recommendation should be applied on a citywide level and will review what opportunities are best suited for implementation. In addition, Staff would ask the District to review the forthcoming Environmental
Impact Report and comment as the District may feel is
necessary.
n/a
07-23 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Recommended Measure: A health risk screening and/or
assessment should be performed to assess potential
risks to sensitive receptors for projects whose proposed locations are a) within the established buffer distances identified in CARB's handbook, b) projects whose land
uses are not specifically identified in CARB's handbook (such as shopping centers), but there is sufficient
information to reasonably conclude that sensitive
receptors would be exposed to significant sources of
toxic air contaminants; and projects that would
otherwise appear to be exempt from CEQA
requirements, but there is sufficient information to
reasonably conclude that sensitive receptors would be
exposed to significant sources of toxic air contaminants, such as industrial use projects allowed by right.
9/1/2021 Staff feels this recommendation should be applied on a citywide level and will review what opportunities are best suited for implementation. In addition, Staff would ask the District to review the forthcoming Environmental
Impact Report and comment as the District may feel is
necessary.
n/a
Updated: Sept. 27, 2022 8
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan - Comment Summary Matrix All Comments Comment ID Category Change? Name Organization Summarized Comment/Question Date Staff Response Status 07-24 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
The District recommends that the environmental
assessment require an Ambient Air Quality Analysis
(AAQA) be performed for any future development
project with emissions that exceed 100 pounds per day
of any pollutant.
9/1/2021 Staff feels this recommendation should be applied on a citywide level and will review what opportunities are best suited for implementation. In addition, Staff would ask the District to review the forthcoming Environmental
Impact Report and comment as the District may feel is
necessary.
n/a
07-25 4 N Brian Clements San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Future development projects within the WANSP could
have a significant impact on air quality. The District
recommends the environmental assessment include a
feasibility discussion on implementing a Voluntary
Emission Reduction Agreement (VERA) as a mitigation
measure for future development projects that are
determined to exceed the District’s CEQA significance
thresholds.
9/1/2021 Staff feels this recommendation should be applied on a citywide level and will review what opportunities are best suited for implementation. In addition, Staff would ask the District to review the forthcoming Environmental
Impact Report and comment as the District may feel is
necessary.
n/a
08-01 3 N Brian Johnson Request to change the northwest corner of Grantland and Barstow from NMX - Neighborhood Mixed-Use to a
designation with lower density/activity.
4/23/2021 This request will be considered for recommendation by the Steering Committee.

See Land Use Change Request
Matrix
09-01 4 N Bruce O'Neal Tree Fresno To achieve the many benefits of trees, it is stated that the City should investigate refinement of the
Community Landscapes Plan for West Fresno to include
further resident engagement. Tree Fresno, including
members of its Board and staff, would be happy to
assist in this effort.
8/27/2021 Staff welcomes the opportunity to work together towards this effort. Please also see related Policy IPR 2.7.
n/a
09-02 2 Y Bruce O'Neal Tree Fresno Efforts should be made in new subdivisions and along streets and highways to increase the tree canopy. This is especially true in small-lot subdivisions and higher
density projects where current trends in maximizing lot coverage tend to reduce the area available for tree and landscape planting.
8/27/2021 Section 15-2308 of the Development Code governs the provision of trees in new subdivisions, requiring two trees per single-family lot and one tree per multi-family unit.

Trees within the City's public right-of-way are regulated under Chapter 13 Article 3 and placed according to the
Master Tree Plan.

It is expected that new development will provide
adequate tree coverage, however, additional efforts are needed to enhance tree canopy in existing
neighborhoods, along Highway 99, and on key
transportation corridors throughout the West Area. Staff will add the following policy to support these efforts:

Policy IPR 2.10 "Increase tree canopy coverage in the
West Area, with prioritization for areas that a) currently have minimal tree coverage, b) have a high level of
pedestrian activity (ex. near schools, commercial centers, etc.) and c) are disproportionately exposed to pollution." Incorporated into Revised
Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.

Updated: Sept. 27, 2022 9
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan - Comment Summary Matrix All Comments Comment ID Category Change? Name Organization Summarized Comment/Question Date Staff Response Status 09-03 2 Y Bruce O'Neal Tree Fresno The pollution burden in the Plan Area is widespread, with much of the Area being considered
"disadvantaged" (81-90% ranking) by CalEnviroScreen

3.0. This should be addressed in a comprehensive
manner, which can include strategic planting of key
species that produce oxygen and trap pollutants.
8/27/2021 Staff agrees that pollution burden and other
disproportionate negative impacts need to be addressed
in a comprehensive and systemic manner. To the goal of
addressing pollution impacts, the Specific Plan aims to first and foremost create walkable and bikeable
neighborhoods that lessen the need to drive, thereby
reducing vehicle emissions. Part of this effort will involve the installation of landscaping that simultaneously
supports filtering of airborne pollutants, but that also enhances the streetscape for active modes of
transportation.

Furthermore, staff will add the following policy: Policy IPR

2.10 "Increase tree canopy coverage in the West Area,
with prioritization for areas that a) currently have minimal tree coverage, b) have a high level of pedestrian activity (ex. near schools, commercial centers, etc.) and c) are disproportionately exposed to pollution."
Incorporated into Revised
Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.
09-04 4 N Bruce O'Neal Tree Fresno Tree Fresno, working directly with the California Air Resources Board, has a tree planting program along
Highway 99 in both central Fresno and the City of
Fowler that is studying the beneficial effects of trees along the freeway right-of-way. The project includes
analysis of the strategic location of tree species that can trap diesel emissions and sequester GHG emissions to
reduce harmful effects to adjacent areas, including
residential, school, park and other sensitive uses. As
results of the study become available, we will share
them with the City for review and use as appropriate.
8/27/2021 Staff is appreciative and looks forward to reviewing the study when it is available.
n/a
09-05 4 N Bruce O'Neal Tree Fresno The Community Landscapes Plan includes comprehensive policy review and environmental
mitigation recommendations. It is hoped that staff will further review these recommendations as proposed
policy and forward the Plan to the Environmental
Impact Report (EIR) consultant as an aid to
environmental analysis and mitigation.
8/27/2021 Staff will ensure the EIR consultant has received the Community Landscapes Plan. Staff also encourages the
commentor to examine the Draft EIR once it is available for public review.
n/a
Updated: Sept. 27, 2022 10
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan - Comment Summary Matrix All Comments Comment ID Category Change? Name Organization Summarized Comment/Question Date Staff Response Status 10-01 2 Y Carol Underhill Request for the development of a senior center in the West Area.
4/6/2021 Goal PF 5 speaks to the need for increased access to new and existing community centers in the West Area, with
Policy PF 5.2 specifically calling for the encouragement of community centers to provide services for seniors.

Staff will add Goal I 1 and Policy I 1.1 to Chapter 6 of the Plan to aid implementation efforts. Goal I 1 will read:

Pursue measures that implement the Goals of the Specific Plan. Policy I 1.1 will read: Establish a West Area
Neighborhoods Specific Plan Implementation Committee
with representatives from different areas within the Plan Boundary to pursue and evaluate implementing Policies.

Incorporated into Revised
Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.
11-01 4 N Cathy Caples West Area Neighborhoods
Steering Committee
Pg. 2 - Appreciation shared for the introduction
statement; shifting focus to Fresno’s Final Frontier from Forgotten Fresno; the history of Highway City and the
Jose Garcia Adobe.
7/19/2021 Comment appreciated. The West Area has a rich history and staff enjoyed learning and sharing the information.

Staff is hopeful that over time, more history will be
uncovered and shared with present day community
members.
n/a
11-02 1 Y Cathy Caples West Area Neighborhoods
Steering Committee
Pg. 11 - The shading on Map 1-4 is hard to distinguish
and the legend doesn’t provide the information needed.

Recommend different shading to distinguish city limits
and the Plan Area.
7/19/2021 Map 1-4 will be updated. Additionally, use of data from CalEnviroScreen 3.0 will be updated to CalEnviroScreen

4.0. Incorporated into Revised
Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.
11-03 1 Y Cathy Caples West Area Neighborhoods
Steering Committee
Pg. 17 - Add information about the what the different
shadings under CalEnviroScreen represent.
7/19/2021 This information will be added. Incorporated into Revised Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.
11-04 1 Y Cathy Caples West Area Neighborhoods
Steering Committee
Pg. 17 - Add information on why there can be such
discrepancies in just a ½ mile radius.
7/19/2021 This information will be added. Incorporated into Revised Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.
11-05 1 Y Cathy Caples West Area Neighborhoods
Steering Committee
Pg. 17 - Add a link to CalEnviroScreen to the map and
the text.
7/19/2021 This information will be added. Incorporated into Revised Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.

Updated: Sept. 27, 2022 11
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan - Comment Summary Matrix All Comments Comment ID Category Change? Name Organization Summarized Comment/Question Date Staff Response Status 11-06 1 Y Cathy Caples West Area Neighborhoods
Steering Committee
Pg. 17 - On Map 1-4 the West Area is represented as
east of 99 but on page 11 it is just west of 99. Why this is should be mentioned in the map legend.
7/19/2021 Text will be added to the map to explain the following:

CalEnviroScreen is associated with Census Tracts and the Tracts in West Area extend beyond the Plan Boundary.

As a note, the Plan Boundary on Map 1-4 is represented
by a violet dashed line.

Incorporated into Revised
Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.
11-07 1 Y Cathy Caples West Area Neighborhoods
Steering Committee
Pg. 25-29 - Suggestion to include a sentence at the
beginning of the section referring readers to the
referenced maps. At the beginning of each section the
map could be referenced. It might also make sense to
add a smaller version of the map to each page.

For example: The Highway City Neighborhood Specific
Plan (1998) Map 1.5 page 28 then text. And then on
Map 1.5 reference page 25. Reader can then view map
while reading section.
7/19/2021 Staff will add references and hyperlinks to the relevant maps in the narrative, but politely declines to add smaller maps or text referencing the map back to the section.

A few reasons for this decision: a) there could be
confusion between the larger map and smaller map, b)
the Plan Area is quite large and a smaller map will not be able to show sufficient detail, c) adequately referencing and linking to the maps within the narrative should help to identify which map is illustrative of the section, and d) some of the maps feature a crowded legend and adding
references back to the section could negatively impact the readability of the map.

Incorporated into Revised
Public Draft.

Steering Committee voted on
Consent to approve on
02/03/2022.11-08 1 Y Cathy Caples West Area Neighborhoods Steering Committee
Pg. 41 - Request to bring Section 2.5.A regarding the
Sphere of Influence (SOI) Recommendation back to the
Steering Committee for discussion.

The Committee did not want to expand the boundaries
of the City of Fresno westward and that there was a lack of clarity about the overlap between the Plan Area and
the SOI, therefore, the wording of this section
misrepresents the Committee's intent.
7/19/2021 Staff will bring this subject back to the Steering Committee for further discussion.

Removed from the Revised
Public Draft per Steering
Committee vote on
02/03/2022.

See also 12-11 and 24-14.

DC-01 2 Y Review
Committee
District 1 Project Review
Committee
Motion to modify LUH 1.4 to "Create a Small Area Plan
for the West Shaw Avenue Town Center, which shall
incorporate the Highway City Neighborhood Specific
Plan Area, to further refine and support orderly, transit- oriented urban design and development."
5/3/2022 n/a Modified in Planning
Commission Draft per District
1 Committee vote on 5/3/22
33-01/LU-01 3 N John Kashian Lance Kashian & Co. Request to keep Community Commercial zoning on the NE corner of Polk and Ashlan.
5/3/2022 See Late Land Use Change Request Matrix See Late Land Use Change Request Matrix
34-01/LU-02 3 N Bonique Emerson Precision Civil Engineering Request for APNs 505-060-16S, 505-060-42, 505-060- 41, 505-060-34, 505-060-33 to keep RMX and CMX and
to remove the Community Park designation.
7/8/2022 See Late Land Use Change Request Matrix See Late Land Use Change Request Matrix
Updated: Sept. 27, 2022 37
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan - Comment Summary Matrix All Comments Comment ID Category Change? Name Organization Summarized Comment/Question Date Staff Response Status 35-01 3 N Charles Silva Supports the Specific Plan land use for 3131 N. Blythe Avenue. (Opposed to request #14-1)
7/18/2022 n/a The Planning Commission did
not recommend inclusion of
request 14-01.
36-01 3 Y Kelsey George Precision Civil Engineering Requests correction to Land Use Change Request #6-1 to show the appropriate frontage for the commercial
portion.
7/18/2022 Staff has modified the image to more accurately represent the request.

Modified in Exhibits.
37-01 3 N Pam Strachan Requests to keep the Specific Plan land use for APN 312- 052-14. (Opposed to land use change request #29-08)
7/18/2022 n/a The Planning Commission did
recommend inclusion of
request 29-08.
38-01 3 N Debbie Yanez Supports land use change request #14-1. 7/19/2022 n/a The Planning Commission did not recommend inclusion of
request 14-01.
39-01/LU-03 3 N Dennis Shamlian Request to keep the General Plan land use for APNs 504- 030-18 and 504-030-19.
8/31/2022 See Late Land Use Change Request Matrix See Late Land Use Change Request Matrix
40-01 4 N Darius Assemi Granville Homes Opposes Mitigation Measures 3.2-1 and 3.2-2 of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
9/6/2022 The City must consider all feasible mitigation measures and changes to any mitigation measure will require
recirculation of the EIR.
41-01 4 N Cathy Caples Supports adoption of the Specific Plan. 9/7/2022 n/a Updated: Sept. 27, 2022 38
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan
Comment Letter Table of Contents

1 Letter # Name Organization Date
1 Anonymous 8/26/2021
2 Anonymous 8/31/2021
3 April Henry Highway City Community
Development, Inc 6/4/2021
4 Bill Brouhard Guillion, Inc. 8/19/2020
5 Bill Diedrich 5/5/2021
6 Bonique Emerson Precision Civil Engineering 8/31/2021 7 Brian Clements San J oaquin Valley Air Pollution
Control District 9/1/2021
8 Brian J ohnson 4/23/2021
9 Bruce O'Neal Tree Fresno 8/27/2021
10 Carol Underhill 4/6/2021
11 Cathy Caples West Area Neighborhoods
Steering Committee 7/19/2021
12 Daniel Brannick 9/21/2021
13 Daniel Brannick 11/12/2021
14 David Lantis 9/22/2021
15 David Padilla Caltrans District 6 8/6/2021
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan
Comment Letter Table of Contents

2 Letter # Name Organization Date
16 Dirk Poeschel Land Development Services, Inc. 5/25/2021 17 Elisa Bilios Forgotten Fresno 5/19/2021
18 Eric Gibbons Wathen Castanos Homes 5/4/2021
19 Eric Payne West Area Neighborhoods
Steering Committee 4/22/2021
20 Eric Payne West Area Neighborhoods
Steering Committee 7/21/2021
21 Holly Warren 7/1/2021
22 J anie Baxter A1 Truck Driving School 2/24/2021
23 J eff Roberts Assemi Group 6/28/2021
24 J eff Roberts Assemi Group 6/30/2021
25 J ohn Mlotkowski 8/27/2021
26 Keith Woodcock 9/1/2021
27 Mohamad Annan 4/22/2021
28 Sheila Krebs 8/30/2021
29 Staff City of Fresno Long-Range
Planning
30 Ricky Dhaliwal Ekam Construction 02/18/2022
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan
Comment Letter Table of Contents
3 Letter # Name Organization Date
31 Sanktokh Dhillon 01/25/2022
32 Caroline Hamett 03/23/2022
33 J ohn Kashian Lance Kashian & Co. 05/03/2022
34 Bonique Emerson Precision Civil Engineering 07/08/2022 35 Charles Silva 07/18/2022
36 Kelsey George Precision Civil Engineering 07/18/2022 37 Pam Strachan 07/18/2022
38 Debbie Yanez 07/19/2022
39 Dennis Shamlian 08/31/2022
40 Darius Assemi Granville Homes 09/06/2202
41 Cathy Caples 09/07/2022
1 Anonymous 8/26/2021

COMPLETECOMPLETE
West Area Neighborhoods Speciﬁc Plan Comment Card
Collector: WA Comment (Web Link)
Started: Thursday, August 26, 2021 2:29:21 PM
Last Modified: Thursday, August 26, 2021 2:35:59 PM
Time Spent: 00:06:38

Page 1 ends

Q1
Name / Nombre/ lub npe / ਨਾਮ:

Q2 Respondent skipped this question
Phone / No. de teléfonoNaj Npawb Xov T ooj / ਫੋ ੰਨ ਨਬਰ:

Q3 Respondent skipped this question
Email / Correo electrónicoxa ntawv hauv vassab / ਈ-ਮੇਲ:

Q4 Yes
I would like my comment to be anonymous / Quisiera que
mi comentario fuera anó nimo / Kuv xav kom kuv cov lus
hais tsis muaj tswv / ਮ ੈਂ ਆਪਣੀ ਿਟੱਪਣੀ ਅਿਗਆਤ ਹੋਣਾ ਚਾਹਾਂਗਾ Q5 Advocate / Activista / Tus Sawv Cev /
Affiliation (circle all that apply) / Afiliación (Circule cada uno que aplique) / Koom T es (k hij txhuas qhov yog) / ਸੰਬੰਧ (ਸਾਰੇ ਲਾਗੂ ਕਰੋ ਚੱਕਰ ਕਰੋ):

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16 / 43

54 West Area Neighborhoods Speciﬁc Plan Comment Card
Q6
Page # / Página #Nplooj # / ਪੇਜ #:

Q7
Section / SecciónKoog / ਅਨੁਭਾਗ:

3.2.B
Q8
Goal/Policy # / Objetivo/Políticas #Hom Phiaj/Txoj Cai # / ਟੀਚੇ ਅਤੇ ਨੀਤੀਆਂ # Bike Paths
Q9
Comment / Comentario / Lus Hais / ਿਟੱਪਣੀ:

Please ensure that there are safe crossings across 99 at both Herndon and Veteran's Blvd. Crossing 99 at Herndon is currently very unsafe with multiple high-speed streets and on/off-ramps. The current Veteran's Blvd plan calls for a separated bi e trail that partially bypasses freeway ramps, please make sure that those bypasses remain in the plan.

Q10 Skip to end / Saltar al final / Hla mus rau tom kawg /Add another comment or skip to end? / ¿Agregar otro
comentario o saltar al final? / Ntxiv lwm cov lus lossis hla mus rau tom kawg? / ਕੋ ੋ ੱ ੋ ਂ ਅੰ ੰ ੂ ੱ ੋਈ ਹਰ ਿਟਪਣੀ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਕਰ ਜਾ ਤ ਨ ਛਡ

Page 3 ends

Q11 Respondent skipped this question
Page # / Página #Nplooj # / ਪੇਜ #:

Q12 Respondent skipped this question
Section / SecciónKoog / ਅਨੁਭਾਗ:
17 / 43
2 Anonymous 8/31/2021

3 April Henry Highway City Community
Development, Inc 6/4/2021

4 Bill Brouhard Guillion, Inc. 8/19/2020

5 Bill Diedrich 5/5/2021

From: Bill Diedrich
To: Casey Lauderdale
Subject: West Area Plan
Date: Saturday, May 1, 2021 6:08:27 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Dear Casey,
I couldn't find it in the plan, so I can't give you Goal/Policy, Section Number, and/or page #.

The issue, as you have heard I'm sure is traffic at the intersection of Herndon and Parkway. The gas station traffic, along with big rig trucks, almost make it impossible to turn right on Parkway for those of us that live in the county island of Sample, Tenaya, and Menlo between Grantland and Garfield. It is a real problem for us. The intersection work and the left turn lane were a definite improvement, but now traffic backs up out of the gas station and blocks the traffic on Parkway. This is such a problem for us that live out here. Veterans BLVD has to be completed soon, and this gas station HAS to go!
This is why those of us who live out here do not want additional development in this area.

Best,
Bill Diedrich

6 Bonique Emerson Precision Civil Engineering 8/31/2021

1234 O Street
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 449-4500
TO: West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan (WANSP) Steering Committee FROM: Bonique Emerson, AICP, Precision Civil Engineering (Owner Representative) RE: Proposed Land Use Change for Property Locat ed at 3120 North Polk Avenue (Request for Change to Map 5-1 of the WANSP, Page 105)
DATE: August 31, 2021
Dear Steering Committee Members:

This memo outlines a proposal for a land use change for property located on the northeast corner of West Shi elds and North Polk Avenues at 3120 North Polk Avenue (APN: 511 -022-01) (Figure 1 ). The land use change propos ed is from 18- acres of Community Commercial to 2-3- acres of Community Commercial and 15-16-acres of Residential – Medium Density. This memo illustrates why this land use change is appropriate for this property and how it would result in an ideal development with mutual benefits for both the community and the property owner.

Based on the information contained in the Draft West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan (Specific Plan) , Initial Reports, and minutes from various community meetings , it appears that a major concer n of the West Area community is the uneven development and lack of much- needed infrastructure and commercial amenities. Regarding desired commercial amenities, we understand that the community ’s preferences are for supermarkets, movie theaters, bakeries, and restaurants (other than fast food). Both the General Plan and Draft Specific Plan make it clear that commerci al is needed and must be strategically located along transportation corridors. This is further evidenced by the Specific Plan’s Guiding Principles, including:
• Transportation. Provide a complete, safe, well -maintained sidewalk network from residential neighborhoods to commercial centers, schools, parks, and community centers.
• Retail. Encourage the development of retail establishments al ong com mercial corridors.
• Housing. Reaffirm the City’s commitment and obligation to affirmatively furthering access to fair and affordable housing opportunities by strongly encouraging equitable and fair housing opportunities to be located in strategic proximity to employment, recreational facilities, schools, neighborhood commercial areas, and transportation routes.
• Catalytic Corridors. Encourage the orderly and consistent development of civic, parkland, retail and commercial, mixed-use, and multi-family uses along West Shaw Avenue, West Ashlan Avenue, Veterans Boulevard, West Clinton Avenue, and Blythe Avenue.

Proposed Land Use Change for 3120 North Polk Avenue Page 1

1234 O Street
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 449-4500
Figure 1. Subject Property
Proposed Land Use Change for 3120 North Polk Avenue Page 3

1234 O Street
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 449-4500
Figure 2. Planned Land Use Designation
Proposed Land Use Change for 3120 North Polk Avenue Page 4

1234 O Street
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 449-4500

2. Reasons for Proposed Land Use Change
The primary reason for this requested land us e change is because Community Commercial uses are infeasible for this site due to several factors, including:
• The ever-changing retail landscape does not support development of a new 18-acre retail shopping center. E-Commerce giants such as Amazon, and online or app-based delivery options such as Instacart and Doordash ha ve changed the retail landscape. Since the 2008 recession, brick and mortar retail demand per capita has been contracting not expanding with the trend having accelerated as a result of the pandemic. Developers are re-purposing older retail properties to accommodate non-retail uses. Th ough grouped shopping trips remain popular within certain regi onal retail centers that offer a wide array of cross shopping options, many malls, “Big Box Retail ” and Regional Centers are being redeveloped with new purposes . All market dynamics governing retail development, from tenant demographic requirements to increasingly rigorous commercial financing standards, are making retail development increasingly diff icult and less profitable. As a result, very few “ground up” projects are b eing developed even in densely populated regions that would have supported additional retail development just a few year s ago. “Ground up” retail centers have languished and will languish for the foreseeable future. This is especially true for commercially planned sites that are not located on main commuter traffic corridors, central to existing residents , or at the outermost edges of a retail trade area. Macro and micro-economic market demands, not zoning designations drive the viability of commercial uses.
• Site’s location and surrounding conditions align with incid ental neighborhood-scale commercial uses vs destination community -scale commercial uses. The Draft West Area Specific Plan introduces “catalytic corridors” whereby orderly and consistent development of higher density uses is enco uraged along West Shaw Avenue, West Ashlan Avenu e, Veterans Boulevard, West Clinton Avenue, and North Blythe Avenue (Map 3 -1, Page 50) . These corridors are envisioned to be “vibrant, highly walkable areas with broad sidewalks, trees and other landscaping, and loc al-serving uses ” (Page 43). The nearest proposed catalytic corridors to the subject site are located one (1) mile east (intersection of North Blythe and West Shields Avenues ) and three quarters of a mile north (intersection of North Polk and West Ashland Avenues). Because the subject site is not located alon g an identified catalytic corridor, a large community serving retail center does not make sense. T here is no direct access to the free way and the property is on the fringe of plan area and is thus difficult to market to retail uses .

The site is better suited for small neighborhood-serving incidental retail uses vs. a community or neighborhood retail center.
• More than 30 years of actively marketing the site to retail tenants have generated no lea ds or future interest. The owners of the subject site, D BO Development Company, purchased it with the intent of developing a nei ghborhood retail center to follow the r etail center that they developed at Shi elds and Brawley Proposed Land Use Change for 3120 North Polk Avenue Page 5

1234 O Street
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 449-4500
more than 30 years ago. This has proven a major miscalculation. During the same period of time, DBO has b uilt numerous other neighborhood, community a nd regional shopping centers throughout the Central Valley represent ing +/-2,000,000 s.f.. Despite 50 years of experience in retail development, 30 years of marketing by nearly 10 different retail brokerage f irms have yi elded no results. Absent the requested change, the property is likely to remain undeveloped for many decades into the future, if not forever. Conversely, allowing 15-16-acres of the 18-acre site to be developed as Residential – Medium Density while le aving 2-3-acres of Community Commercial at the intersection will help to ‘fill-in’ the density that retail requires and accelerate development of retail developm ent that is be tter su ited to the trade area and demographics at the intersection of Shields & Polk. They have held onto this land for decades with the intent of developing a shopping center one day, but there is just no demand for a large retail center at this location now or in the foreseeable future.
• The requested change is consistent with the surrounding changes in the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan. When viewing the Sp ecific Plan of the West Area Slider Map, it is very clear that the direction of the committee is to reduce density. Unfortunately, reducing density in this area will only make the likelihood of a large commercial center less f easible. Retail needs roof tops. A single-family neighborhood on the fri nge of the city will not support a large commer cial shopping center.
• There is current market demand for housing at this site . Retail land values are substantially greater than residential land values, as such, the owner of the Property has an ec onomic incentive to prior itize retail use of the proper ty over residential. I f there was any hope of achieving a higher land value from community commer cial development as proposed by the current zoning designation, the owner would do so.

There is not. Instead, the owner is requesting a use designation that is aligned with the realities of current and future market demand. Toward the goal of realizing some development of land that was recently annexed into the City and helping to satisfy a shortage of new housing locally and regionally, the owner of the pro perty has reached agreement on terms for a sale of the property to KB Home. KB has extensive experience devel oping houses within the City and throughout the US, building an approachable, high quality product. As such, the change in land use designation responds to actual not theoretical interest in advancing the g oals of the Specific Plan and the City.

3. Proposed Land Use Change
The Applicant is requesting that the land use designation for the site be ame nded from 18-acres of Community Commercial to appr oximately 2 -3-acres of Community Commercial and 15 -16-acres of Residential – Medium Density in order to facilitate a residential development ( 5-12 du/acre) with supporting, neighborhood- serving commercial uses. The corresponding R S-5 zone district is the highest densi ty single- family zone district in the city of Fresno. This blending of residential and com mercial Proposed Land Use Change for 3120 North Polk Avenue Page 6

1234 O Street
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 449-4500
The analysis provi ded in this memo supports the proposed land use change of the subject property from 18-acres of Community Commercial to 2-3-acres of Com munity Commercial and 15- 16-acres of Residential – Medium Density. This proposed change would result in mutual benefits to the community and the property owner. Such a change is in line with existing and proposed planning policies as well as current and future market demands.

Proposed Land Use Change for 3120 North Polk Avenue Page 9 7 Brian Clements San J oaquin Valley Air Pollution
Control District 9/1/2021

September 1, 2021
Casey Lauderdale
City of Fresno
Planning and Development Department
2600 Fresno Street, Room 3065
Fresno, CA, 93721
Project: Draft West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan (WANSP) District CEQA Reference No: 20210443
Dear Ms. Lauderdale:

The San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control Distr ict (District) has reviewed the City of Fresno’s (City) West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan (WANSP) Public Review Draft (PRD) (Project). Per the PRD, the proposed Project would designate land uses, establish a planning framework, and development standards to facilitate and guide future development within the approximately 7,077-acre planning area . The specific plan proposes land use and zoning designations, specific design guidelines, and process improvements. The purpose of the WANSP is to help address community needs and guide f uture public and private development to create a more equitable and healthy community. The Project is located West of Highway 99, approximately North of Clinton Avenue and East of Garfield Avenue (See Figure 1 below).

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Page 3 District Reference No. 20210443
The District offers the following comments regarding the Project:
1) Land Use Planning
Nearly all development projects within the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin, from general plans to individual projects have the potential to generate air pollutants, making it more difficult to attain state and federal ambient air quality standards. Land use decisions are critical to improving air quality within the San Joa quin Valley Air Basin because land use patterns greatly influence transportation needs, and motor vehicle emissions are the largest source of air pollution in the Valley. Land use decisions and project design elements such as preventing urban sprawl, encouraging mix-use development, and project design elements that reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) have proven to be beneficial for air quality.

The District appreciates the City’s vision to create a mix-use community, for example, incorporating walking and biking elements into the WANSP design, and designating buffer areas between industrial and residential uses. The District recommends that the WANSP incorporate strategies that require future industrial developments to utilize the cleanest available Heavy-Heavy Duty (HHD) trucks and vehicles, including zero and near-zero technologies. Additional design element options for the WANSP can be found at:
http://www.valleyair.org/transportation/Mitigation-Measures.pdf In addition, the District recommends tha t the WANSP incorporate strategies that will advance implementation of the best practices listed in Tables 5 and 6 of CARB’s Freight Handbook Concept Paper, to the extent feasible. This document compiles best practices designed to address air pollution impacts as “practices” which may apply to the siting, design, construction, and operation of freight facilities to minimize health impacts on nearby communities. The concept paper is available at:
https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/2019.12.12%20- %20Concept%20Paper%20for%20the%20Freight%20Handbook 1.pdf 2) Project Siting
The WANSP is the blueprint for future growth and provides guidance for the community’s development. Without appropriate mitigation and associated policy , future development projects within the City may contribute to negative impacts on air quality due to increased traffic and ongoing operational emissions. Appropriate project siting helps ensure there is adequate distance between differing land uses, which can prevent or reduce localized and cumulative air pollution impacts from business operations that are in close proximity to receptors (e.g. residences, schools, health care facilities, etc.). The District appreciates the City’s acknowledgement in the WANSP that buffers between industrial developments and sensitive receptors are a vital component for a healthy community. It would be beneficial for the WANSP to

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Page 4 District Reference No. 20210443
include siting-related goals, policies, and objectives and include measures and concepts outlined in the following resources:
 CARB’s Air Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community Health Perspective. The document includes tables with recommended buffer distances associated with various types of common sources (e.g. dis tribution centers, chrome platers, gasoline dispensing facilities, etc.), and can be found at: https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/ch/handbook.pdf
 CARB’s Freight Handbook Concept Paper: This document compiles best practices designed to address air pollution impacts, which may apply to the siting, design, construction, and operation of freight facilities to minimize health impacts on nearby communities, and can be found at:
https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/2019.12.12%20- %20Concept%20Paper%20for%20the%20Freight%20Handbook 1.pdf 3) Truck Routing
Truck routing involves the assessment of which roads HHD trucks take to and from their destination, and the emissions impact that the trucks may have on residential communities and sensitive receptors.

The District recommends the City evaluate HHD truck routing patterns as they consider the detailed zoning changes and community concerns within the scope of the WANSP, with the aim of limiting emission exposure to residential communities and sensitive receptors. This evaluation should consider the current and potential future truck routes, the quantity and type of each truck (MHD, HHD, etc.), the destination and origin of each trip, traffic volume correlation with the time of day or the day of the week, overall VMT, and associated exhaust emissions. The truck routing evaluation would also identify alternative truck routes and their impacts on VMT, GHG emissions, and air quality.
4) Electric On-Site Off-Road and On-Road Equipment
Since the future development projects may include industrial uses, they may have the potential to result in increased use of off -road equipment (i.e. forklifts) and on -road equipment (i.e. mobile yard trucks with the ability to move materials). The District recommends that the WANSP stipulate requirements for future project proponents to utilize electric or zero emission off-road and on-road equipment.

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Page 5 District Reference No. 20210443
5) Under-fired Charbroilers
Potential future development projects for restaurants with under-fired charbroilers may pose the potential for immediate health risk, particularly when located in densely populated areas or near sensitive receptors. Since the cooking of meat can release carcinogenic PM2.5 species , such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, controlling emissions from new under-fired charbroilers will have a substantial positive impact on public health. The air quality impacts on neighborhoods near restaurants with under- fired charbroilers can be significant on days when meteor ological conditions are stable, when dispersion is limited and emissions are trapped near the surface within the surrounding neighborhoods. This potential for neighborhood -level concentration of emissions during evening or multi-day stagnation events raises air quality concerns.

Furthermore, reducing commercial charbroiling emissions is essential to achieving attainment of multiple federal PM2.5 standards and their associated health benefits in the community. Therefore, the District recommends that the WANSP include a measure requiring the assessment and potential installation, as technologically feasible, of particulate matter emission control systems for new large restaurants operating under -fired charbroi lers. The District is available to assist the City and project proponents with this assessment. Additionally, the District is currently offering substantial incentive funding that covers the full cost of purchasing, installing, and maintaining the system during a demonstration period covering two years of operation.

Please contact the District at (559) 230 -5800 or [email protected] for more information, or visit: http://valleyair.org/grants/rctp.htm 6) Vegetative Barriers and Urban Greening
For future development project s within the WANSP, and at strategic locations throughout the WANSP in general, the District supports the City incorporating vegetative barriers and urban greening as a measure to further reduce air pollution exposure on sensitive receptors (e.g. residences, schools, healthcare facilities).

While various emission control techniques and programs exist to reduce air quality emissions from mobile and stationary sources, vegetative barriers have been shown to be an additional measure to potenti ally reduce a population’s exposure to air pollution through the interception of airborne particles and the update of gaseous pollutants. Examples of vegetative barriers include, but are not limited to the following:
trees, bushes, shrubs, or a mix of th ese. Generally, a higher and thicker vegetative barrier with full coverage will result in greater reductions in downwind pollutant concentrations. In the same manner, urban greening is also a way to help improve air quality and public health in addition to enhancing the overall beautification of a community with drought tolerant, low-maintenance greenery.

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Page 6 District Reference No. 20210443
7) Solar Deployment in the Community
It is the policy of the State of California that renewable energy resources and zero - carbon resources supply 100% o f retail sales of electricity to California end -use customers by December 31, 2045. While various emission control techniques and programs exist to reduce air quality emissions from mobile and stationary sources, the production of solar energy is contribu ting to improving air quality and public health.

The District suggests that the City consider incorporating solar power systems as an emission reduction strategy for future development projects within the WANSP. 8) Electric Vehicle Chargers
To support and accelerate the installation of electric vehicle charging equipment and development of required infrastructure, the District offers incentives to public agencies, businesses, and property owners of multi -unit dwellings to install electric charging infrastructure (Level 2 and 3 chargers). The purpose of the District’s Charge Up! Incentive program is to promote clean air alternative -fuel technologies and the use of low or zero -emission vehicles. The District recommends that the City and project proponents install electric vehicle chargers at project sites, and at strategic locations throughout the WANSP.

Please visit www.valleyair.org/grants/chargeup.htm for more information. 9) Nuisance Odors
The City should consider all available pertinent information to determine if future development projects could have a significant impact related to nuisance odors.

Nuisance odors may be assessed qualitatively taking into consideration the proposed business or industry type and its potential to create odors, as well as proximity to off- site receptors that potentially would be exposed to objectionable odors. The intensity of an odor source’s operations and its proximity to receptors influences the potential significance of malodorous emissions.

As the future development projects that will fall within the WANSP do not yet exist, the City should stipulate odor mitigation measures in the WANSP as conditions of approval for those business and industry types. An example would be for a project proponent whose project is determined to have a potentially significant odor impact to draft and implement an odor management plan.
10) District Rules and Regulations
The District issues permits for many types of air pollution sources, and regulates some activities that do not require permits. A project subject to District rules and regulations would reduce its impacts on air quality through compliance with the District’s

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regulatory framework. In general, a regulation is a collection of individual rules, each of which deals with a specific topic. As an example, Regulation II (Permits) includes District Rule 2010 (Permits Required), Rule 2201 ( New and Modified Stationary Source Review ), Rule 2520 (Federally Mandated Operating P ermits), and several other rules pertaining to District permitting requirements and processes.

The list of rules below is neither exhaustive nor exclusive. Current District rules can be found online at: www.valleyair.org/rules/1ruleslist.htm. To identify other District rules or regulations that apply to future projects, or to obtain information about District permit requirements, the project proponents are strongly encouraged to contact the District’s Small Business Assistance (SBA) Office at (559) 230-5888. 10a) District R ules 2010 and 2201 - Air Quality Permitting for Stationary Sources
Stationary Source emissions include any building, structure, facility, or installation which emits or may emit any affected pollutant directly or as a fugitive emission. District Rule 2010 (Permits Required) requires operators of emission sources to obtai n an Authority to Construct (ATC) and Permit to Operate (PTO) from the District. District Rule 2201 (New and Modified Stationary Source Review) requires that new and modified stationary sources of emissions mitigate their emissions using Best Available Control Technology (BACT).

Future development project (s) may be subject to District Rule 2010 (Permits Required) and Rule 2201 (New and Modified Stationary Source Review) and may require District permits. Prior to construction, the project proponents should submit to the District an application for an ATC.

Recommended Measure: For projects subject to permitting by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District , demonstration of compliance with District Rule 2201 shall be provided to the City before issuance of the first building permit.

For further information or assistance, project proponent s may contact the District’s Small Business Assistance (SBA) Office at (559) 230-5888. 10b) District Rule 9510 (Indirect Source Review)
The purpose of District Rule 9510 is to reduce the growth in both NOx and PM emissions associated with development and transportation projects from mobile and area sources; specifically, the emissions associated with the construction and subsequent operati on of development projects. The Rule requires developers to mitigate their NOx and PM emissions by incorporating clean air design elements into their projects. Should the proposed

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development project clean air design elements be insufficient to meet the required emission reductions, developers must pay a fee that ultimately funds incentive projects to achieve off-site emissions reductions.

Accordingly, a future development project within the WANSP may be subject to District Rule 9510 if upon full buildout, the project would equal or exceed any of the following applicability thresholds, depending on the type of development and public agency approval mechanism:

Development
Type
Discretionary
Approval Threshold
Ministerial Approval /
Allowed Use / By Right
Thresholds
Residential 50 dwelling units 250 dwelling units
Commercial 2,000 square feet 10,000 square feet
Light Industrial 25,000 square feet 125,000 square feet Heavy Industrial 100,000 square feet 500,000 square feet Medical Office 20,000 square feet 100,000 square feet
General Office 39,000 square feet 195,000 square feet
Educational Office 9,000 square feet 45,000 square feet Government 10,00 square feet 50,000 square feet
Recreational 20,000 square feet 100,000 square feet
Other 9,000 square feet 45,000 square feet
District Rule 9510 also applies to any transportation or transit development projects where construction exhaust emissions equal or exceed two tons of NOx or two tons of PM.

In the case the individual development project i s subject to Rule 9510, an Air Impact Assessment (AIA) application is required, and the District recommends that demonstration of compliance with the rule prior to issuance of the first building permit, be made a condition of project approval.

Information about how to comply with District Rule 9510 can be found online at: http://www.valleyair.org/ISR/ISRHome.htm.

The AIA application form can be found online at:
http://www.valleyair.org/ISR/ISRFormsAndApplications.htm.

District staff is available to provide assistance with determining if future development project s will be subject to Rule 9510, and can be reached by phone at (559) 230-5900 or by email at [email protected].

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10c) District Rule 4901 (Wood Burning Fireplaces and Wood Burning Heaters) The purpose of this rule is to limit emissions of carbon monoxide and particulate matter from wood burning fireplaces, wood burning heaters, and outdoor wood burning devices. This rule establishes limitations on the installation of new wood burning fireplaces and wood burning heaters. Specifically, at elevations below 3,000 feet in areas with natural gas service, no person shall install a wood burning fireplace, low mass fireplace, masonry heater, or wood burning heater.

Information about District Rule 4901 can be found online at:
http://valleyair.org/rule4901/
10d) District Rule 4002 – National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
In the event an existing building will be renovated, partially demolished or removed, the Project may be subject to District Rule 4002. This rule requires a thorough inspection for asbestos to be conducted before any regulated facility is demolished or renovated. Information on how to comply with District Rule 4002 can be found online at:
http://www.valleyair.org/busind/comply/asbestosbultn.htm. 10e) District Regulation VII – Fugitive PM10 Prohibitions The project proponent may be required to submit a Construction Notification Form or submit and receive approval of a Dust Control Plan prior to commencing any earthmoving activities as described in Regulation VIII, specifically Rule 8021 – Construction, Demolition, Excavation, Extraction, and Other Earthmoving Activities.

The application for both the Construction Notification and Dust Control Plan can be found online at:
https://www.valleyair.org/busind/comply/PM10/forms/DCP-Form.docx Information about District Regulation VIII can be found online at:
http://www.valleyair.org/busind/comply/pm10/compliance pm10.htm 10f) Other District Rules and Regulations
Future development projects may also be subject to the following District rules:

Rule 4102 (Nuisance), Rule 4601 (Architectural Coatings), Rule 9410 (Employer Based Trip Reduction), and Rule 4641 (Cutback, Slow Cure, and Emulsified Asphalt, Paving and Maintenance Operations).

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Page 10 District Reference No. 20210443
11) WANSP Environmental Assessments
The District understands that the WANSP is not an environmental document under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), but is a blueprint to establish a planning framework and development standards to facilitate and guide future development within the planning area that may require an environmental assessment under CEQA.

The following items should be considered for future development projects located within the planning area.
11a) Criteria Pollutant Emissions
At the federal level under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), the D istrict is designated as extreme nonattainment for the 8 -hour ozone standards and serious nonattainment for the particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in size (PM2.5) standards. At the state level under California Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS), the District is designated as nonattainment for the 8-hour ozone, PM10, PM2.5 standards.

As such, the District recommends that the future environmental assessments stipulate that development projects within the WANSP identify and characterize project construction and operational air emissions. The District recommends the air emissions be compared to t he following CEQA significance thresholds for annual emissions of criteria pollutants: 100 tons per year of carbon monoxide (CO), 10 tons per year of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), 10 tons per year of reactive organic gases (ROG), 27 tons per year of oxides of sulfur (SOx), 15 tons per year of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 10 or 2.5 microns (PM10 or PM2.5). The District recommends that future proposed projects be mitigated to the extent feasible, and that future proposed projects with air emissions above the aforementioned thresholds be mitigated to below these thresholds.

Environmental reviews of potential impacts on air quality should incorporate the following items:
 Construction Emissions
Construction air emissions are short -term emissions generated from construction activities such as mobile HHD diesel off-road equipment, and should be evaluated separatel y from operational emissions. If air emissions from ongoing operational activities occur within the same year as construction emissions, those emissions should be combined.

Recommended Measure : To reduce impacts from construction -related diesel exhaust e missions, the project should utilize clean off -road

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construction equipment, including the latest tier equipment as feasible.  Operational Emissions
Operational (ongoing) air emissions from mobile sources and stationary sources should be analyzed separately. For reference, the District’s annual criteria thresholds of significance are listed above.

Recommended Measure: At a minimum, project related impacts on air quality should be reduced to levels of significance through incorporation of design elements such as the use of cleaner HHD trucks and vehicles, measures that reduce VMTs, and measures that increase energy efficiency. More information on transportation mitigation measures can be found at:
http://www.valleyair.org/transportation/Mitigation-Measures.pdf.  Recommended Model for Quantifying Air Emissions
Project-related criteria pollutant emissions from construction and operational sources should be identified and quantified. Emissions analysis should be performed using the California Emission Estimator Model (CalEEMod), which uses the most recent CARB-approved version of relevant emissions models and emission factors. CalEEMod is available to the public and c an be downloaded from the CalEEMod website at: www.caleemod.com.
11b) Cleanest Available HHD Trucks
The San Joaquin Valley will not be able to attain stringent health-based federal air quality standards without significant reductions in emissions from HHD trucks, the single largest source of NOx emissions in the San Joaquin Valley.

The District’s ARB -approved 2018 PM2.5 Plan includes significant new reductions from HHD Trucks, including emissions reductions by 2 023 through the implementation of CARB’s Statewide Truck and Bus Regulation, which requires truck fleets operating in California to meet the 2010 standard of 0.2 g- NOx/bhp-hr by 2023. Additionally, to meet federal air quality attainment standards, the District’s Plan relies on a significant and immediate transition of HHD truck fleets to zero or near -zero emissions technologies, including the near-zero truck standard of 0.02 g/bhp-hr NOx established by CARB.

For future development projects which typically generate a high volume of HHD truck traffic (e.g. “high -cube” warehouses or distribution centers), there are HHD trucks traveling to-and-from from the project location at longer distribution trip length distances. Since these projects may exceed the District significance

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Page 12 District Reference No. 20210443
thresholds, the District recommends that the following mitigation measures be included in the WANSP for project-related operational emissions:
 Recommended Measure : Fleets associated with operational activities utilize the cleanest available HHD trucks, including zero and near-zero (0.02 g/bhp-hr NOx) technologies.
 Recommended Measure : All on -site service equipment (cargo handling, yard hostlers, forklifts, pallet jacks, etc.) utilize zero-emissions technologies. 11c) Reduce Idling of HHD Trucks
The goal of this strategy is to limit the potential for localized PM2.5 and toxic air contaminant impacts associated with failure to comply with the state’s HHD anti-idling regulation (e.g. limiting vehicle idling to specific time limits). Th e diesel exhaust from excessive idling has the potential to impose significant adverse health and environmental impacts. Therefore, the WANSP should deploy strategies to ensure compliance of the anti -idling regulation, especially near sensitive receptors, and discuss the importance of limiting the amount of idling within the WANSP.

Recommended Measure: Construction and operational fleets based within the WANSP area limit vehicle idling pursuant to 13 CCR § 2485 and 13 CCR § 2480.
11d) Health Risk Screening/Assessment
To determine potential health impacts on surrounding receptors (residences, businesses, hospitals, day -care facilities, health care facilities, etc.) a Prioritization and/or a health risk assessment (HRA) should be performed for future projects within the WANSP. These health risk determinations should quantify and characterize potential Toxic Air Contaminant (TAC) air pollutants identified by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment/California Air Resources Board (OEHHA/CARB) that p ose a present or potential hazard to human health.

Health risk analyses should include all potential air emissions from the project, which include emissions from construction of the facility, including multi -year construction, as well as ongoing operational activities of the facility. Note, two common sources of TACs can be attributed to diesel exhaust emitted from HHD off-road earth moving equipment during construction, and from ongoing operation of HHD on-road trucks. A list o f TACs identified by OEH HA/CARB can be found at:
https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/carb-identified-toxic-air-

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Page 13 District Reference No. 20210443
contaminants
Prioritization (Screening Health Risk Assessment):

A “Prioritization” is the recommended method for a conservative screening- level health risk assessment. The Prioritization should be performed using the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association’s (CAPCOA) methodology.

The District recommends that a more refined analysis, in the form of an HRA, be performed for any project resulting in a Prioritization score of 10 or greater.

This is because the prioritization results are a conservative health risk representation, while the detailed HRA prov ides a more accurate health risk evaluation.

To assist land use agencies and project proponents with Prioritization analyses, the District has created a prioritization calculator based on the aforementioned CAPCOA guidelines, which can be found here:
http:www.valleyair.org/busind/pto/emission factors/Criteria/Toxics/Utilities/PR IORITIZATION%20RMR%202016.XLS
Health Risk Assessment:

Prior to performing an HRA, it is strongly recommended that land use agencies/development project proponents contact the District to review the proposed health risk modeling protocol. A development project would be considered to have a potentially significant health risk if the HRA demonstrates that the project-related health impacts would exceed the Districts significance threshold of 20 in a million for carcinogenic risk, or 1.0 for either the Acute or Chronic Hazard Indices. A project with a significant health risk would trigger all feasible mitigation measures. The District strongly recommends that development projects that result in a significant health risk not be approved by the land use agency.

The District is available to review HRA protocols and analyses. For HRA submittals please provide the following information electronically to the District for review:
 HRA AERMOD model files
 HARP2 files
 Summary of emissions source locations, emissions rates, and emission factor calculations and methodology.

For assistance, please contact the District’s Technical Services Department by:
 E-Mailing inquiries to: [email protected]
 Calling (559) 230-5900

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Page 14 District Reference No. 20210443
 Visiting the Districts modeling guidance website at:
http://www.valleyair.org/busind/pto/Tox Resources/AirQualityMonitoring .htm.

Recommended Measure : Development projects resulting in toxic air contaminant emissi ons should be located an adequate distance from residential areas and other sensitive receptors in accordance to CARB's Air Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community Health Perspective.

Recommended Measure: A health risk screening and/or assessment should be performed to assess potential risks to sensitive receptors for all of the following projects:
 Projects whose proposed locations are within the established buffer distances identified in CARB's handbook located at
https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/ch/handbook.pdf
 Projects whose land uses are not specifically identified in ARB's handbook (such as shopping centers), but there is sufficient information to reasonably conclude t hat sensitive receptors would be exposed to significant sources of toxic air contaminants; and
 Projects that would otherwise appear to be exempt from CEQA requirements, but there is sufficient information to reasonably conclude that sensitive receptors would be exposed to significant sources of toxic air contaminants, such as industrial use projects allowed by right. 11e) Ambient Air Quality Analysis
An Ambient Air Quality Analysis (AAQA) uses air dispersion modeling to determine if emissions increases from a project will cause or contribute to a violation of State or National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The District recommends that the environmental assessment requires an AAQA to be performed for any future development project with emissions that exceed 1 00 pounds per day of any pollutant.

An acceptable analysis would include emissions from both project -specific permitted and non -permitted equipment and activities. The District recommends consultation with District staff to determine the appropriate model and input data to use in the analysis.

Specific information for assessing significance, including screening tools and modeling guidance, is available online at the District’s website:

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Page 15 District Reference No. 20210443
www.valleyair.org/ceqa.
11f) Voluntary Emission Reduction Agreement (VERA)
Future development projects within the WANSP could have a significant impact on air quality. The District recommends the environmental assessment include a feasibility discussion on implementing a Voluntary Emission Reduction Agreement (VERA) as a mitigation measure for future development projects that are determined to exceed the District’s CEQA significance thresholds.

A VERA is a mitigation m easure by which the project proponent provides pound-for-pound mitigation of emissions increases through a process that develops, funds, and implements emission reduction projects, with the District serving a role of administrator of the emissions reductio n projects and verifier of the successful mitigation effort. To implement a VERA, the project proponent and the District enter into a contractual agreement in which the project proponent agrees to mitigate project specific emissions by providing funds for the District’s incentives programs. The funds are disbursed by the District in the form of grants for projects that achieve emission reductions. Thus, project- related impacts on air quality can be fully mitigated. Types of emission reduction projects t hat have been funded in the past include electrification of stationary internal combustion engines (such as agricultural irrigation pumps), replacing old HHD trucks with new, cleaner, more efficient HHD trucks, and replacement of old farm tractors.

In implementing a VERA, the District verifies the actual emission reductions that have been achieved as a result of completed grant contracts, monitors the emission reduction projects, and ensures the enforceability of achieved reductions. After the project is mitigated, the District certifies to the Lead Agency that the mitigation is completed, providing the Lead Agency with an enforceable mitigation measure demonstrating that project -related emissions have been mitigated to less than significant. To assist th e Lead Agency and project proponent in ensuring that the environmental document is compliant with CEQA, the District recommends the environmental assessment includes an assessment of the feasibility of implementing a VERA. 12) Future Projects / Land Use Agency Referral Documents Future development projects may require an environmental review and air emissions mitigation. Referral documents and environmental review documents for these projects should include a project summary, the land use designation, project size, air emissions quantifications and impacts, and proximity to sensitive receptors and existing emission sources, and air emissions mitigation measures. For reference and guidance, more information can be found in the District’s Guidance for Assessing and

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Page 16 District Reference No. 20210443
Mitigating Air Quality Impacts at: https://www.valleyair.org/transportation/GAMAQI.pdf If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Eric McLaughlin by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (559) 230-5808.

Sincerely,
Brian Clements
Director of Permit Services
For Mark Montelongo
Program Manager
8 Brian J ohnson 4/23/2021

9 Bruce O'Neal Tree Fresno 8/27/2021

We create special places. We plant, care, inspire.

We are a voice, a teacher, a steward.

August 27, 2021
Casey Lauderdale
Long-Range Planning
2600 Fresno Street, Room 3065
Fresno, CA 93721
SUBJECT: Comments on the Draft West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan Ms. Lauderdale:

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Draft West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan (Draft Plan). Tree Fresno is a non -profit organization that has planted over 50,000 trees since 1985, most in the City of Fresno and neighboring c ommunities. As noted on page 65 of the Draft Plan (3.3C Landscaping), Tree Fresno prepared the Community Landscapes Plan for West Fresno under a grant from the Fresno Council of Governments which covers an area slightly larger than the Draft Plan boundary. To achieve the many benefits of trees, it is stated that the City should investigate refinement of the Community Landscapes Plan for West Fresno to include further resident engagement. Tree Fresno, including members of its Board and staff, would be happy to assist in this effort.

The Draft Plan correctly states that trees filter pollutants from air and water, produce oxygen, provide shade and cooler temperatures on hot days, conserve energy, beautify our streets and neighborhoods, and reduce the heat island effect. Other benefits include provision of wildlife habitat, and connection to natural history and the environment. Fresno currently has a tree canopy estimated at 10% coverage. Efforts should be made in new subdivisions and along streets and highways to increase the tree canopy. This is especially true in small-lot subdivisions and higher density projects where current trends in maximizing lot coverage tend to reduce the area available for tree and landscape planting.

EnviroScreen 3.0 results show that much of the Draft Plan area is considered “disadvantaged” (81 -90% ranking). This is primarily due to the plan area’s location adjacent to Highway 99 and the mainline railroad to the east and emissions related to both sources. The pollution burden is widespread and should be addressed in a comprehensive manner. This could include the many benefits of trees and the role that an increased tree canopy plays, including strategic planting of key species that produce oxygen and trap pollutants.

Tree Fresno, working directly with the California Air Resources Board, has a tree planting program along Highway 99 in both central Fresno and the City of Fowler that is studying the beneficial effects of trees along the freeway right -of-way. The project includes analysis of the strategic location of tree species that can trap diesel emissions and sequester GHG emissions to 3150 East Barstow Avenue, Fresno, CA 93740 — Office 559-221-5556, Fax 559-221-5559 — www.treefresno.org

reduce harmful effects to adjacent areas, including residential, school, park and other sensitive uses. As results of the study become available, we will share them with the City for review and use as appropriate.

The Community Landscapes Plan beginning on page 70 includes comprehensive policy review and environmental mitigation recommendations. Subject areas include plant lists and street trees; ec ological sustainability; land use planning; transportation solutions; noise abatement; near-road pollution and diesel particulate matter reduction; and public health recommendations. It is hoped that staff will further review these recommendations as propo sed policy and forward the Community Landscapes Plan to the EIR consultant as an aid to environmental analysis and mitigation.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment and we look forward to further participation in the Draft Plan and EIR process.

Sincerely,
Tree Fresno
Bruce O’Neal
Member of the Board of Directors
3150 East Barstow Avenue, Fresno, CA 93740 — Office 559-221-5556, Fax 559-221-5559 — www.treefresno.org 10 Carol Underhill 4/6/2021

From: Carol Underhill
To: Casey Lauderdale
Subject: Re: West area specific plan I progress
Date: Tuesday, April 6, 2021 12:50:37 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Thank you Casey. Very helpful.

My big concern is the development of a senior center on our West side. there are so many new schools being built in Central Unified and no place for Seniors to gather and not be lonely. it’s sad as Fresno (this huge city) has no senior center—-look at Clovis,- very sophisticated senior center and building a new one. Shame on Fresno.

I’m a native of Fresno and use to be so proud of our city.

Thanks for listening, Carol Bowman Underhill
Sent from my iPad
> On Apr 6, 2021, at 11:00 AM, Casey Lauderdale <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Hi Carol,
>
> So nice to meet you by email and thank you for reaching out. Right now the first set of meetings will be held online with the Zoom video conference platform. You can also call into the meeting, too. If you need any help accessing the virtual meetings, please let me know, I'd be happy to lend some support or even go through a test run. >
> With regard to in-person meetings, we are still waiting for clearance to hold them safely and they will probably look a bit different than how they've been held in the past (with people gathered in one room for a presentation). >
> Please do let me know your thoughts- it'd be really helpful to know what might work best to share information about the Plan.
>
> As we are working from home right now, I also want to offer my personal cell phone number, in case you'd like to connect over the phone. It's
>
> -Casey
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Carol Underhill <
> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 4:50 PM
> To: Casey Lauderdale <[email protected]>
> Subject: West area specific plan I progress
>
> External Email: Use caution with links and attachments >
>
> Hello, I am 83 and I would like to attend meetings. Please tell me where they are. Thank you very much Carol Underhill
>
> Sent from my iPhone
.
>

11 Cathy Caples West Area Neighborhoods
Steering Committee 7/19/2021

July 19, 2021
TO: Casey Lauderdale
City of Fresno
FROM: Cathy Caples
West Area Neighborhoods Steering Committee
RE: Comments to the Draft West Area Neighborhoods Plan
Thank you, Casey, for taking time to speak with me regarding the draft on July 8. This memo summarizes my comments by page number.

Page 2 ends

shifting our focus to Fresno’s Final Frontier from Forgotten Fresno. Thank you for clarifying that Highway City is part of the City of Fresno annexed in the 70’s and bringing our attention to the only Historic Landmark. I had no idea that the Jose Garcia Adobe existed. I don’t recall it being discussed during our planning process.

Page 11 ends

information needed. Recommend different shading to distinguish city limits, West Area Planning area and the dotted line before final draft.

Page 17 ends

the CalEviro Scan. What do the shadings represent? And how can there be such discrepancy in just a ½ mile radius. Please add a link to the CalEnviro Scan to the map and the text.

On this map the West Area is represented as east of 99 but on page 11 it is just west of

99. Why this is should be mentioned in the map legend.

Pages 25- 29 – I think there is a need for a sentence at the beginning of this section referring readers to the referenced maps. At the beginning of each section the map could be referenced.

For example: The Highway City Neighborhood Specific Plan (1998) Map 1.5 page 28 then text.

And then on Map 1.5 reference page 25. Reader c an then view map while reading section. It might also make sense to add a smaller version of the map to each page.

Page 41 ends

to the Steering Committee for discussion. I don’t think we wanted to expand the boundaries of the City of Fresno westward. I think we were talking about just one square quarter mile and I didn’t realize the rest of the City boundary is Grantland as we were only looking at the West Area. I think the wording of this section misrepresents our intent.

Page 65 ends

extended to include the entire West Area not just the area south of Shaw? Another example of why the phrase Forgotten Fresno was adopted by the neighborhoods north of Shaw. I think the

plan gives good definition through greening of the neighborhoods which is also good for the air we breathe.

Page 82 ends

bright color. Can the Class A trail that extends along the Herndon Canal to the west be colored the same as the trail along the proposed Regional Park? Excited about the potential to create trails and a regional park that meets our goals to tell the story of agriculture while meeting the needs of the community to have play and enrichment space combined with vibrant local businesses.

In the last meeting Kimberly McCoy mentioned a park in the South area that was built on a dump, which park would that be? Could Option B also be designated as park space without regional designation?

Page 105 ends

space was moved to general commercial – when did we vote on that change? It is what caused the decrease in park space in our area – can it be placed back as park space as shown on page 106 in the existing General Plan?
12 Daniel Brannick 9/21/2021

West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan Comments
September 21, 2021
To: Casey Lauderdale, Planner III
City of Fresno, Development and Resource Management Department Subject: West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan – Public Review Draft Hi Casey, thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on the public review draft of the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan. My comments on the plan are presented below and are organized in the following five categories:
• Notably Good Stuff
• Comments Regarding Specific Policies and Implementation Measurements • Comments Regarding Proposed Catalytic Corridors
• Comments Regarding Contents of Maps and Figures
• Additional Project Ideas for Future Consideration
Notably Good Stuff:

Since comment letters for planning projects are often heavily skewed towards listing criticisms or recommendations for changes while remaining silent on areas of approval, I want to explicitly mention that I think the draft Specific Plan does a very good job overall of identifying the major planning issues affecting the West Area and setting forth goals and policies that are capable of addressing those issues.

I think this may be best reflected in the “Core Vision for the West Area” presented on page 3, which in my opinion is spot-on in its identification of the interests and needs that have been identified by the community during development of the WANSP. I also want to briefly highlight some of the discussion areas and policies in the draft Specific Plan which I thought were – as the heading indicates – notably good:
• Urban-Rural interface ideas (5.7.A, LUH 2.2, LUH 5.1) • Connected community and neighborhood design (5.4, IPR 1.3, PF 1.9, PF Goal 2) • Policies addressing micromobility (3.2.E, IPR 1.16)
• Regarding commercial development, emphasis on promoting “smaller yet adaptable buildings” (5.3.C, LUH 3.4)
• The writeup about housing opportunity, particularly the point recognizing that “Housing opportunity and stability is not just about housing affordability, it also means providing enough options for residents to not have to move out of their neighborhood when their life circumstances change.” (5.7.B, LUH Goal 6)
• The Agrihood concept (5.6, LUH 2.6)
Comments Regarding Specific Policies and Implementation Measurements:

Infrastructure & The Public Realm
IPR 1.2 – I think this policy could benefit from the inclusion of a short list of priority SRTS-eligible projects (i.e., a list of 3-5 roadway segments in proximity to school sites), which could then be included

West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan Comments
as an additional measurement of implementation progress (e.g., “percentage of priority projects completed” as a measurement).

IPR 1.3 – I would like to see some language that specifically calls for “closing gaps” in the existing pedestrian infrastructure network. Since this policy seems to address new development, I am not sure if such language should be added to this policy or added as a separate policy. Either way, the intent of this recommendation is to promote continuity in the West Area’s network of sidewalks and bike lanes, which has a number of small gaps due to the relatively “piecemeal” nature of development that has occurred.

For example, on the south side of Ashlan east of Cornelia, there is a segment in front of a lone single- family residence where no sidewalk exists and pedestrians either have to walk off the curb into the bike lane on Ashlan or walk across a private driveway and yard area. To me, it seems like acquisition of the sidewalk right-of-way should have been a requirement on the newer development that occurred on either side of this small “gap” area.

IPR 1.7 – For this policy, consider including the following as additional performance measurements:
“route miles added”, percentage of population within a physical distance of transit stops (e.g. “% population within 1/2 mile of transit”), and percentage of population within a time interval of transit stops (e.g. “% population within 5 minutes of transit”).

IPR 1.8 – Question for clarification: Is this policy referring to the Fresno County SB 743 Implementation Regional Guidelines (which to my understanding the City has adopted) or to some other VMT program? Additionally, if feasible, I would recommend including some kind of VMT-related factor as a performance measurement for this policy (e.g., “Post-mitigation VMT reduction”, or “Δ VMT”).

IPR 1.11 – Question for clarification: Does the “underpass at West Gettysburg Avenue” refer to the undeveloped strip of land between Cornelia and Golden State, or are there any plans to construct an underpass that runs beneath the Union Pacific railroad tracks and future HSR tracks? IPR 3.2 – This may be beyond the scope of the WANSP, but consider incorporating language that calls for adding to/improving the “public facing” aspect of the City’s CIP processes in order to 1) help make people more aware of what projects are underway at a given time, and 2) facilitate input from community members about which specific areas/streets need improvements.

Public Facilities
PF 1.2 – Consider expressly including “acreage by park type” and “number of new parks by park type” as additional implementation measurements in order to better contextualize progress made towards adding park space. (Note: By “park type” I am referring to the City’s terminology for different types of parks – e.g., “Neighborhood”, “Community Park”, “Regional Park”) PF 1.8 – Question regarding methods for funding development of a regional park: Could an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) be utilized to fund a park, or park-adjacent infrastructure development? If so, it may be worth considering the inclusion of a policy Land Use and Housing
LUH 1.2 – Measurements like “# annexations”, “# added acres”, and “# developments” (which are already included as measurements for LUH 1.1 and 1.3) could also be included as implementation measurements for this policy.

West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan Comments
LUH 2.2 – Consider revising this policy for clarity (i.e., I think the idea of promoting an agricultural buffer is a good policy, but I am somewhat confused by how encouraging “new non-agricultural and non- recreational uses” advances this policy).

LUH 3.1 – This policy speaks to what I consider to be one of the top overall issues that needs to be addressed in the West Area. That being said, to better promote the actualization of what this policy sets out to achieve, I would like to see the formation of a program (or committee) that functions to promote the types of development sought after by residents in the West Area. Rather than merely leaving things in the hands of commercial development professionals (who seemingly have a penchant for promoting new gas stations and chain fast food restaurants but not much else), this program/committee would ideally facilitate more robust involvement from community members and help more directly draw development that fits what the community wants to see in the West Area. I am not sure if this is something that could (or should) be done directly as part of the WANSP adoption process, but included below is some draft policy language. (Note: Also see additional proposed language for Policy LUH 3.1, which is based on later comments regarding Catalytic Corridors) LUH Goal 3: Create Complete Neighborhoods in the West Area that provide a variety of amenities within walking distance to meet the daily needs of residents.

LUH 3.1(a): Initiate formation of a group or committee – led by West Area community members with participation from City of Fresno staff, community groups, and community businesses – that works to identify specific types of retail and commercial development sought for the West Area, form ideas for specific projects, and promote their development.

LUH 3.4 – To better implement and track this policy (which I think is a good policy), I think it would be useful to develop an “adaptable retail factors” checklist. Here are two ways in which I think such a checklist could be utilized: 1) As a reference guide for new retail development when seeking to promote and incorporate “adaptability” features. 2) As a method for categorizing retail development projects by their “adaptability” levels (e.g., “high adaptability”, “mid adaptability”, “low adaptability”), which could then be used an implementation measurement for this policy (e.g., “number of ‘high adaptability’ businesses”).

LUH 3.8 – Consider rewriting this policy as proposed below:

Encourage use of a gridded street pattern in new development for optimal connectivity.

Encourage street patterns in new development that optimize connectivity, such as a gridded street pattern.

LUH 6.3 – Provide a definition of “defensible space” in the Glossary section, or alternatively, consider using a different term to represent the concept being advanced by this policy (which, to me, seems more like “eyes on the street”)

West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan Comments
Incorporate the concept of “eyes on the street” as part of new development and require future residences to face parks, public streets, and/or public schools in order to provide natural surveillance and promote safety for all users.

Comments Regarding Proposed Catalytic Corridors:

I think the concept of Catalytic Corridors offers a great framework for creating an improved sense of place in the West Area; it seems capable of encouraging new development in a manner that can attract needed community amenities to the West Area while allowing for preservation of the area’s rural/agricultural character. That being said, I think the discussion and policies presented in the WANSP would benefit from being revised in at least two ways: 1) Adding more emphasis on utilizing Catalytic Corridors as a means to develop complete neighborhoods, and 2) Including more discussion on how the proposed Catalytic Corridors will relate to one another.

Regarding the first point, the current draft discusses specific street infrastructure improvements and higher density and intensity sought for Catalytic Corridor areas, but there is less discussion about the actual types and mix of uses envisioned for the corridors. While land use and zoning designations provide some information about the potential types of uses that could occur along each of the corridors, I think it is important for the WANSP to more actively identify the Catalytic Corridors as centers of community activity with a comprehensive range of uses present.

Regarding the second point, I would like to see additional discussion that addresses the following questions about the relationship among the different corridors: Will each of the corridors have a different emphasis or will they be generally similar to one another? Are they going to delineate distinct neighborhoods within the West Area? Should they be linked in an interconnected chain? Additionally, regarding the specific roadway segments that are identified as Catalytic Corridors in the WANSP, I strongly believe that the Catalytic Corridor designation on Blythe Avenue should be moved to Brawley Avenue. R easons for making this switch include the following:
• Currently, Blythe has no notable “nodes” or “hubs” of activity or development (except at its northern end where it meets Ashlan, which is already planned as a Catalytic Corridor). In contrast, Brawley has existing “nodes/hubs” located at Shields/Brawley and Clinton/Brawley intersections.
• Much of the existing development along Blythe is residential in nature (either rural residential or single-family residential tracts), and there are numerous small rural lots without right-of-way dedications. Brawley appears to have more existing right-of-way dedications and slightly fewer small lots.
• There is existing FAX transit service on Brawley (which also indirectly reflects its value as a corridor)
• Utilizing Brawley as a Catalytic Corridor offers the potential for better connectivity among other Catalytic Corridors planned along Ashlan and Clinton.

If for some reason it is unfeasible to move the Catalytic Corridor to Brawley, I think it may actually be better to simply not include Blythe as a Catalytic Corridor and focus on planning for the corridors on Shaw, Ashlan, Clinton, and Veterans Boulevard.

West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan Comments
Comments Regarding Contents of Maps and Figures:

The following comments address information presented in maps and figures that are included in the draft WANSP, but it is noted that the information may be sourced from other documents and not necessarily attributable to the WANSP.

Island Waterpark Drive
In reviewing the WANSP, I have noticed that Island Waterpark Drive is frequently obscured by other map elements (such as the Specific Plan Boundary border) or omitted from maps that display major roadways (see for example pages 17, 29, and 56 where there is no line segment whatsoever north of the Shaw/Polk intersection). My guess as to the cause of this issue is that Island Waterpark Drive is not officially designated as either an Arterial or Collector roadway; this is surprising to me because Island Waterpark Drive is a direct link between Polk (an Arterial roadway) and Barstow (a Collector roadway), and its configuration (i.e., width, number of lanes, etc.) is at least at a Collector standard. I would like to get clarification from City staff on Island Waterpark Drive’s existing and future planned roadway designation, and would recommend that it be officially classified as at least a Collector roadway. (One additional recommendation for Island Waterpark Drive: Widen the roadway from south of the Herndon Canal to Shaw Avenue and add bike lanes.)
Park Space/Open Space Land Use Designations for New Subdivisions I noticed that Map 4-1 and other figures depicting park space generally do not include park areas that have been developed as part of new residential subdivisions. To provide a more complete picture of the availability and location of park space within the West Area, I would recommend updating the park space figures to display these CFD-funded park areas.

Additionally, during the time the WANSP has been undergoing development, there was a new residential subdivision approved near Dakota and Hayes that required modifications to its park space before its approval by the City Council. It is unclear whether the City’s land use and zoning maps have been updated to recognize the park space that is delineated in the project’s approved tract map. If not done so already, the City’s land use and zoning maps should be updated to designate the appropriate area as park space, and these updates should be incorporated in the WANSP.

Additional Project Ideas for Further Consideration
While reviewing the draft Specific Plan, I could not help but brainstorm a number of specific project ideas I would be interested in exploring for the West Area. While each of the ideas presented would need further planning and refinement (and funding) to become realistically actionable, I feel that they are within the realm of possibility and would serve to advance goals and policies set forth in the WANSP. “Powerline Trail”
The “Powerline Trail” idea refers to formally designating and planning a trail that follows the alignment of the overhead electrical transmission lines that run north-to-south in the vicinity of Hayes Avenue. As I envision it, there would be a continuous trail from the Shaw/Hayes area to Dakota/Hayes area. This concept appears to have been at least partially implemented as part of some recent new residential development in the West Area; the Westerra subdivision near Ashlan

West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan Comments
and Hayes includes a powerline-aligned trail segment south of Gettysburg Avenue, and a recently- approved subdivision at the northwest corner of Dakota and Hayes has also been planned to include a trail area following the powerline easement. This trail would provide a community asset/placemaking feature, improve the active transportation network, add needed open space/recreational areas, and could be used to help delineate different neighborhoods in the West Area.
“Groundwater Recharge Greenway”
This idea involves planning for a large linear area capable of capturing groundwater and recharging the underlying aquifer. Such an area would ideally be located at the western edge of the West Area boundary so that it could offer recharge benefits to the West Area’s neighboring agricultural areas while also serving as a “buffer use” between agricultural and urban development. Unlike typical urban flood control basins, the groundwater greenway area would generally be unfenced so as to provide a more scenic setting. It is also worth noting that groundwater recharge projects may be eligible for funding opportunities that are not available for other types of land use planning projects. “Cornelia Connector Roadway”
This idea calls for construction of a new north-south roadway to link Cornelia between Shaw and Gettysburg, which would utilize an undercrossing beneath Freeway 99 (i.e., either construction of a new undercrossing near where Cornelia currently becomes Parkway, or utilization of the existing unimproved undercrossing at Gettysburg with a new roadway segment that runs up to Cornelia/Santa Ana; see the figure included on the next page for a visual representation of each scenario).

The purpose of proposing this new roadway connection is to address two major transportation issues: 1) poor north-south connectivity that exists throughout the West Area, and 2) existing and future traffic congestion on Shaw between Golden State and Polk. While the completion of Veterans’ Boulevard will ideally help address both of these issues to some degree, it will not fix everything. Even with Veterans’ Boulevard constructed, every major north-south roadway in the span of between Polk and Marks will still either be cut off by Freeway 99/the railroad tracks (i.e., Cornelia and Blythe) or require some amount of “backtracking” to travel between the span of Shaw and Ashlan (both Golden State and the 99 run at a diagonal, and Brawley requires “doing a loop” at Weber/Marty). Additionally, there will still be a significant bottleneck on Shaw at the bridge over 99 (where, despite being an Arterial, there is essentially only one through-lane in each direction). By serving as an additional north-south route and funneling traffic away from the Shaw/99 bottleneck, providing a connection across the freeway at Cornelia would help on both fronts. Further, a crossing at Cornelia could incorporate features to improve multimodal connectivity within the WANSP’s subareas.
(This space intentionally left blank.)

West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan Comments

West Area Neighborhood Specific Plan Comments
“West Area-Downtown Transit”
This idea involves adding direct transit service between the West Area and downtown Fresno, either as a regular bus route or as a limited service during peak commuting times. While the West Area is currently served by several cross-town transit routes, there is not a true north-south route that serves the area, nor is there a route with direct access to downtown Fresno. Looking at the current FAX system map, most areas within the Fresno city limits are located within a one-mile radius of a bus route that directly connects to downtown. I n the West Area, however, only a small pocket of land east of the Clinton/Marks intersection is located within one mile of a downtown-connected bus route (Route 22), and getting to that route requires traveling over the notably steep Clinton overpass. Adding a north-south route with a direct connection to downtown Fresno would measurably improve transit connectivity within the West Area and help make transit a more viable means of transportation for West Area residents.

Below are two preliminary suggestions for implementing West Area-Downtown transit service:
1) Extend and modify Route 12 to run from the El Paseo Shopping Center to downtown Fresno via existing transit stops within and near the West Area. 2) Implement a pilot program to run buses on Freeway 99 during weekday morning and afternoon commuting hours with stops near major interchanges (e.g., Herndon/99, Shaw/99, Ashlan/99, Clinton/99).
“Container Farming Program”
This idea is related to the Agrihood concept presented in the WANSP and would involve promoting the development of small vertical farms housed inside shipping containers. (Examples of container farms currently being manufactured: https://www.freightfarms.com/, https://cropbox.co/). My understanding is that shipping container farms are often marketed in areas with very high land costs and/or poor farming climates as a way to offer access to high-quality, locally-sourced produce that would not otherwise be available. In the West Area, I think the container farming concept could be a means to improve access to fresh and healthy foods while functioning as a placemaking feature that has a connection to the West Area’s agricultural heritage. Additionally, it seems within the realm of possibility that shipping container farms could be utilized as mitigation in addressing conversions of agricultural lands.

As a closing comment, I want to acknowledge the great job that City staff has done in facilitating the development of the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan. Throughout the process, I feel there has been a sustained and genuine effort by City staff to garner meaningful input from the community and deliver a Specific Plan that is responsive to the needs and aspirations of West Area residents. I am optimistic as the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan moves closer to adoption.

Sincerely,
Daniel Brannick
13 Daniel Brannick 11/12/2021

From: Daniel Brannick
To: Casey Lauderdale
Subject: Commercial Land Use Designations on WANSP Land Use Map Date: Friday, November 12, 2021 5:00:39 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Hi Casey, I just wanted to send a follow-up email regarding our recent discussion about the commercial land use designations in the WANSP near Ashlan and 99.

As mentioned, in the most current iteration of the proposed WANSP Land Use Map, there are some areas on the south side of Ashlan between Blythe and Parkway that are designated with a planned land use of General Commercial. However, after reviewing the the City Development Code, I am thinking it would be appropriate to change the planned land use to either Community Commercial or to a Mixed Use designation in order to better promote the type of development sought for this area.

As some additional context, for the most part these areas are currently zoned and land use designated as Community Commercial. Early on in the WANSP process, there was a preliminary land use map put out by City staff that proposed converting almost everything near Ashlan/99 to residential uses. In response to this earlier map, I provided comments (as did others) requesting that these areas be kept as commercial uses in order to help better draw in missing community assets (i.e. commercial and community uses, such as a grocery store and a gym), especially along Catalyic Corridor areas like Ashlan where they are more likely to be viable for such development. City staff subsequently revised the map to change the areas back to allow for commercial use, but in the revised map the areas were designated as General Commercial instead of Community Commercial.

At first glance, I was pretty happy that the planned designations had been switched back to commercial uses. However, after reviewing Article 12 of the Development Code, I am concerned that the General Commercial designation would be "biting off too much" in terms of the type of development allowed for the area and may lead to the unintentional/unwitting development of uses that would not fit the vision.

I just wanted to get this in writing ahead of the next WANSP meeting, and I am anticipating that I will comment or further discuss this proposed change with the Steering Committee.

As always, I greatly appreciate your efforts in developing the WANSP.

Thanks,
Daniel Brannick
14 David Lantis 9/22/2021

October 5, 2021
Casey Lauderdale
City of Fresno
Long Range Planning Division
Re: West Area Specific Plan Changes
To whom it may concern,
In response to receiving notification of proposed planned land use designation please let this letter serve as support to maintain the current lower density zoning (primarily medium low density) within and around the boundary lines of Shields-Dakota and Cornelia-Blythe.

The current planned land use coordinates with the established neighborhoods within the above described area. It maintains one of the few medium low density areas within the greater boundary of HWY 99/Clinton and HWY 99-Polk. Conversely the proposed plan change does not coordinate with established neighborhoods and eliminates presence of virtually all medium low density within the above stated greater boundary.

The streets that service this area are already heavily impacted with traffic and increasing the residential density will further worsen traffic impact.

Please consider to maintain the current lower density zoning (primarily medium low density) within and around the boundary lines of Shields-Dakota and Cornelia-Blythe.

Sincerely,
David Lantis
15 David Padilla Caltrans District 6 8/6/2021

DISTRICT 6 OFFICE
1352 WEST OLIVE AVENUE |P.O. BOX 12616 |FRESNO, CA 93778-2616 (559) 981-1041 | FAX (559 ) 488-4195 | TTY 711
www.dot.ca.gov
August 3, 2021
West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan
Preliminary Review
https://ld-igr-gts.dot.ca.gov/district/6/report/23472#32614

SENT VIA EMAIL
Casey Lauderdale, Planner
City of Fresno Long Range Planning Division
[email protected]
Dear Mx. Lauderdale,
Thank you for the opportunity to review the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan.

The City of Fresno is developing a plan for future growth and development in the West Area. The project area is located west of Highway 99, generally north of Clinton Avenue and east of Garfield Avenue.

The transportation portion of this Specific Plan corresponds with state planning priorities contained in state law (i.e., AB 857, 2002 Wiggins) and meets state policy goals on transportation (improving access to destinations), Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) reduction, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, and/or betterment of the environment and human health.

Caltrans provides the following comments consistent with the State’s smart mobility goals that support a vibrant economy and sustainable communities:

1. Early engagement with Caltrans is recommended for future projects that would impact state right-of-way.

2. Caltrans commends the City for aligning their planning priorities and policy goals in ways that may accommodate for transit-oriented development (TOD) and therefore resulting in VMT reduction practices.

3. Improvements for existing and future bike/pedestrian facilities on roads withing the boundaries of the specific plan and connectivity between home to work/home to shops should be considered. Therefore, Caltrans recommends this specific plan coordinate with the existing Fresno Active Transportation Plan, 2016. “Provide a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment”

Casey Lauderdale- West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan August 3, 2021

Page 2 ends

4. Active Transportation Plans and Smart Growth efforts support the state’s 2050 Climate goals. Caltrans supports reducing VMT and GHG emissions in ways that increase the likelihood people will use and benefit from a multimodal transportation network.

If you have any other questions, please call or email Edgar Hernandez at (559) 981- 7436 or [email protected].

Sincerely,
David Padilla, Branch Chief
Transportation Planning – North
“Provide a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment” 16 Dirk Poeschel Land Development Services, Inc. 5/25/2021

Casey Lauderdale
From: Dirk Poeschel <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2021 11:50 AM
To: Jennifer Clark
Cc: Will Tackett; Drew Wilson; Casey Lauderdale; Bill Walls; Walter Diamond; [email protected]
Subject: West Area Plan Lennar Property APN 505-060-07
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Dear Jennifer:

Reference is made to the Tentative Tract Map No. 6284 that proposes to divide the 27.69 acre parcel my client, Lennar Homes of California, (Lennar) is processing with your department. The parcel is more particularly defined as Fresno County Assessor’s parcel number 505-060-07. Please see the attached map of the Lennar site.

I recently attended by zoom conference produced by your staff for the West Area Plan. It was my understanding and that of Lennar that the West Area Advisory Committee recommended the draft plan designation for the Lennar property to be changed from Regional Mixed Use to Medium Density Residential. A modification Lennar fully supports. Th is designation would allow Lennar to construct essentially the same project product they built immediately west of Grantland Ave. A project well received by the market and the neighborhood.

During the zoom conference, staff mentioned various modifications to the proposed West Area Plan. I provided a letter for the hearing’s record that Lennar’s supports the Medium Density Residential designation and asked staff to confirm Medium Density Residential remained the committee’s preference.

Staff was not sure so in the interest of time and clarity I contacted your staff after the zoom meeting to confirm that the West Area Advisory committee remained in support of changing the property to Medium Density Residential. City Planner Ms. Casey Louderdale, responded to me and she interprets the plan such that a sliver of the southern portion of the Lennar parcel is now designated for another land use. In her defense, she did not know how or when the change occurred or if it was just an erroneous delineation of the site boundary. Obviously, there are no pl anning reasons that would support bifurcating the property land use designation and future zoning.

If the designation is not a mistake, Lennar would like to understand the justification of the bifurcated designation as we are unaware of any reasons for its support. As you recall, to cover all eventualities, Lennar is concurrently processing a request to change to the West Area Plan designation to Medium Density Residential and concurrently processing a request to recover the lost multifamily zoning on the Blackstone Ave. corridor should that be necessary.

Please be so kind as to confirm that the aforementioned bifurcated designation was an error and that it will be corrected or provide the justification for the aforementioned split designation. Thank you in advance for your assistance.
1 2

Dirk Poeschel, AICP
Land Development Services, Inc.
923 Van Ness Ave., Suite 200
Fresno, Ca. 93721
Ph- 559-445-0374
CalBRE No. 01882606
I want to reassure our clients that we are still open and operational with full staff. Some of our team members are working remotely from home and others are at the office. We are actively working on our clients projects. Be well and stay safe.
3 17 Elisa Bilios Forgotten Fresno 5/19/2021

18 Eric Gibbons Wathen Castanos Homes 5/4/2021

From: Eric Gibbons
To: Casey Lauderdale
Cc:
image001.png
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Tract 6258 Vesting Tentative Tract Map.pdf
Tract 6308 VTTM 4-14-2020.pdf
Adrienne Burns
Subject: RE: West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan Posted Date: Friday, May 7, 2021 10:17:56 AM
Attachments:

External Email: Use caution with links and attachments

Good morning Casey. I’m not sure that it matters but there is a bit of cleanup that should probably be done to the property north of Ashlan between Hayes and Bryan. We have approved tentative maps over those entire areas. The plan currently shows some commercial in an area where homes are already built. I’ve attached a copy of those tentative maps for your use.

Eric Gibbons
Director of Forward Planning
Phone 559 432 8181 ext 162
1446 Tollhouse Rd, Suite 103, Clovis, CA 93611
From: Casey Lauderdale <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, April 30, 2021 4:47 PM
To: Casey Lauderdale <[email protected]>
Cc: Drew Wilson <[email protected]>
Subject: West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan Posted
Dear West Area Community Member,
The West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan (formerly known as the Specific Plan of the West Area) has been posted to the Plan’s webpage at www.fresno.gov/westareaplan.

You can also access it directly here: https://www.fresno.gov/darm/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/WANSPPublicReviewDraft042021.pdf Or, for the reduced size file, use this link: https://www.fresno.gov/darm/wp- content/uploads/sites/10/2021/04/WANSPPublicReviewDraft042021reducedsize.pdf The public comment period will be from April 30, 2021 to August 1, 2021.

I’d like to share a big THANK YOU and some next steps for the Plan process.

Next Steps
19 Eric Payne West Area Neighborhoods
Steering Committee 4/22/2021

Comments submitted verbally during April 22. 2021 Steering Committee meeting. 20 Eric Payne West Area Neighborhoods
Steering Committee 7/21/2021

From: Eric Payne
To: Casey Lauderdale; Drew Wilson; Jennifer Clark
Cc: Dolores Barajas; Terry Cox
Subject: West Area Specific Plan
Date: Wednesday, July 21, 2021 6:43:38 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Good Evening —
I wanted to circle back and familiarize planning and public utilities staff with the key drivers for mitigation efforts in the West Area Specific Plan to include a congestion management process (CMP) plan during our conversation staff appeared to not have a deep understanding of this type of planning document, which is a systematic and regionally-accepted approach for managing congestion that provides accurate, up-to-date information on transportation system performance and assesses alternative strategies for congestion management that meet State and local needs.

A CMP is required in metropolitan areas with population exceeding 200,000, known as Transportation Management Areas (TMAs). Federal requirements state that in all TMAs, the CMP should be developed and implemented as an integrated part of the metropolitan transportation planning process; however, Federal regulations are not prescriptive regarding the methods and approaches that must be used to implement a CMP.

The CMP and planning for operations are frequently combined in metropolitan regions. The strategies that come from a CMP are often M&O strategies. The CMP uses an objectives-driven, performance-based approach to planning for congestion management. Through the use of congestion management objectives and performance measures, the CMP provides a mechanism for ensuring that investment decisions are made with a clear focus on desired outcomes. This approach involves screening strategies using objective criteria and relying on system performance data, analysis, and evaluation. I hope this offers clarity for my August Motion for an amended West Area plan adoption.

For your review and consideration

1. CMP Guidebook
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/congestion management process/cmp guidebook/

2. Case Studies
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/congestion_management_process/case_studies/ Thanks again,

--
In Community,
Eric Payne
In Community,
Eric Payne
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication with its contents may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. It is solely for the use of the intended recipient(s). Unauthorized interception, review, use or disclosure is prohibited and may violate applicable law including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender and destroy all copies of the communication
21 Holly Warren 7/1/2021

22 J anie Baxter A1 Truck Driving School 2/24/2021

To whom it may concern;
I am requesting a re-zoning of a property I own APN #’s 51124015S, 51124016S (3639 N Brawley Fresno, CA 93722) currently zoned RM-1. Previously this property was commercially zoned as well as each property surrounding my property as well. Prior to the pandemic I discovered that my property had been re-zoned to RM-1 while each of the others remained commercial. This location is mostly industrial use located directly off an exit of south 99 freeway. I am currently conducting business as a trade school (A1 Truck Driving School) and have been for several years on the next door property that I have rented and my lease is expiring soon as the owner is looking to conduct his own business instead of renewing my lease. I am currently seeking an opportunity for my property APN’s 51124015S, 51124016S to be rezoned from RM-1 to Commercial General. Commercial General would allow me to lawfully conduct my trade school (A1 Truck Driving School) on my own properties next door to my current rented location. Thank you for your consideration.

All the best,
Janie Baxter

23 J eff Roberts Assemi Group 6/28/2021

Casey Lauderdale
From: Jeff Roberts <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2021 1:05 PM
To: Casey Lauderdale
Subject: West Area Neighborhoods Draft Plan
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Casey,
Thanks for sending the package over in advance of tomorrow nights meeting.

There are a couple of items that I want to point out to you since you were not involved early in the process. Additionally, some time has passed since the initiation of the plan and some new State laws have gone into effect. These issues have caused some “re‐thinking” to occur about the proposed land uses. Here are the issues that I will be bringing up at the meeting tomorrow:

1. The 160 acres on the southwest corner of Grantland and Shields. This land is “outside” of the current SOI / City limits but there was quite a bit of discussion about this property by the Committee. The Committee voted 7‐0 to consider adding it to the SOI. I addition, when this plan was considered by the Planning Commission and City Council, both bodies unanimously endorsed the idea of adding the area to the City. I was told that the land would be included in the EIR as well. I see on Pg. 41 of the document that the addition of land to the SOI is contrary to the 2014 General Plan Policy LU‐1‐g.
a. Is this 160 acres of land part of the “project area”? b. Is this land included in the “Alternatives” section of the proposed EIR for the project area? c. Does the “initiation” of the Specific Plan constitute a “General Plan Amendment”

2. The planned residential area on the north side of Shields, south of the Dakota alignment, west of Grantland and east of the Garfield alignment is currently designated “Medium Density Residential” and Zoned “RS‐5”. ( see Map 5‐2 / Page 106 ) The Draft Plan graphic indicates that this area will be designated “Medium Low Density” and Zoned “RS‐4” ( see Map 5‐1 / Page 105 ) On behalf of the property owner, I am requesting that this 102 acre property retain its current “Medium Density” land use designation and “RS‐5” zoning illustrated on Map 5‐2.

3. I have asked on several occasions previously about the “SB 330” issue and how the City will deal with a reduction in the potential number of residential units within the 7700 acre Plan Area. I assume that the “solution” to this question will be presented to the group on 6‐29‐2021.

Please let me know if you would like me to “elaborate” on any of the issues referenced above,.

Thank you
Jeffrey T. Roberts | Entitlement Director
T: (559) 440-8308 |M: (559)288-0688 |F: (559) 436-1659 |X:308 E: [email protected]
1 W: www.assemigroup.com
1396 W. Herndon Ave., Ste. 110, Fresno, CA 93711
2 24

J eff Roberts Assemi Group 6/30/2021

25 J ohn Mlotkowski 8/27/2021

West Area Neighborhoods Speciﬁc Plan Comment Card
#4

INCOMPLETEINCOMPLETE
Collector: WA Comment (Web Link)
Started: Friday, August 27, 2021 2:27:30 PM
Last Modified: Friday, August 27, 2021 2:35:27 PM
Time Spent: 00:07:5 6

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Q1
Name / Nombre/ lub npe / ਨਾਮ:

John mlotkowski
Q2 Respondent skipped this question
Phone / No. de teléfonoNaj Npawb Xov T ooj / ਫੋ ੰਨ ਨਬਰ:

Q3 Respondent skipped this question
Email / Correo electrónicoxa ntawv hauv vassab / ਈ-ਮੇਲ:

Q4 Respondent skipped this question
I would like my comment to be anonymous / Quisiera que
mi comentario fuera anó nimo / Kuv xav kom kuv cov lus
hais tsis muaj tswv / ਮ ੈਂ ਆਪਣੀ ਿਟੱਪਣੀ ਅਿਗਆਤ ਹੋਣਾ ਚਾਹਾਂਗਾ Q5
Affiliation (circle all that apply) / Afiliación (Circule cada uno que aplique) / Koom T es (khij txhuas qhov yog) / ਸਬ ੰ ਧ ੰ (ਸਾਰੇ ਲਾਗੂ ੋ ੱ ੋਕਰ ਚਕਰ ਕਰ):

Property Owner / Propietario / Tswv Vaj Tse /

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West Area Neighborhoods Speciﬁc Plan Comment Card
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Coment
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Goal/Policy # / Objetivo/Políticas #Hom Phiaj/Txoj Cai # / ਟੀਚੇ ਅਤੇ ਨੀਤੀਆਂ #
Q9
Comment / Comentario / Lus Hais / ਿਟੱਪਣੀ:

I’ve contacted city on numerous occasions about the horrendous traffic situation at Polk and Shaw! They need to widen streets and establish another access to hwy 99 at Fairmont!
Q10 Respondent skipped this question
Add another comment or skip to end? / ¿Agregar otro
comentario o saltar al final? / Ntxiv lwm cov lus lossis hla mus rau tom kawg? / ਕੋ ੋ ੱ ੋ ਂ ਅੰ ੰ ੂ ਡਈ ਹਰ ਿਟਪਣੀ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਕਰ ਜਾ ਤ ਨ ਛੱ ੋ

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26 Keith Woodcock 9/1/2021

From: Keith Woodcock
To: Casey Lauderdale
Subject: Comments on West Area Plan
Date: Wednesday, September 1, 2021 4:56:48 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Hi Casey
I understand that comments on the plan close today (9/1/21).

In brief, here are my comments.

1. The pictures shown as to what Shaw 'could' look like, Shaw Ave will look nothing like that unless specific design details are established. Developers will only design to the minimum, no greater and no less. The City has to establish a high bar for design.

2. Related, designs for subdivisions need to include higher standards for parks. I greatly appreciate the planning for a new large park in the plan area, more comments on that to follow, but that park doesn't meet the neighborhood needs. I recommend establishing a requirement that 85 percent of residential units be located within 1/4 mile of a park.

3. I know financing a large park such as the proposed park is difficult. I believe setting up a benefit assessment district is important. Require developers to agree to the district if they want their project approved. Parks are an important part of quality of life.

4. I am concerned about the proposed concentration of the higher density housing along the Veterans Blvd. This is most likely where the affordable housing development would occur. In my mind, this raises potential social justice issues. It appears to limit where lower income families could live within the West Area. Although it maybe a bit extreme, Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara County did the same type of action when it placed most of its affordable housing in Isla Vista thus avoiding placing affordable housing through the community.

5. I believe that, again, design is an important component to quality development. The City needs to raise the bar on design and hold development to that higher standard. The West Area plan is a great start.

6. Look at the concepts regarding "The missing middle" and integrate them into the land use plan for the West Area. Look at subdivision designs and where higher density can occur rather than putting it in one place. A question is does this concentration of higher housing density work to protect single family housing and thus continue economic segregation and stratefication?

7. I recommend that a Social justice element to the West Area Plan be included. It's not just the numbers. It's about people and the quality of life.

Thank you for considering my comments.

Keith Woodcock, AICP CEP CUD
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
Get Outlook for Android
27 Mohamad Annan 4/22/2021

From: mohamad annan
To: Casey Lauderdale
Subject: Tuesdays meetings link/ west area specific plan Date: Thursday, April 22, 2021 6:51:25 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Good afternoon,
Thank you for facilitating the public meeting today. It was informative for me.

You mentioned in the public meeting that happen every Tuesday, how can I get that link to those meetings?
I have another question about APN 433-090-24S, I own it, it is designated as meduim High Density 12-16 DU/acre. How will I be able to change that to high density 30-45 DU/Acre I appreciate the help
Thank you,
Mohamad Annan

28 Sheila Krebs 8/30/2021

From: Sheila
To: Casey Lauderdale
Subject: West Side Of 99
Date: Monday, August 30, 2021 10:44:56 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Thank you Casey, for sharing this information with me. I’m looking forward to shopping on this side of town.

My ideas are as follows:
1) extend Gettysburg out to golden state to help with decongestion of Ashlan; 2) shopping centers: Lowe’s/Home Depot;
3) medical facilities- hospital not clinics. Building a hospital would decongest Fresno community center; 4) more fire stations in our area. We had station 16 on Cornelia and Brea but it was removed and put at Polk and Clinton. They turned it into a hazmat fire station which is fine but it is not near highways or gas stations like it was before it was movEd.

Thank you for contacting and informing me of the ideas for building up this area.

Sheila Krebs
Sent from my iPhone
29 Staff City of Fresno Long-Range
Planning

West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan
Changes suggested by Long Range Planning Staff.

1. Inside Cover - Update text: Public Draft
a. New text to read: Revised Public Draft

2. Inside Cover - Add Plan webpage URL to inside cover. a. Added text to read: www.fresno.gov/westareaplan

3. Section 1.2.B, pg. 7 - Update text: In 1912 James Clayton Forkner moved to Fresno and helped establish Highway City, a neighborhood for industrial and farm workers that derives its name from its location straddling Highway 99. a. New text to read: An early West Area community is Highway City, a neighborhood of industrial and farm workers that derives its name from its location straddling Highway 99.

4. Section 3.4.A, pg. 67 - Update text: It is only required when the existing well runs dray, is abandoned, or otherwise becomes unusable.
a. New text to read: It is only required when the existing well runs dry, is abandoned, or otherwise becomes unusable.

5. Section 4.2.B, pg. 81 - Update text: Some amenities on the community wish list include lighted athletic facilities, picnic tables and benches, paved trails, playgrounds with universally accessible equipment, an indoor gym, chess/checkers tables, tennis courts, a putting green, fitness equipment for adults and kids, a concert amphitheater, basketball courts, practice fields, and pickle ball courts.
a. New text to read: Some amenities on the community wish list include lighted athletic facilities, picnic tables and benches, paved trails, playgrounds with universally accessible equipment, an indoor gym, chess/checkers tables, tennis courts, a putting green, fitness equipment for adults and kids, a concert amphitheater, basketball courts, practice fields, and pickle ball courts. The park could also contain a visitor's center.

6. Section 1.6, pg. 32 - Update text: Walking distance is key, as it is economical and enhances both physical, mental, and emotional health.
a. New text to read: Walking distance is key, as it is economical and enhances physical, mental, and emotional health.

7. During the District 1 Project Implementation Review Committee meeting on

05.06.2021, Staff learned that - in response to community requests - the developer for APN 512-021-26 is retaining a portion of the existing Community

Commercial designation. Staff proposes an amendment to the Specific Plan Proposed Land Use map to be consistent with this action.

8. During the District 3 Project Implementation Review Committee meeting on

04.27.2021, staff heard concerns regarding the loss of commercially designated land in the area near Bryan and Shields Avenue. In response to this, Staff proposes that APNs 312-052-14 and 312-052-48 be redesignated as either Neighborhood Mixed Use or Community Commercial.

9. Staff proposes an amendment to the Specific Plan Proposed Land Use move the commercial designation from existing rural residential homes at the intersection of Ashlan and Hayes and place on the currently vacant APN 510-021-30, located at the northeast corner of Ashland and Hayes.

10.LUH 3.2 - Update text for consistency with Chapter 3: Update the Development Code to permit limited, small-scale neighborhood commercial uses within all residential districts, with restrictions on the sale of items such as liquor, tobacco, and other adult products.
a. New text to read: Consider updating the Development Code to permit limited, small-scale neighborhood commercial uses within all residential districts, with restrictions on the sale of items such as liquor, tobacco, and other adult products.

11.Inside back cover - Update Planning Commission Members, Staff, and Steering Committee on back inside cover.
*See Comment Matrix for additional edits made prior to Planning Commision

--
--
From: Ekam Construction
To: Casey Lauderdale
Subject: Fwd: Zoning Reconsideration West Area
Date: Friday, February 18, 2022 10:25:10 AM
Attachments: 6839 SiteMap.pdf
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Ekam Construction <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, Nov 12, 2021 at 6:43 AM
Subject: Zoning Reconsideration West Area
To: <[email protected]>
Hi Casey,
As the current property owner at 6839 W. Ashlan Ave (APN# 512-130-14), we would like to request a zoning re-consideration for the West Area Plan. The current plan is indicated to be zoned Office Space. However, after conducting research and communicating with the surrounding neighbors we have determined that we are unable to use the property to its highest potential with the current zoning plan. We strongly believe that this area is not suitable for Office Space.

We would recommend options for a more CMX or NMX zoning that provides the land owner more flexibility with developing the site. For example, the Mixed-Use zoning would leave us open with more options for residential space.

Please re-consider this decision to be in our favor. If you require further information or clarification do not hesitate to call or email.

Thank you,
Ricky Dhaliwal

EKAM CONSTRUCTION
Phone: (559) 401-1234
Email: [email protected]

33 J ohn Kashian Lance Kashian & Co. 05/03/2022

provided in the agendas.

Tuesday, May 3 – District 1 Project Review Committee | 5:00pm Monday, May 9 – District 2 Project Review Committee | 5:30pm

Note: if you are unable to attend you can still send written comments in advance to me and I will forward them to the meeting coordinator.

Following the District Committee meetings, the Plan will head to Planning Commission and City Council.

We should have the dates confirmed soon and I’ll be sure to send an update when they are. Thank you always for your input and support. Have a great rest of your week!

-Casey

-
Casey Lauderdale | Planner
City
of Fresno
Long Range Planning Division

Office: (559) 621-8515
Email: [email protected]

Resources: GIS Data Hub | Fresno Municipal Code | Plans & Projects Under Review

______________________________________

From: Casey Lauderdale
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2022 4:16 PM
Subject: West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan upcoming meetings

Dear West Area stakeholders,

I hope you are doing well. I’m writing to share an update that the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan is scheduled to go before the three Council District Project Review Committees in the next few weeks. The Plan will be heard as part of their regularly scheduled meetings and staff will be soliciting their formal recommendations.

Monday, April 25 District 2 Project Review Committee | 5:30pm RESCHEDULED TO MAY 9
Register in advance via Zoom here.

The agenda can be downloaded here.

Tuesday, April 26 – District 3 Project Review Committee | 5:30pm Join at the meeting time via Zoom here.

The agenda can be downloaded here.

Tuesday, May 3 – District 1 Project Review Committee | 5:00pm Join at the meeting time via Zoom here.

The agenda will be posted to the City Clerk’s Notices & Publications webpage early next week. Please check here.

Following the District Committee meetings, the Plan will move forward to be scheduled for hearings with the City of Fresno Planning Commission and City Council.

I will reach
out again once we’ve confirmed those dates!

Have a great weekend and hope to see you on an upcoming meeting.

Best,
Casey

www.fresno.gov/westareaplan

-
Casey Lauderdale | Planner
City
of Fresno
Long Range Planning Division

Office: (559) 621-8515
Email: [email protected]

Resources: GIS Data Hub | Fresno Municipal Code | Plans & Projects Under Review

34 Bonique Emerson Precision Civil Engineering 07/08/2022

Proposed Land Use Change for NEC of Shaw Avenue and Veterans Boulevard Page 3

1234 O Street
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 449-4500
Figure 1. Subject Property

Proposed Land Use Change for NEC of Shaw Avenue and Veterans Boulevard Page 4

1234 O Street
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 449-4500
Figure 2. Planned Land Use Designation

Proposed Land Use Change for NEC of Shaw Avenue and Veterans Boulevard Page 5

1234 O Street
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 449-4500
Figure 3. Current Zone District Designation

Proposed Land Use Change for NEC of Shaw Avenue and Veterans Boulevard Page 6

1234 O Street
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 449-4500

OPEN SPACE

Reasons for Proposed Land Use Change – Open Space
The primary reason for this requested land use change is because the existing land use designation is not developable; nor is not consistent with the current zone district designation. Government Code Sect ion 65860 requires any adopted zoning ordinance to be consistent with the general plan land use. Further, when the zoning becomes inconsistent, the City must address the inconsistency in “reasonable time.” The Applicant’s property reveals an inconsistency that must be rectified.

The City had an opport
unity to correct the inconsistency in 2014 during a citywide rezoning effort that took place with the adoption of the current development code. With the adoption of the current development code, several parcels were rezoned as a result, including the subject parcels. Prior to 2014, this property was zoned AE -5 for five-acre agricultural purposes. During the citywide rezoning, the subject parcels could have been rezoned to OS to corre spond with the Open Space land use designation. Instead, the property was rezoned to CMX, indicating the intent of the City was for this property to be developed with mixed use development and not open space.

Additionally, there are several sites less than a mile from t he subject parcels that are planned for open space and par ks. Within a single mile radius, there are approximately

44.5 acres of land spanning 5 separate parcels in different directions that are designated for o pen space purposes . The availability of open space land use designations in the area further indicates the likely intention to develop the subject parcels with commercial mixed-use.

The proposed adoption of the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan (WANSP) offers the easiest solution to amend the l and use to make it consistent with the existing zone district. We recommend the City include the subject parcels to be included in the adoption of the WANSP land use change requests to correct the land use inconsistency and ensure the property is developab le and with uses compatible with the surrounding area.

Proposed Land Use Change – Open Space
The Applicant is requesting that the land use designation for the subject parcels be amended from ±26.3-acres of Open Space to Corridor/Center Mixed Use which corresponds with the existing zone district of CMX. The land use change would facilitate the development of a cohesive, master planned commercial mixed-use project in an area of the City with few options and amenities.

REGIONAL MIXED USE

In addition to addressing the land use change request to the open space portion, th is request also includes a proposed change to the RMX zoned portion of the site (Figure 4).

Proposed Land Use Change for NEC of Shaw Avenue and Veterans Boulevard Page 7

1234 O Street
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 449-4500
Figure 4 Existing Land Use Designation

35 Charles Silva 07/18/2022

1 Casey Lauderdale
From: Charles Silva >
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2022 12:55 PM
To: Casey Lauderdale
Subject: West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments

7‐18‐2022

Dear Ms. Lauderdale,

We are the property owners of 3131 N. Blythe Avenue, Fresno, California 93722 which, according to the provided map, is designated as Urban Neighborhood for planning purposes. I would like to inform you that at this time we are in support of the proposed change for the Specific Plan. The Specific Plan is scheduled for consideration by the Planni ng
Commission on Wednesday, July 20, 2022.

If additional information is needed from us, please let us know.

Charles Silva
Jeannette Silva

36 Kelsey George Precision Civil Engineering 07/18/2022

1 Casey Lauderdale
From: Kelsey George <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2022 5:02 PM
To: Casey Lauderdale
Cc: Bonique Emerson
Subject: Polk and Shields Land Use Change - WANSP
Attachments: Screenshot.PNG; 22-096 Tentative Parcel Map-TPM.pdf Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments

Hi Casey,

Happy WANSP Planning Commission week!

I was looking through the agenda and noticed that for the Polk and Shields land use change request, you have the commercial on the entire Shields Ave frontage (see attached screenshot).

Attached is the parcel map showing what the commercial shou ld be – the acreage is the same in both (2.6 net acres) but the residential won’t work without two points of access so I wanted to make sure I differentiated between the two to notate that the commercial shouldn’t extend down the entire Shields Ave frontage.

We will be there on Wednesday, but wan
ted to reach out to you and give you a heads up.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Kelsey George
Senior Planner
(559) 449‐4500 ext. 118
1234 O Street
Fresno, CA 93721

37 Pam Strachan 07/18/2022

1 Casey Lauderdale
From: pam jstrachaninc.com >
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2022 1:31 PM
To: Casey Lauderdale
Subject: RE: Request #29-8 APN 31205214
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments

Hi Casey,

First of all, thank you for helping me with this. Last week I did say that I favored the Community Commercial designation. But, after giving it some thought and speaking with the Realtor, it’s in our best interest to keep it as Residential Medium Density.

Therefore, we are opposing the Community Commercial designation.

Sorry for the confusion and hope this is clear.

Thanks again!

Sincerely,
Pam

From: Casey Lauderdale <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2022 12:10 PM
To: pam jstrachaninc.com >
Subject: RE: Request #29‐8 APN 31205214

Hi Pam,

Thank you for the email. To be certain of clarity in the record, could I please ask which which land use designation you are opposing?

Are you opposing the Community Commercial designation or the Residential Medium Density designation?

Per our conversation last week I believe that you wanted the Comm unity Commercial designation to remain, thus would
oppose the Residential designation, but please let me know if this is correct.

Best,
Casey

‐
Casey Lauderdale | Planner
City of Fresno
Long Range Planning Division

2 Office: (559) 621-8515
Email: [email protected]

Resources: GIS Data Hub | Fresno Municipal Code | Plans & Projects Under Review

From: pam jstrachaninc.com >
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2022 12:01 PM
To: Casey Lauderdale <[email protected]>
Subject: Request #29‐8 APN 31205214

External Email: Use caution with links and attachments

Dear Casey,

We were notified that you would like to make a Land Use Change for our property APN #31205214. We are opposed to this. It is connected to a neighboring 14 acres. We currently have these properties for sale as one piece for potential
development

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Pamela Strachan

38 Debbie Yanez 07/19/2022
1 Casey Lauderdale
From: Debbie Yanez < >
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2022 11:35 AM
To: Casey Lauderdale
Subject: Fwd: I’m writing in regards to the requested plan change I received. I… Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments

Just hoping to clarify I want the general plan in place to stay the same.

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Debbie Yanez < >
Date: July 19, 2022 at 2:31:43 PM EDT
To: Casey Lauderdale <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: I’m writing in regards to the requested plan change I received. I… Hi Casey I’m currently out of town and don’t have the information with me. I recall that someone else had already sent something back and I support that positi on. My address is 4572 W. Shields Ave and I
forgot to mention all the traffic from the high school. When school is on, in the morning I can’t get out of my driveway because traffic is backed up from th
e Blythe traffic light towards Cornelia. It’s like that in the afternoon when they get out too. Also about a year ago I called sheriff Margaret Mims office to offer my front yard for free to put a speed light or a camera because of the racing on Shields. So unfortunately there’s some traffic issues that should be addressed prior to development of anyt hing.

Thank you for responding and your time, Debbie
Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 19, 2022, at 1:09 AM, Casey Lauderdale <[email protected]> wrote:

Hi Debbie,

Thank you for the email. To be sure I ent
er this correctly into the record, I have a few
follow up questions I'd like to confirm with you.

1. Is this regarding Request #14‐1? (the # is on the front above your address)

2. Are you supporting the whole request, a portion, or just your property to stay at the current General Plan designations? If just your prope
rty, please let me know the APN or
address.

2 Thank you for any clarification you can provide. It is helpful in ensuring we get the right information to decision‐makers.

Best,
Casey

‐
Casey Lauderdale | Planner
City of Fresno
Long Range Planning Division

Office: (559) 621-8515
Email: [email protected]

Resources: GIS Data Hub | Fresno Municipal Code | Plans & Projects Under Review

‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐
From: Debbie Yanez >
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2022 9:18 PM
To: Casey Lauderdale <[email protected]>
Subject: I’m writing in regards to the requested plan change I received. I…

External Email: Use caution with links and attachments

I’m writing in regards to the requested plan change I received. I would like to request that the current plan remain the same. I understand the need for development however, that is not why I moved to the coun
try. As development has come through the
roads have not been maintained. Shields and Valentine intersections have big lumps, bumps and potholes. I have driven that route for the last 3 years and now I just don’t go that way anymore as it is ruining my car. Unfortunately that is the only way to the Clinton Avenue Overpass, which is always backed up. Ashlan overpass is consistently
backed up as well. Only during the pandemic when kids were homeschooled was it not. I ask that anyone who wants to develop or condense the housing take into consideration there is no overpass for Shields Avenue or Dakota and th is will only create more traffic
congestion than we already have. Thank you for your time .

Sent from my iPhone

39 Dennis Shamlian 09/07/2022

40 Darius Assemi Granville Homes 09/06/2202

41 Cathy Caples 09/07/2022

September 7, 2022
To: Members of the Fresno City Council
From: Cathy Caples, West Areas Steering Committee Member District 2

RE: Approval of the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan

This letter is to encourage approval of the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan that was pulled from the August 19th City Council Agenda. I will be out of the state for the month of September and do not want to miss the opportunity to applaud the efforts of the residents of the West Area who have worked so diligently to envision the future of Fresno’s Last Frontier.

Although involved in improving our City over many years as a nonprofit leader, I had no idea of the complexities of a planning process. The city staff who guided this process are to be commended for their teaching ability with the many residents who have been involved. We are diverse and our neighborhoods very different, but we all support the core values laid out on page 3 of the document. One particularly valuable piece of the plan was achieved with the decisions around Catalytic Corridors that will lead to complete neighborhoods where everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive. I am excited to see how the complete neighborhood concept becomes a reality working with citizens committees from each neighborhood to bring the vision to life.

The area west of 99 has often been referred to as “Forgotten Fresno” caused largely by the recession of 2008 and the challenges of blending the County of Fresno planning policies and processes with the City of Fresno General Plan. Right now, however, the residents are celebrating the long-awaited road construction taking place, watching the daily progress towards an overpass over 99 which will help with traffic congestion. But this is also an anxious time for residents – for instance, in the District 2 area bounded by Shaw, Parkway, Barstow and Grantland, we see convenience stores with gas stations being built and semi-truck parking being proposed, resulting in a strong and unsettling conflict with the types of development and lifestyles for residents set forth in the specific plan’s vision.

This area will become Fresno’s next urban center with a population capacity of over 160,000 people at full buildout, a diverse stock of new housing integrated with the area’s existing residences, retail that supports the complete neighborhoods concept, and greenspace including trails and parks. We fully support the City Staff recommendation to convene another group to work with a visionary urban planner to create something great, but that means a pause on development until this vision can be fully delineated.

A regional park concept for this area is included in the plan, but when a significant number of residents were added to this area, it became clear that this will not be a typical regional park like Woodward or Roeding but green space with many purposes to meet many needs. With the Herndon Canal Trail already winding through the center of this area from Grantland to Shaw, there is great potential to develop green space in an area planned for development of mixed-use housing without yards. Can you picture an agri- arborteum or playgrounds built around farms or a solar covered overpass for pedestrians walking over Veterans where they can stop and rest? The Canal trail could expand in places to include many amenities the residents long for while honoring the agricultural roots and adding recreational space for toddlers to elders. The Canal Trail could link to the existing general plan park space on Shaw and a pedestrian bridge over Shaw could allow for continued park space on the South side in this location or where the trail ends further East on Shaw. These ideas would allow for retail and restaurants to have patios that overlook

greenspace cooling their guests’ meals with drought tolerant trees and fauna. Instead of giant parking lots with one retail store, the parking could be underground or multi story. When this idea surfaced, I was challenged by one of the Fresno City Planners to think outside of the box and look at other places to see potential for replication in Fresno. I have included links to some of those places below. • Santana Row in San Jose, http://www.santanarow.com/. Their website begins “Santa Row a place where community starts, a place to come together with family and friends, a place for all walks of life, a place for you…”
• Foss Creek Path in Healdsburg, https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/Facilities/Facility/Details/Foss- Creek-Pathway-17.
• The International Shopping Center in Honolulu , https://shopinternationalmarketplace.com/. Indoor plazas with local plants, places for rest and music as well as great local restaurants and shops • Lititz Springs Park recommended by a Fresno City Planner due to it’s narrow size and tribute to the past. https://www.lititzspringspark.org/.
• Imagine coming off of Hwy 99 onto Veteran’s Blvd exit to the east the El Paseo Shopping Center with chain stores and to the West to The Fresno Ag & Welcome Center – something like The Lodi Wine and Welcome Center (https://www.visitlodi.com/directory/lodi-wine-visitor-center/) or a Fresno Marketplace like Honolulu that includes the Welcome Center.

The Community spoke of visions like these when we passed Measure P. Funding from parks and Community Development grants can make our visions a reality. It will make Fresnans proud to visit and take friends to as they enjoy Agritourism, shop and eat local. Something that people who drive 99 will say – what – this is Fresno?
There are so many possibilities AND so many challenges. In our area, we continue to see prime land filled with mini marts and gas stations or others think parking 200 semi-trucks in the area is a great idea. We appreciate the Planning Staff working to move the density of the population from this edge of the city to in- fill projects in the core where services, infrastructure and transportation already exist. Please approve this plan so that we can convene to build out the vision for the Last Great Fresno Frontier. If you have any questions or would like to discuss, please reach out through email at . Thank you for taking the time to explore the possibilities
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Fresno City CouncilOctober 13, 2022

Fresno City Council
October 13, 2022