Exhibit H - Committee Comment Matrix — Fresno City Council, November 7, 2024

Chapter Page Number Plan Text - July 2024 Public Draft Committee Recommendation Staff Recommendation Acknowledgements Add staff member acknowledgements Recommend with revisions Table of Contents Include Implementation Chapter Recommend with revisions Introduction 9
The District’s vitality extends to its residential neighborhoods. The earliest subdivisions were within walking distance of a streetcar and offered pedestrian-oriented streets lined by trees and porch-front homes. The District’s residential fabric is diverse -- from vibrant singlefamily estates, to bungalows, to apartments over retail shops.

The Tower District is distinguished by its vibrant and diverse community, encompassing a rich mosaic of ethnic groups, families, singles, retirees, students, artists, and workers from various professions. Unlike many other neighborhoods, it thrived during the post-World War II years, maintaining its role as a cultural and entertainment hub. The District features unique Art Deco architecture, pedestrian-friendly streets, and a lively mix of cafes, nightclubs, theaters, bakeries, and specialty retail shops. Beyond the bustling commercial areas, the neighborhood offers a dense blend of offices, apartments, and singlefamily homes. The broad range of housing options, from granny flats to mansions, ensures accessibility for all economic strata and life stages. The dynamic lifestyle of residents manifests through regular art events, live performances, and food festivals.

More mention of quality of the housing and resilience of designs in its bungalows and cottages.

Recommend with revisions
Introduction 10 Figure 1.3 Patterns of Development
This map really shows the lack of parks and how underserved the district is.

Comment noted
Introduction 12 Figure 1.4 Community Character [SEE MAP ATTACHMENT] Proposed Historic District? Old Plan Producers. Industrial and commercial uses verified in the area south of Belmont. Correct on this map? Recommend with revisions Introduction 13 Figure 1.5 Demographics Should we be comparing these to Fresno as a whole? Add those stats? Recommend with revisions Introduction 14
To many, the Tower District is more than just a neighborhood; it represents the heart and soul of Fresno’s cultural and social life. The community character of the District is defined by its artistic flair, progressive spirit, and a welcoming atmosphere that embraces all people. This inclusiveness is not just a characteristic but a defining feature of the District.

OUTSTANDING! Captures the essence of the district and should be on the cover! Comment noted
Introduction 15
The Specific Plan (the Plan) provides strategic and comprehensive guidance for making decisions regarding Tower District’s built environment and landscape character, land use and activities, public open space, community facilities, transportation and other forms of infrastructure. It describes a shared set of goals, objectives, policies, and implementing actions.

The Specific Plan also helps to implement goals and policies contained in Fresno’s General Plan, in ways that can be more specific to the District and provide additional planning control. California Government Code Section 65451 authorizes local jurisdictions to adopt specific plans “for the systematic implementation of the general plan for all or part of the area covered by the general plan.” This Plan updates the 1991 Specific Plan, to respond to issues that have remained, changed, and emerged.

Recent decades have led to greater emphasis on housing availability and affordability, expanding recreational opportunities, calming auto-oriented roadways, and other issues addressed by the Plan. At the same time, this Plan continues the 1991 Plan’s focus on neighborhood character, walkability, and historic resources.

Since this document replaces the existing plan, we need to make sure nothing is missing that still needs to be done.

Items missing so far:
-Implementation Chapter
-More emphasis that Tower is not dominated by the automobile -Improving the district's infrastructure
-Completing the landscape of all major streets, median islands, and buffer strips -Missing infrastructure items
Futher comparison to ensure all items are covered
Recommend with revisions
Introduction 19 Community vision for Tower District from Community Workshop 1 Include more examples of these work products Recommend with revisions EXHIBIT H: COMMITTEE COMMENT MATRIX
NOTE: Red text indicates actual text revisions, highlighted text indiciates committee comments Tower District Specific Plan Implementation Committee Draft Plan Update Comments - 9/3/2024, 9/9/2024 & 9/17/2024 Introduction 20
As recommended by the Implementation Committee to ensure health and equity were the underpinning of the Specific Plan, the objectives and policies of this Plan encourage positive health and equity outcomes. As a planning outcome, health reflects a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Equity gives every individual an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives by eliminating barriers. Together, health and equity mean that “everyone has a fair and just
opportunity to be as healthy as possible.”
Add discussion on:

Freeway impacts
Air Quality
Health Services access
Educational access
Recommend with revisions
Introduction 21

1. HOUSING BURDEN:

Economic equity directly affects an individual's or a family's financial stability and overall well-being. High housing costs can lead to housing insecurity, frequent moves, overcrowding, and homelessness, all of which have detrimental effects on physical and mental health. Overcrowded living conditions can increase the spread of infectious diseases, create stressful environments, and exacerbate chronic health conditions.

Need more Discussion on the huge ongoing issue of the unhoused on the area. One of the most mentioned items and trying to find solutions as it affects the district dramatically.

Recommend with revisions
Introduction 21

3. ACTIVE LIFESTYLE:

Obesity rates are lower in more walkable locations as daily routines provide physical activity.

Community planning affects the ease with which people engage in recreation, such as ensuring homes are within a 10-minute walking distance from existing parks and planned public open spaces using public streets and free from barriers such as railroad tracks and freeways.

We are not even close to having this. Noise from both, especially honking at crossings. Only area of Fresno without a 'Quiet Zone' for trains.

Comment noted
Introduction 22

4. ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD:

Land use controls can influence the availability of grocery stores with healthful foods, impacting dietary health and equity. Communities with limited access to grocery stores that offer fresh fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious options often face higher rates of diet-related illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. Food deserts, areas where healthy food options are scarce, disproportionately affect low-income and minority communities, exacerbating health disparities. Ensuring all communities have access to affordable, nutritious food can improve dietary habits and improve health outcomes.

Add ideas on how to incentivise and make this happen.

Recommend with revisions
Introduction 22

5. ENVIRONMENTAL COMFORT:

Excessive heat from direct sunshine on asphalt and concrete surfaces can be mitigated with tree canopy and greenery. An estimated 41 million Americans live in “heat islands,” putting them at greater risk of heat-related injuries and deaths, disproportionately affecting poorer neighborhoods.

More emphasis on the urban forrest and adding, infilling and replcement of TREES! Recommend with revisions
Introduction 22

6. SAFETY:

Street design plays a critical role in providing protected pedestrian and bicycle routes and discouraging motor vehicles at unsafe speeds. Another factor related to safety is that older and poorly ventilated buildings can lead to unhealthful interior air quality, causing headaches and higher asthma rates. Air quality is also influenced by proximity to freeways and other places where pollution is concentrated. Pollution contains harmful chemicals that can penetrate the lungs and contribute to health problems, including eye, throat, and nose irritation, heart and lung disease, and cancer.

Don't feel this is a big issue in Tower. More related to outside factors. More emphasis on those issues.

Comment noted
Introduction 23
Every objective and policy in this Plan has been considered from a health and equity perspective through analysis and community engagement – metrics which were determined by the Implementation Committee at the start of this planning process. As the Plan was developed, the Implementation Committee and its subcommittees assessed the performance of draft objectives and policies as they relate to air quality, environmental comfort, access to food, housing burden, access to jobs, safety, and land use.

Can we include this analysis for transparency?
Recommend with revisions
Introduction 23
CHAPTER 3: LAND USE
The land use chapter considers how land should be used in the Tower District. It sets parameters regarding allowable activities and the character of new development. The land use chapter established a framework for how the District should work to manifest community aspirations and better address community needs.

Mapping analysis in more detail
Comment noted
Introduction 23
CHAPTER 4: PARKS AND PUBLIC FACILITIES
Parks and other public facilities, like schools, support community life and contribute to the physical and psychological well-being of those who frequent the District. In this chapter, the Plan describes how parks and other public facilities should be improved through physical improvements and programming activities.

Needs a lot more work!
Comment noted
Introduction 24
CHAPTER 5: CIRCULATION
The Tower District’s street infrastructure provides access and mobility across its principal transportation modes:
driving, walking, bicycling, and using transit. The circulation chapter explains how streets should work to move people and goods, while they also serve to support community life as vital public spaces. The chapter focuses on circulation across the overall street network and the design of streets themselves.

Outside pressures from freeway ramp closures and HSR changes at south and western boundaries make solutions difficult, How do we resolve them? Comment noted
Introduction 24
CHAPTER 6: UTILITIES Existing utility infrastructure is currently in place - no new policies were needed for this plan, however, a more detailed description of existing utilities will be included in the final plan.

Objectives and Policies missing and need inclusion. 1991 Plan items not reflected:

Streets and Alleys Electricity, Street lighting, Fire Protection, Policing Upgrades are needed and this has a big impact on infill development, adding affordable housing. How will this be addressed?
Comment noted
Introduction 25

GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Shape the character of new development to complement the Tower District’s character as a walkable place not dominated by the automobile.

This needs to be mentioned more in the plan to reflect the 1991 plan and needed emphasis.

Comment noted
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 28
The Tower District is an exemplary representation of a longstanding pre-World War streetcar suburb. The District began to develop in the early part of the 20th century as one of Fresno’s first suburbs, facilitated by streetcar lines that extended from Downtown Fresno and provided access to what was once farmland at the edge of the city.

When the Fresno Traction Company’s streetcars extended into the area, a mix of apartment houses, small bungalows, and large homes evolved. As property values rose, the neighborhood became dense and more diverse, and commercial areas were established in locations near streetcar service.

Acknowledege the history of red-lining that defined some of the historic districts.

Van Ness Trees and other landscape features in the district including the ones mentioned in the 1991 plan.

Palm trees on west belmont
Recommend with revisions
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 28 Image of Royce Hall, Fresno High
1960s
Recommend
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 31
The Tower District has an exemplary heritage of buildings and site features from the early decades of the 20th century. Much of their scale, massing, and visual character remains. Some older buildings and other features have been formally designated as local landmarks and some are listed in the national Historic Register. See Figure 2-2 for historic resources and districts located in the Tower District.

A survey of historic resources was a principal focus of the 1991 Specific Plan, which evaluated and catalogued structures and site features of historical importance. This work draws attention to not only the age and architectural merit of structures, but also identifies building types and arrangements characteristic of Tower District’s initial development during the first three decades of the 20th century, such as single-family bungalows, courtyard arrangements, and street-facing commercial buildings. The 1991 historic survey continues to guide planning decisions and protect resources. The online “Guide to Historic Architecture in Fresno”⁹ may be referred to for more information about
specific resources.

Reference Properties mentioned in the 1991 TDSP and any completed historic surveys
Recommend with revisions
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 31
The cityscape of the Tower District contains numerous and diverse subareas. Some of them have a strong visual identity from noticeable concentrations of historic buildings. The 1991 survey was also used to consider clustered ensembles of historic buildings for inclusion within designated historic districts, as distinctive subareas illustrate District history and patterns of neighborhood life. The planning area includes two formally designated historic districts: Porter Tract and Wilson
Island.

Maybe this section for the red lining conversation?
Recommend with revisions
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 32
Wilson’s North Fresno Tract. George D. Wilson’s North Fresno Tract subdivision is an 18-block area in the geographical heart of the Tower District. The historic district includes many of the historic structures identified in the survey and captures many of the characteristics associated with the Tower District, perhaps most notably the 1926 Tower Theatre and the Tract’s substantial porch-front homes and bungalows. Opening in 1912, the Roeding streetcar line helped to make development feasible and first anchored the commercial district centered at Olive and Wishon. Retail commercial architecture of this period is referred to as “showcase architecture,” in light of its extensive use of storefront glazing and prominent display areas.

Need to get this correct and reference Rosanna Wilson's contribution and history - See Jeannine Raymond's letter and book.

Recommend
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 33 Figure 2.2 Historic Resources and Districts Thematic districts and South Tower potential properties added to map.

Recommend with revisions
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 34
Courts Thematic Group. One additional historic type was described in the 1991 Plan and deserves mention. The Courts Thematic Group was defined by the construction of bungalow courts in locations throughout Tower District. First developed on the West Coast around 1910, the bungalow court arranged separate dwellings around a central open space. While many courtyard buildings were comprised of simple cottages, some were designed in the Art Deco and Moderne architectural styles that were fashionable in the 1930s.

Would be great to have a photo of one of the bungalow courts too.

Recommend
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 35
The character of new development needs to be considered through the lens of human-focused design and its emphasis on walkability. This character is embodied by Tower District’s traditional urban fabric, built at a time when walking and streetcar use were principal modes for getting around. Generally, older commercial buildings have ground floors that front directly onto public sidewalks and maintain a continuous intimate pedestrian scale, in contrast to more recent autooriented development where commercial entrances face parking lots and are farther from the street. Older residences also have street-facing entrances and are accompanied by covered porches and landscaped yards. Street-facing windows also accompany traditional buildings and give a sense of safety and inhabitation.

De-emphasize the automobile.

Garages are at the rear of the property, keeping entrances closer to the street.

Comment noted
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 36
CHP 1.2 Protect the Tower District’s cultural history and resources. Using historic context statements as a guide, continue to apply standards and procedures that regulate the alteration of designated historic resources, whether buildings and/or site features, and seek to prevent their loss. Encourage the character of infill development to be compatible within its historic context.

Consider the adoption of context-appropriate design standards, in recognition that some new housing projects may not be exempt from discretionary review. Note that incompatible new construction could distract from historic buildings, especially when adjacent to historic buildings, and could alter the character within historic districts. Also reinforce the historic character of the Tower District public streets and open spaces, by establishing design standards for features like lighting, furnishings, trees, and landscape.

CHP 1.2 Protect the Tower District’s cultural history and resources. Using historic context statements as a guide, continue to apply standards and procedures that regulate the alteration of designated historic resources, whether buildings and/or site features, and seek to prevent their loss. REQUIRE the character of infill development to be compatible within its historic context.

ADOPT context-appropriate design standards, in recognition that some new housing projects may not be exempt from discretionary review. Note that incompatible new construction could distract from historic buildings, especially when adjacent to historic buildings, and could alter the character within historic districts. Also reinforce the historic character of the Tower District public streets and open spaces, by establishing design standards for features like lighting, furnishings, trees, and landscape.

Recommend with revisions
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 37
CHP 1.4 Revive designation efforts for previously proposed historic districts.

The 1991 Tower District Specific Plan proposed several areas as potential historic districts that have not been formally listed or designated in the intervening years. The identified potential historic districts include:
• Adoline-Palm District (proposed)
• Terrace Gardens District (proposed)
• Wilson’s North Fresno Tract District (proposed)
• Lower Fulton-Van Ness (proposed)
• Bungalow Court Distritct (proposed)
• Area bounded by Olive and Van Ness, down to Elizabeth and San Pablo - east of Van Ness
• South of Belmont, West of Broadway
Prioritize these areas for historic resource surveys and the evaluation of designated and potential resources, to provide for their potential designation as historic districts.

South of Belmont, West of Broadway: What is this area that is being referenced? Can't find reference in the 1991 plan
Recommend with revisions
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 39
Some public realm design elements such as stone gateway features and "pineapple" street lights may be eligible for historic designation. Street signs and other features important to community identity should also be celebrated.

More photos would be great!
Comment noted
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 40
CHP 1.9 Historic museum
Consider supporting the establishment of a museum in the Tower District, representing the Tower District, using a historic building or building as an interactive place of learning.

CHP 1.9 Historic museum
SUPPORT the establishment of a museum in the Tower District, representing the Tower District, using a historic building or building as an interactive place of learning. Recommend
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 40
CHP 2.1 Provide historic preservation information, training and accountability.

Provide information and training to help community members, new buyers, real estate professionals, government officials, staff, and other stakeholders to better understand the benefits, responsibilities, and potential difficulties of owning and managing historic properties. Work to preserve historic properties that have fallen into disrepair due to the neglect of their owners. Information readily available and helpful to community members should include the following:
• Basics regarding historic context, significance, integrity, and eligibility for historic listing on both local and national registers.
• Processes and requirements for nomination and designation of historic resources. • Conformance with existing preservation standards and guidelines. • Available preservation incentives including Mills Act contracts, use of the California Historic Building Code, and technical assistance.
• Environmental benefits of reusing existing materials and infrastructure. • Potential economic benefits of preservation, by creating new opportunities for education, cultural activities, and a recognizable destination.
• Education to City leaders, community members, real estate professionals and other stakeholders on the value of historic preservation.

Use incentive and proactive code enforcement to help
Add other incentives. Create an ongoing façade improvement program.

Use and combine tax credits programs for housing and historic projects.

Comment noted
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 41
CHP 2.4 Affordable housing
Work with affordable housing developers to consider acquiring historic and/or vacant buildings for the creation of affordable, multifamily housing through appropriate modernization and adaptive reuse.

CHP 2.4 Affordable housing
Work with affordable housing developers to PROMOTE acquiring historic and/or vacant buildings for the creation of affordable, multifamily housing through appropriate modernization and adaptive reuse. Recommend Conservation and Historic
Preservation 41
CHP 3.1 Refine design standards.

Work with the Historic Preservation Commission and the Tower Design Review Committee to craft design standards and guidelines as may be used for historic properties, districts and renters. Recognize that California law has eliminated discretionary authority over the review of qualifying multifamily housing and residential solar projects and that, in such instances, objective standards may be needed to maintain compatibility.

CHP 3.1 Refine design standards.

Recommend
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 42
CHP 3.2 Pedestrian-oriented commercial development.

Restrict opportunities for development of suburban-style, strip commercial uses. Establish development standards that support the creation of new and maintenance of existing pedestrian oriented storefronts, by regulating ground-level use, entry, and window patterns.

CHP 3.2 Pedestrian-oriented commercial development.

PROHIBIT development of suburban-style, strip commercial uses. Establish development standards that support the creation of new and maintenance of existing pedestrian oriented storefronts, by regulating ground-level use, entry, and window patterns. Recommend
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 42 CHP 3.4 When necessary, pursue Code Enforcement to ensure historic resources are adequately maintained.

CHP 3.4 PURSUE Code Enforcement to ensure historic resources are adequately maintained. Recommend with revisions
Conservation and Historic
Preservation 42
CHP 4.1 Connection to Downtown.

In all facets of development including streetscape, land-use and urban form, reinforce the historic relationship between Fulton and Van Ness Corridor and Downtown, through building form, street design, and signage.

Can we add some examples on how to do this?
Comment noted
Land Use 46
Land use planning establishes standards for types, uses and activities, as well as their relative intensity and density, in the context of a community’s values and needs. Land use policies and regulations are used to avoid potential conflicts and provide community benefits. They provide a valuable tool for addressing a wide range of social, economic, and environmental challenges.

Land use intersects with all other aspects of the urban environment, from transportation to housing, economic development, infrastructure, and urban design.

In this Specific Plan, the land use map and objectives and policies help achieve the community’s desired character, diverse and affordable housing, commercial activity, industrial employment and compatibility, recreation and education and economic development and feasibility.

Change of zoning/use to match residential properties in the industrial use areas.

How is the Central Valley Cheese covenant resolved?
Comment noted
Land Use 47 Figure 3.1 Existing Land Use [SEE MAP ATTACHMENT] Map appears out of date?
This parcel is not vacant and has been developed as apartments Industrial shown as commercial? Where? Near producers Recommend with revisions Land Use 48
Public uses also serve the area. Fresno High School stands near the geographic center of the planning area.

Fresno City College occupies a large site east of the high school. The Tower District also has four public elementary schools: Hamilton, Heaton, Muir, and Dailey Charter School.

The District has a number of parks and recreation sites, including Ted C. Wills Community Center, San Pablo Park and Trolley Park. The Tower District is also served by parks outside of the District’s boundaries, with Roeding Regional Park to the west and Lafayette Park to the east. The Parks Master Plan identifies the District as lacking in adequate park land. (see Chapter 5, Parks and Public Facilities).

The Tower District also contains a cluster of light industrial uses along the southwest edge of the planning area adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad. Some of the industrial uses are accompanied by railroad siding tracks showing the historic importance of railroad accessibility.

COMMENT: Completely under served by parks and with only one park added and one under const. in the 34 years since the 1991 TDSP was initiated. These are outside the boundaries of the Plan Area and access is hindered train tracks.

COMMITTEE EDIT:

Public uses also serve the area. Fresno High School stands near the geographic center of the planning area. Fresno City College occupies a large site east of the high school. The Tower District also has four public elementary schools: Hamilton, Heaton, Muir, and Dailey Charter School.

The District has a FEW parks and recreation sites, THEY INCLUDE Ted C. Wills Community Center, San Pablo Park and Trolley Park. The Tower District is also served by parks outside of the District’s boundaries, with Roeding Regional Park to the west and Lafayette Park to the east. The
Parks Master Plan identifies the District as lacking in adequate park land. (see Chapter 5, Parks and Public Facilities).

Recommend
Land Use 48

TOP COMMUNITY PRIORITIES FOR

HOUSING AND BUSINESSES
•Grocery store/ healthy food access
•Public restrooms
•Non-bar late night gathering spots
•Focus on local businesses
•Affordable housing/ housing programs for new homeowners •Limit investment purchases of homes/require buyers to live in their homes •Less smoke shops and liquor stores
•Streamline permitting to encourage small business
•More high density and mid density housing

TOP COMMUNITY PRIORITIES FOR

Comment noted
Land Use 49
A principal challenge for the Tower District is how to retain its character, while promoting new investment. New development along commercial corridors can present favorable opportunities to strengthen those streets’ economic health and vitality, and reinforce nodes where activity is concentrated. “Missing middle” multifamily housing can maintain the scale of the district, while increasing housing supply and affordability. Community character also depends on the design and arrangement of buildings, especially whether the building fronts with entrances and windows line public streets.

The following sections summarize this Plan’s intentions for land use in the Tower District and relate to Figure 3- 2: Planned Land Use and Figure 3-3: Planned Overlay Districts.

Maintaining character through design standards and design review is a struggle.

Make the new standards address this so they help the process.

Provide more detail on both overlays in the plan.

A list of definitions for the plan as an appendix would be a big help to citizens.

Recommend with revisions
Land Use 50 Figure 3.2 Planned Land Use [SEE MAP ATTACHMENT] Is this based on the SP or the GP?
What LU change?
Entryway & lack of park upkeep Homeless encampment at entry! Park opportunity areas for study: Needs to be more specific. How big? Addresses? More details and how this gets the parks caught up
Need more detail on Belmont and industrial/commercial uses Change light industrial residences to CMS Comment noted Land Use 51 Figure 3.3 Planned Overlay Districts
Need more details on the overlays.

Is there an existing Apartment overlay? Comment noted
Land Use 52
Housing addresses the human need for shelter and is foundational to more livable neighborhoods. Household needs and preferences vary, as do wealth and income – highlighting the need for a diversity of housing options.

Affordable housing addresses challenges that arise when existing housing is in limited supply relative to demand, and costs of developing new housing are high.

In response, the predominance of single-family housing in the Tower District may need to be balanced with the creation of more multi-family dwelling units and “missing-middle” housing. Missing-middle housing describes multi-family housing types that are comparable in scale with larger single-family homes. Varieties include duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, courtyard apartments, bungalow courts, townhouses, multiplexes, and live/work units.

Code enforcement for substandard conditions
Get more residents into ownership roles
Mention local incentives and assistance for home buyers Work on barriers to the cost of construction for infill of new housing - See 3.8 section on study of costs.

Comment noted
Land Use 54
Tower District’s merchants, restauranteurs, and cultural venues are integral to community life. Most are small business entrepreneurs who attract patrons for the goods and services provided, but also because they help create a positive sidewalk experience. The availability of local commercial destinations makes the District more walkable and pleasurable, and contributes to the District’s sense of place.

Businesses benefit from having continuous storefronts along the District’s “main streets.” The Specific Plan’s Commercial Main Street (CMS) land use and zoning designation requires ground-floor commercial uses in the heart of Tower District’s commercial nodes, while the AH (Apartment House) Overlay zoning designation allows multifamily development without ground-floor commercial in locations where greater flexibility is needed.

At the same time, Tower merchants and residents would benefit from business attraction. Business attraction often includes programs, like sidewalk cleaning and shared marketing programs, and physical improvements, like enhanced streetscapes and wayfinding signage. Local residential growth helps to support business attraction as well, by adding to the pool of patrons from which businesses can draw.

The heart of the Tower District is in its lively entertainment district, centered along Olive Avenue near Wishon, where the Tower Theatre stands. The 761-seat theater hosts film screenings, concerts, and community events.

The entertainment district around it offers restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and specialty shops like art galleries and vintage clothing stores. Several events bring the community together in celebration and attract visitors, including the Rogue Festival, the Fresno Film Festival, and the annual Pride and Mardi Gras parades.

More mention of the diverse population served and the LGBTQ+ community Restored and Convered from a movie theatre to a performing arts venue and is….

Comment noted
Land Use 55
The entertainment district’s businesses, events, and lively atmosphere are community assets but can sometimes conflict with the adjacent residential neighborhoods. Because the district contains late-night uses (bars, nightclubs, etc.), some residents living in or near the entertainment district can experience noise and disruption. Varying last call and closing time regulations amongst businesses in the district make it difficult to regulate and enforce. Residents, visitors, and businesses in the entertainment district may benefit from other types of businesses coming to the area. Conditional Use Permits (CUPs) currently restrict the hours and uses of businesses in the District.

Mention mitigations to buffer the residences. Will this be addressed in the overlay for entertainment?
Provide actual examples of ways to buffer sound and disruption to the residential Incentives/mitigations for those who have to change
Recommend with revisions
Land Use 55
The Tower District’s light industrial uses are clustered near the southwest boundary of the planning area. They bring economic vitality and employment opportunities to the community. Producers Dairy has been in the neighborhood for many decades since 1932; Producers Dairy, La Tapatia Tortilleria, and other industrial businesses are important to Fresno’s economy and provide centrally-located jobs for Fresno residents, including many who live in the District – reinforcing a primary objective of the health and equity framework to provide access to jobs.

Complete the narrative to include the struggle with compatibility with the residential abutting these areas.

Provide examples of how to mitigate the impacts of sound, air quality and traffic for the neighborhood surrounding.

Recommend with revisions
Land Use 63
Residential ownership products, both for-sale townhomes and bungalow court prototypes, appear to be marginally-to-likely financially feasible, as achievable sales prices in the Tower District are high enough to offset the development costs.
• Multifamily rental products, including 3-story walk-up apartments and 3- to 5-story podium apartments (where upper stories are constructed above a concrete podium for parking and streetfacing storefronts), were estimated to be financially infeasible because construction and other development costs exceed what rental income would justify. As of 2024, walk-up and podium rental apartments would need significant financial subsidies to be developed.
• Neighborhood-serving retail - both single use and mixeduse projects, appeared to be financially infeasible because retail rents are not sufficient to offset the high costs of construction. As of 2024, neighborhood-serving retail would require significant subsidy for it to be developed. High construction costs are tied to California’s larger economy, while local rent revenues are modest compared with other California regions. Consequently, the Plan considers ways to cut development costs for desirable forms of development, while maintaining development quality and community character.

How do we get them built for owners when there are litigation issues for developers in developing them?
Usually just rental type housing.

Highlight the need for subsidy. Identify and encourage the creation and use of them.

Where does it do this?
Comment noted
Land Use 65
LU 1.2 Implement code enforcement as violations occur, particularly as they relate to public safety and the condition of buildings and landscaping.

LU 1.2 Implement PROACTIVE code enforcement as violations occur, particularly as they relate to public safety and the condition of buildings and landscaping.

Recommend
Land Use 65
LU 2 RETAIN AND EXPAND THE EXISTING INVENTORY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE TOWER DISTRICT AND DISCOURAGE DISPLACEMENT OF ITS RESIDENTS.

LU 2 RETAIN AND EXPAND THE EXISTING INVENTORY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE TOWER DISTRICT AND PREVENT DISPLACEMENT OF ITS RESIDENTS.

Recommend with revisions
Land Use 65
LU 2.2 Enable development of well-designed “missing middle” housing within single-family and other areas.

Allow small multiplex buildings with six or less units on infill sites where their massing can have a positive effect on “density tolerant” sites that include street corners, along collector and arterial streets, adjacent to open space, and on larger properties where building mass can transition in scale to adjacent single-family homes.

COMMENT: Do we need the limit?
COMMITTEE EDIT:

LU 2.2 Enable development of well-designed “missing middle” housing within single- family and other areas.

Allow AND ENCOURAGE small multiplex buildings with six or less units on infill sites where their massing can have a positive effect on “density tolerant” sites that include street corners, along collector and arterial streets, adjacent to open space, and on larger properties where building mass can transition in scale to adjacent single-family homes. Recommend
Land Use 66
LU 2.4 Support reinvestment in older building stock to support affordability and maintain neighborhood character.

Provide building rehabilitation programs or encourage community land trusts (CLTs) and/or forms of collective ownership.

LU 2.4 Support reinvestment in older building stock to support affordability and maintain neighborhood character.

Provide building rehabilitation programs AND encourage community land trusts (CLTs) and/or forms of collective ownership. Recommend
Land Use 66
LU 2.5 Encourage the application of citywide anti-displacement policies within the Tower District.

Continue to work with residents to understand displacement as it occurs and how it can be better addressed.

Consider strategies to strengthen neighborhood stabilization policies, such as establishing a local resource center to facilitate access to tenant protection and buying assistance programs.

LU 2.5 Encourage the application of citywide anti-displacement policies within the Tower District.

Continue to work with residents to understand displacement as it occurs and how it can be better addressed. ENACT/PUT IN PLACE strategies to strengthen neighborhood stabilization policies, such as establishing a local resource center to facilitate access to tenant protection and buying assistance programs.

Recommend with revisions
Land Use 66
LU 2.6 To be consistent with existing use, consider rezoning of existing legal non- conforming multi-family residential uses to the density-appropriate zoning district.

Rezone property with legally non-conforming multifamily residential uses to zoning consistent with the existing use, and encourage the current number of units and the mitigation of potential impacts on surrounding residential uses and require prior review and comment by the Tower District Specific Plan Implementation Committee and the Tower District Design Committee.

COMMENT: is this currently reflected on the Proposed Zone Map? If so how many properties are affected?
COMMITTEE EDIT:

LU 2.6 To be consistent with existing use, REZONE existing legal non- conforming multi-family residential uses to the density-appropriate zoning district.

Recommend with revisions
Land Use NEW POLICY NEW POLICY: LU 2.7 Include resources to prevent displacement. Recommend with revisions Land Use 67
LU 3.1 Streamline residential project review through the adoption of objective development standards and environmental clearance as required by California law.

When will this happen? Committee needs to be involved in its development.

Comment noted
Land Use 67
LU 3.2 Consider regulatory changes to reduce costs and risks associated with mixed-use and multifamily development, such as to reduce parking requirements where justified by TDM measures (see Chapter 6) and anticipated parking demand, and provide greater flexibility in addressing private open space requirements.

New developments will be required to comply with Fresno Municipal Code parking standards and applicable State law.

COMMITTEE COMMENT: Define TDM
COMMITTEE EDIT:

LU 3.2 ENACT regulatory changes to reduce costs and risks associated with mixed- use and multifamily development, such as to reduce parking requirements where justified by TDM
measures (see Chapter 6) and anticipated parking demand, and provide greater flexibility in addressing private open space requirements.

New developments will be required to comply with Fresno Municipal Code parking standards and applicable State law. Recommend with revisions Land Use 67
LU 3.3 Consider ways to increase potential residential yields, such as by increasing allowable densities and building heights as appropriate.

Pursue increasing the allowable building height limits in the Commercial Main Street (CMS) and Neighborhood Mixed-Use (NMX) Zone to 45 feet to allow three-story mixed-use buildings with sufficient ceiling height for ground-floor retail feasibility.

Consider the height of landmark structures (i.e. Tower Theatre) and incorporate transitional height requirements adjacent to those structures.

LU 3.3 INCREASE potential residential yields, such as by increasing allowable densities and building heights as appropriate.

Consider the height of landmark structures (i.e. Tower Theatre) and incorporate transitional height requirements adjacent to those structures.

Recommend
Land Use 68
LU 3.5 Actively increase the affordable housing inventory in Tower District.

Continue to pursue potential funding sources for constructing affordable housing, such as government and philanthropic grants, and consider new programs to assist with development project financing, such as a revolving loan fund.

LU 3.5 Actively increase the affordable housing inventory in Tower District.

Continue to pursue potential funding sources for constructing affordable housing, such as government and philanthropic grants, and CREATE new programs to assist with development project financing, such as a revolving loan fund.

Recommend with revisions
Land Use 68
LU 3.6 Proactively identify underutilized parcels for affordable housing and mixed-use development where appropriate.

Evaluate underutilized parcels for the development of workforce and affordable housing, such as to encourage the creation of mixed-use nodes at the Shields/Maroa and Palm/McKinley intersections and replace low- intensity uses along Shields (between Fruit and Del Mar) with mixed use and multifamily development.

Incentivize infill to make it more attractive and feasible.

Comment noted
Land Use 68
LU 4.1 Support small commercial businesses.

Provide guidance for more effective marketing and merchandizing and promote festivals/events and heritage tourism.

Remove barriers and simplify the process to promote…
Recommend with revisions
Land Use 69
LU 4.4 Use design standards to promote safety for both daytime and nighttime (after dark) activities.

Use design standards to require street-facing windows/entrances, wallmounted lighting, and to avoid obstructions to provide greater visibility between activities for “natural surveillance.” What will these be? Please provide examples in the standards.

Comment noted
Land Use 69
LU 4.5 Encourage grocery stores that offer fresh produce and other healthful foods. Consider incentives such as streamlined permitting for changes in use and new development projects that result in grocery stores that commit to at least one fresh produce aisle.

Find out what it will take to accomplish this and remove barriers and add effective incentives.

Comment noted
Land Use 69
LU 5.2 Utilize zoning standards to mitigate conflicts and potential noise impacts, and support business owners by providing clear sound mitigation guidelines and strategies to ensure code compliance.

Appropriate noise mitigation approaches will be proposed Provide Examples
Comment noted
Land Use 70 LU 5.4 Permanently implement the Sidewalk Vendors Pilot Program in the Tower District, with adjustments.

COMMITTEE COMMENT: More details on this would be helpful.

COMMITTEE EDIT: IMPLEMENT the Sidewalk Vendors Pilot Program in the Tower District, with adjustments.

Recommend with revisions
Land Use 70
LU 6.1 Maintain industrial zoning for existing industrial uses, while striving to mitigate their negative effects on residential areas.

Examples of mitigation can include buffering using landscaping and trees, also see policies in Chapter 4:

Circulation.
• Engage industrial business owners and nearby residents in dialogue regarding needs and impacts. • Consider expanding the City’s noticing system to increase transparency and civic participation. • Consider ways to reduce and mitigate truck traffic on surrounding residential streets, as described in Chapter 4: Circulation.
• Encourage light industrial uses to adopt improved technology. • Provide compatible transitions between light industrial and surrounding uses and consider limiting further expansion of light industrial zoning.

COMMITTEE COMMENT:

Need to provide specific examples for property owners
Examples?
Are there currently limits on truck parking in areas?
COMMITTEE EDIT:

LU 6.1 Maintain industrial zoning for existing industrial uses AND mitigate their negative effects on residential areas.

Examples of mitigation can include buffering using landscaping and trees, also see policies in Chapter 4: Circulation.
• Engage industrial business owners and nearby residents in dialogue regarding needs and impacts.
• EXPAND the City’s noticing system to increase transparency and civic participation.
• REDUCE and mitigate truck traffic on surrounding residential streets, as described in Chapter 4: Circulation.
• Encourage light industrial uses to adopt improved technology. • Provide compatible transitions between light industrial and surrounding uses and ALLOW NO further expansion of light industrial zoning.

Not recommended
Land Use 71
LU 6.3 Support the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District in monitoring emissions.

Regularly monitor the data collected by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) under the Community Air Monitoring Plan and Community Emissions Reduction Program for South Central Fresno which includes the South Tower neighborhood.

And do what with the information?
Comment noted
Land Use 71
LU 6.4 Significant improvements to properties should be accompanied by streetscape improvements and neighborhood landscape buffering, also see Chapter 4. Circulation.

LU 6.4 REQUIRE significant improvements to properties TO be accompanied by streetscape improvements and neighborhood landscape buffering, also see Chapter

4. Circulation. Recommend with revisions
Land Use 71
LU 7 RECOGNIZE THE UNIQUE STRENGTHS AND ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF TOWER DISTRICT’S SUBDISTRICTS AND CORRIDORS.

What subdistricts? Should we map them?
Comment noted
Parks and Public Facilities 74
The Parks and Public Facilities chapter provides a framework for making decisions on how parks and public facilities can better address community needs today and in the future. It focuses on the location and extent of public open spaces, matching spaces to community needs, improving pedestrian and bicycle access, and leveraging cobenefits like ecological health and economic revitalization. This chapter also addresses additional public facilities, like trails, schools, and libraries.

Parks and public facilities support community life and contribute to the physical and psychological well-being of residents (particularly youth and families), workers, and visitors. Parks and public facilities can offer a range of activities and can be improved to provide things that community members need most, whether active recreation like playfields, passive recreation like lawns and picnic tables, event areas like small amphitheaters, and natural areas. When easy-to-access and inviting, parks and public facilities add value to the properties in their vicinity. They offer lifestyle choices and amenities that make urban neighborhoods more attractive and livable. Parks also make neighborhoods, cities, and regions more sustainable and resilient. They can also contribute to the ecological health of the watersheds to which they are connected.

Figure 1.3 is very telling and shows how little park space the district has. 60 Acres is in line with the population in tower and there is less that 6 currently. Two small parks have been added in 34 years. The previous plan recognized these deficiencies but little has changed.

This is where we can have a huge impact in many important areas for the district and we really need to put a lot of emphasis on catching up on our green space.

Especially seeing the impact of Trolley Park and the publics interest How many parks are planned? It appears no new ones in Figure 4.3? The COF and Implementation committee needs to work to assure the district receives its fair share of Measure P funds.

COMMITTEE CORRECTION: Section 4.2 paragraph should state 0.36 parks per 1,000 residents
Recommend with revisions
Parks and Public Facilities 75
Park programming considers the type of facilities that are offered at a given park and the activities they support.

Play equipment for small children addresses a different programmatic need than playfields for organized sports, and Fresno Chaffee Zoo in Roeding Park serves a different need than the daily needs of Tower residents. Trees, lawns, and other greenery are another aspect of parks that support psychological well-being. In summary, park needs in the Tower District include:
• unmet demand as the acreage of parks in the Tower District is just six percent of the City’s standard, and one planned parks will not make up this deficit;
• underutilized park space, such as insufficient active recreation amenities in Ted C. Wills Park; and • gaps in walkable access as most of the District is not within a 10-minute walk of a park.

COMMITTEE COMMENT:

Excellent but need to add a more emphasis to this
COMMITTEE EDIT:

PARKS DEFICIENCIES
• unmet demand as the acreage of parks in the Tower District is just six percent of the City’s standard, and one planned parks will not make up this deficit; • underutilized park space, such as insufficient active recreation amenities in Ted C.

Wills Park; and
• gaps in walkable access as most of the District is not within a 10-minute walk of a park.

Recommend
Parks and Public Facilities 76 Figure 4.1 Existing and Planned Parks, Schools and Park Walksheds [SEE MAP ATTACHMENT] How were these locations decided or planned?
We need actual planned park locations - not just 'opportunities'.

Is this still being studied?
What is the plan for this 'Gateway' area at the underpass? We need more detail on the locations - addresses, size etc.

Best view of our problem with the parks is Figure 1.3
Can we get the vacant parcels mapped here too?
Central Plaza idea mentioned in 1991 plan, is that carried over? A meeting with Parks to go over all of this would be best.

Misspelled 'Dickey'
Add Central Plaza on vacant parcel next to the Chicken Pie Shop Recommend with revisions Parks and Public Facilities 78 Figure 4.2 Measure P Highest-Need Neighborhoods and Prioritization of Existing Parks [SEE MAP ATTACHMENT] This map is too small and unreadable. Please enlarge
Why isn't Dickey a higher priority? What are the metrics? COMMITTEE CORRECTION AT 9/9 MEETING: Comment should read "Why isn't Ted C.

Wills a higher priority? What are the metrics? Recomment with revisions Parks and Public Facilities 79 Figure 4.3 Measure P Park Prioritization for Future Parks This map is too small and unreadable. Please enlarge
South of McKinley?
Which ones in Tower?
Where? Can't read them
Appears to be a lot of 'high priority' in district? Recommend with revisions Parks and Public Facilities 80
Roeding Regional Park is listed as the seventh highest priority in the city, which was based on factors including:
parks in poor condition, parks without neighborhood amenities, parks that were prioritized by the community through community engagement for the Parks Master Plan, “flagship parks” identified in the Parks Master Plan, parks near access gaps, parks where improvements are already planned, and emerging community priorities from the Measure P implementation process.

Great but this is a regional park. Not a Tower Park. Unaccessible on foot.

Commented noted
Parks and Public Facilities 80

PLANNED PARKS
Trolley Park, which was completed in 2024, adds a small play area and outdoor seating at the corner of Van Ness Boulevard and Weldon Avenue. Broadway Parque will add small-scale neighborhood recreation options at the corner of Broadway and Elizabeth Street. The combined acreage of these two parks is small and will not bring Tower District in line with the City’s park acreage standard, however, these parks will provide new amenities such as play structures, exercise stations and picnic areas. While Roeding Regional Park is a priority for Measure P funding, pedestrian access from the Tower District to Roeding Park is limited to two railroad overcrossings along auto-oriented segments of Olive and Belmont Avenues.

Completed, not planned.

Comment noted
Parks and Public Facilities 81

CENTRAL PLAZA
Many community members expressed a desire to create a public plaza in the core commercial area near the Tower Theatre. With thoughtful programming and design, a new urban plaza could elevate the vibrancy of the commercial area and enhance Tower District livability.

Locations that were considered in the 1991 Specific Plan include the north side of Olive Avenue between Maroa and Wishon Avenues, and the south side of Olive at Fulton Street. A segment of Fulton Street itself could be converted to a flexible or pedestrian space.

What are we proposing? Can we provide an actual design concept? Show possible locations
Study Central Plaza at Olive and Wishon
Comment noted
Parks and Public Facilities 81

JOINT USE OF SCHOOL SITES
Tower District’s public schools are vital for education and could play an increasing role in addressing other community needs. Fresno High School stands near the center of the Tower District and is a great source of pride in the community. Through a joint use agreement between the Fresno Unified School District and the City, the High School’s playing fields are accessible to the public when not in use by the School.

Please note: This cannot be used instead of providing real parks. Not a replacement for required green space.

What is timing for actual improvements and coming online? Parking needs to be open and accessible on site so as not to impact the residents directly around sites.

Reinforce need for parking on joint-use sites
Schools aren't ADA accessible on weekends when used for joint-use Comment noted Parks and Public Facilities 82

CANALSIDE PARKS
Dry Creek Canal runs near and roughly parallel with the southern boundary of the Tower District. Owned and maintained by the Fresno Irrigation District, the Canal has long been regarded as an opportunity for public open space. While canalside parks can enhance areas, physical constraints may make this goal of the 1991 plan infeasible.

While community use of service roads continues to be a possibility—as demonstrated by the Midtown Trail along Mill Canal—opportunities can be pursued outside of the Canal right-of-way. Streets adjacent to the Canal can be designed as “shared streets,” that prioritize pedestrian use while vehicles move through the same space slowly. Future development that is adjacent to the Canal can incorporate a pedestrian access easement and small viewing/seating areas. Trail segments and parks space can be created through City land acquisition.

Thoughtful design and durable design elements can contribute to a recognizable canalside identity.

Problematic as no control by COF. Irrigation district seems uninterested. Is this even a real option?
No success in proposing this in the 1991 Plan.

Canals are public nuisance and dangerous
Add to somewhere in this section to include reference to adding designated trails on Wishon/Fulton and to add landscaping along bike trails: Assess feasibility of adding designated trails on Wishon/Fulton
Comment noted
Parks and Public Facilities 82

PRIVATELY-OWNED PUBLIC OPEN SPACES
Privately-owned public open spaces are on private land but open to the community, such as to create a plaza adjacent to cafes and building entrances. Privately-owned public open spaces can be incentivized or required, particularly where there is high pedestrian activity. While larger privately-owned public spaces can be created on larger development sites, such as along the Blackstone Avenue corridor, smaller sites can offer paseos and seating areas.

Can we provide examples?
Comment noted
Parks and Public Facilities 86
POS 1.1 Provide parks in accordance with the Parks Master Plan.

Pursue opportunities for new parks and public spaces in the Tower District according to the policies and the standards adopted in the Parks Master Plan. Give priority to improvements in park-deficient areas, consistent with the Measure P implementation process.

Not if we are still underserved! The current map seems to make no gains? Comment noted
Parks and Public Facilities 86
POS 1.2 New park acquisition.

Strategically pursue land for the acquisition and establishment of new parks. Two new parks have been developed or are near completion: Broadway Parque and Trolley Park. These projects will be valuable additions for Tower District residents. Future opportunities that should be explored include:
• A public plaza in the central core near the Tower Theatre. • Mini parks and community gardens on vacant land, City-owned land, and unneeded portions of school properties. Explore opportunities in Van Ness Village, adjacent to the Fire Station at Clinton and Arthur and at the corner of Clinton and Palm, at the northeast corner of the Hamilton School site. • Privately-owned public spaces created as part of new development on large sites, which might be required of larger development projects like Blackstone Avenue corridor.

Can we be more specific about the needs: (54 acres, 10 minute walk) parks needed and reach to close these gaps? What is proposed in the current mapping? More specific and more details on proposed sites
Add language here to this policy: add designated trail along Fulton/Wishon to consider concept of linear pathway
Recommend with revisions
Parks and Public Facilities 86
POS 1.3 Work in partnership with public agencies and the community to enhance existing parks, and other types of open space, for greater recreational value.
• Ted C. Wills. Advocate for a park master planning process and redesign that could make better use of the space and provide more amenities. Reuse of the parking lot and the school campus should be considered. • Roeding Park. Roeding Park lies directly west of the Tower District and has been identified in the Measure P implementation process as a top priority for park improvements. Advocate for a park master planning process and redesign that could make this park a more valuable asset for the City as a whole.

Where is this school?
Regional, not a 'Tower Park'
Comment noted
Parks and Public Facilities 87
POS 1.5 Pursue joint-use partnerships with schools and basin sites in the Tower District.

The City has a joint-use partnership for community use of athletic fields and aquatic facilities at Fresno High School, which should be expanded to include other sites in the District, thereby helping to implement the “closing the gaps” strategy defined in the Fresno Parks Master Plan. New joint-use partnerships should be designed to improve the capability of utilizing the District’s open space for passive and active recreational and leisure opportunities by adding landscaping, lighting, picnic facilities, and other appropriate amenities, and by extending hours of use. Joint-use agreements should not diminish the need to create new parks in the Tower District.

Add language: consider parking needs of the community when entering into joint use agreements
Recommend
Parks and Public Facilities 89
POS 4.2 Public safety patrols.

Recommend maintaining consistent police presence through a combination of Patrol Officers, Bicycle Patrol Officers, Traffic Officers, and Contract Law Enforcement Services and explore a stand-alone budget to additionally support entertainment district peak hours and special events.

Include community based safety options as well.

Recommend with revisions
Circulation 92
The Tower District was settled as a streetcar suburb in the early 20th century before the rise of the automobile.

Streetcar lines extended northward along Fulton Street to Olive Avenue, north along Wishon Avenue, west along Olive Avenue, and north along Blackstone Avenue. Development over time occurred within an expanding street grid, with major streets spaced uniformly every half mile. The District’s street pattern offers motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians a variety of possible routes to get to local destinations. The connective street grid makes walking and bicycling routes more direct, and disperses vehicle traffic among multiple routes rather than concentrating traffic on wide arterial roadways.

Mention keeping pedestrian safety and walkability a top priority There's no disabled parking on Olive. Is there a requirement for private parking lots to locate disabled parking closer to the street?
Recommend with revisions
Circulation 93
The Tower District is also served by multiple bus routes and high-frequency service along Blackstone Avenue.

Bus service is provided by Fresno Area Express (FAX), which provides transit service in Fresno and surrounding communities. As of 2024, the Tower District is served by eight fixed-route local bus lines, as well as enhanced bus rapid transit (BRT) service along Blackstone Avenue, and several of these lines provide direct service to destinations downtown. FAX also offers a paratransit “Handy Ride” service designed to meet the transportation needs of eligible persons with limited ability, who would find it difficult to use of FAX’s fixed-route bus system.

We need better infrastructure at the stops. Covers for shade and trash and landscaping. Very limited amenities in the Tower.

Recommend with revisions
Circulation 93

WHAT WE HEARD

TOP COMMUNITY PRIORITIES FOR CIRCULATION
• Safer speeds through neighborhoods
• Safe routes to school
• Walkability
• Shaded sidewalks, more trees
• Better biking infrastructure
• Parking availability for residents
• Alleys should be developed or blocked
Made big gains
Comment noted
Circulation 97

MAIN STREETS
“Main streets” have been and continue to be centers of community life, where commercial storefronts front directly onto streetside sidewalks. With generous display windows, these storefronts capture the attention of passers-by, particularly those on foot. A main street also forms an outdoor room, as buildings frame streets and sidewalks spatially.

Great examples! They show how important street street are that we must do better on maintenance and replacement.

Comment noted
Circulation 97-98
The intersection of Olive Avenue and Fulton Street is generally recognized as the heart of the Tower District.

Parts of Olive and Fulton are main streets that historically arose around streetcar lines. Olive Avenue has a commercial main street that extends from east of Fulton to west of Palm Avenue, with older buildings that front onto the street with frequent entrances and generous display windows. Street trees and building awnings shade sidewalks and contribute to an inviting sense of place. Temporary street traffic closures on Olive Avenue allow its Pride and Mardi Gras festivals to add vitality to the community.

We need to cover what to do about Belmont? And what do we do to extend Olive to the west?
Add ideas and specific examples of what might be solutions to these struggling commercial corridors as well?
Olive from the 99 FWY to Palm has been backed up with traffic due to freeway closures. Traffic isn't going to help businesses
Add information here about scenic walks Recommend with revisions Circulation 100
“Green alleys” can address community drainage and stormwater needs. As a form of green infrastructure, green alleys use permeable pavers and pavement that allow rainwater infiltration and filter pollutants from run-off.

By including subsurface retention, a network of green alleys can even help municipalities avoid needing to expand stormwater infrastructure capacity, which can be costly.

Good Examples! (More of these for other problem areas of the plan) What is the cost/feasibility for them? Can we proposed a pilot or example project? Comment noted
Circulation 102
The Tower District is one of the San Joaquin Valley’s most heavily walked neighborhoods – a legacy of its early history when walking and streetcar use were dominant modes. The District offers local destinations close to where people live and work, and its gridiron street pattern affords fairly direct routes to those destinations.

Reference C8.5 for specific examples
Recommend with revisions
Circulation 103 Figure 5.2 Walkscore Map [SEE MAP ATTACHMENT] Is the tree canopy taken into account in this score?
Many of these areas are un-shaded. Comment noted
Circulation 105 Figure 5.3 Urban Heat Islands [SEE MAP ATTACHMENT] Really inaccurate. Shows for more trees that actually exist. Is there a more accurate map?
How does this tie to the COF Forrest Management Plan? Recommend Circulation 107 Figure 5.5 Existing and Planned Bike Lanes [SEE MAP ATTACHMENT] Not sure how this type of bike lane fits on Olive? Pedestrian safety should be a priority. Comment noted
Circulation 110
Driving remains the dominant way of “getting there,” particularly for longer trips. In a 2023 survey that informed development of this Plan, 85 percent of respondents said that vehicle use was the transportation mode they used most.

How do we address traffic from commercial districts traveling through neighborhoods?
Cut through traffic is also from late night entertainment uses. Will entertainment overlay address this?
Cut through traffic not just from commercial uses but also from frustration over traffic back up. People get frustrated and cut off into neighborhoods from Palm Same issue with cut through traffic from Olive south to Belmont to Shields. Need turn light on Belmont here
Recommend
Circulation 113
While truck access is vital for light industrial and some commercial operations, truck traffic has had a detrimental effect on the Tower District’s residential neighborhoods and its main streets. During the planning process, many community members complained of excessive truck speeds, truck noise while idling at intersections, health related concerns due to deteriorating air quality and not enough separation from trucks while riding bicycles. Trucks also damage street surfaces and contribute to potholes.

Can we add more information on air quality to the narrative? Recommend with revisions
Circulation 113
Thoughtful planning can help mitigate truck-related impacts. The South Central Fresno AB 617 Community Truck Reroute Study Truck Routing and Implementation Strategies Report (2024) evaluates impacts and summarizes potential strategies for abating truck impacts on the community, especially as they relate to residential uses and schools. The Study’s recommendations build upon truck routes established by the City in 2005 and analyze whether the effects of heavy-duty trucks travelling within the community can be mitigated to improve residents’ health and safety, by addressing air pollution, traffic congestion, pedestrian safety, and noise.

Have these changes been coordinated with all the changes to freeway off ramp closures and HSR changes?
Comment noted
Circulation 113
The Study proposes “truck regulated areas” that would restrict truck traffic and operations in the Plan area between Belmont and McKinley. The Study also recommends the following treatments along truck routes:
• new sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes,
• traffic calming to reduce truck speeds,
• optimizing traffic signals to improve traffic flow,
• roadway maintenance,
• technology to monitor trucks in regulated areas, and • strong enforcement.

Is there a map of these regulated changes/recommendations? Specific examples of what is proposed?
Recommend with revisions
Circulation 114

BNSF BLACKSTONE/MCKINLEY GRADE SEPARATION PROJECT
An average of 37 trains cross the intersection of Blackstone and McKinley each day, which has caused traffic delays of 2 minutes 48 seconds on average. The Blackstone-McKinley Grade Separation Project will create a new roadway underpass below the BNSF tracks to allow the uninterrupted flow of traffic along Blackstone and McKinley. The project will increase roadway capacity and enhance safety across transportation modes, by adding pedestrian crosswalks at key locations and providing bicycle paths (Class IV bicycle facilities).

SR 99 INTERCHANGES & HIGH SPEED RAIL
Construction of California’s High Speed Rail system in Fresno requires the grade-separation of Belmont and Olive Avenues where they cross the Union Pacific right-of-way. Bridges would be built over the railroad in these locations and will be accompanied by pedestrian sidewalks and bike lanes.

This is true about ALL crossings in the district experience this number of trains.

Clinton and Shields crossings have huge backlogs of waiting traffic. Is there anything proposed?
Mention that Tower is the only part of the BNSF railway that still does not have a 'Quiet Zone'. The noise impact from the train horns has a huge 'noise' impact and this cannot wait until this massive underpass is completed. Ask for action now so this area is included and no longer forgotten with quiet enjoyment of our homes.

Not recommended
Circulation 115 Figure 5.8 Circulation Effects of SR 99 Interchange and HSR Improvements [SEE FIGURE ATTACHMENT] All these changes will have a huge impact on the district and access to the freeways.

Especially for commute and industrial access for trucks. Clinton and its on-ramp is already experiencing huge backups. We need to say more about managing and studying these massive changes.

Add traffic impacts that are occurring on Olive into this section Recommend Circulation 116
C 1.1 Improve the multi-modal functions of key corridors.

Using Fresno’s Active Transportation Plan as a starting point, evaluate road diet and bicycle facility designs with residents and business owners who live along key corridors to improve safety and reduce collisions while supporting adjacent land uses. The co-created designs should elevate pedestrian safety as the highest priority, while also establishing a unique, visual identity for each corridor. The following corridors should be prioritized for study:
• Olive Avenue, Fulton Street, and Wishon Avenue south of McKinley. Create a strong pedestrian-oriented environment along these important “main streets.” Adjacent to properties zoned Commercial Main Street (CMS), consider relative merits of Class II bike lanes versus Class IV bike lanes, if curb-to-curb widths would allow on-street parking to be retained. If Class II and Class IV bike lanes would result in the loss of on-street parking, consider Class III bike routes to retain on-street parking. • Clinton Avenue. Implement traffic calming measures to slow traffic to address safety issues. • McKinley Avenue. Implement traffic calming measures and Class IV bike lanes. • Belmont Avenue. Consider traffic calming for a safe and comfortable pedestrian environment. See POS 4.2 Public safety.

COMMITTEE COMMENT:

Reference examples on Page 112
COMMITTEE EDIT:
• Olive Avenue, Fulton Street, and Wishon Avenue south of McKinley. Create a strong pedestrian-oriented environment along these important “main streets.” Adjacent to properties zoned Commercial Main Street (CMS), consider relative merits of Class II bike lanes versus Class IV bike lanes, if curb- to-curb widths would allow on-street parking to be retained. If Class II and Class IV bike lanes would result in the loss of on-street parking, consider Class III OR CLASS II bike routes to retain on-street parking AND PROTECT PEDESTRIANS. • Clinton Avenue. Implement traffic calming measures to slow traffic to address safety issues.
• McKinley Avenue. Implement traffic calming measures and Class IV bike lanes. • Belmont Avenue. Consider traffic calming for a safe and comfortable pedestrian environment. See POS 4.2 Public safety.

Recommend
Circulation 116-117
C 1.2 Enhance Main Streets
Enhance streets serving Commercial Main Street (CMS) zoned properties. Along Olive Avenue, establish a traditional commercial
“main street” environment that creates a sense of place and prioritizes pedestrian activity. Strengthen Olive Avenue by making the following improvements:
• Limit the number of travel lanes to no more than three, with one lane in each direction. While shared center left-turn lanes may be needed, the preferred arrangement of lanes is to have two travel lanes with one lane in each direction and on-street parking lanes to support street-facing retail land use. • Limit travel lane widths to no more than 11 feet, except when implementing Class III bike routes on Commercial Main Street zoned properties, travel lanes should be no more than 12 feet wide to accommodate vehicle maneuvers around bicyclists where no protected bike lane is provided. • Provide bicycle facilities, subject to study as described above.

But not at the sacrifice of pedestrian safety!
Comment noted
Circulation 117
C 1.3 Encourage active transportation modes by improving bicycle access, safety, and comfort for users of all ages and abilities.

Establish a well-connected bicycle network that provides safe, convenient, and comfortable bike routes through and to the Tower District. Expand and enhance Tower District’s Bicycle Network. Establish Primary Bikeways that provide through routes for bicycles and connect to the larger bicycle network. • Design bicycle facility type dependent on primary roadway designations to address roadway design speed, while not oversizing facilities which would diminish the quality of abutting pedestrian routes. • Discourage excessive vehicle speeds and volumes by implementing complete street designs that reduce adjacent vehicle travel lane widths to no more than 11 feet with a 7-foot-wide parking lane. • Widen sidewalks to at least 10 feet with a minimum 6-foot clear walking zone and buffer zone of at least 4 feet, where street trees can be planted between the sidewalk and parking lanes, travel lanes, or bike lanes. • Where observed travel speeds exceed the posted speed limit, apply appropriate traffic calming measures to reduce vehicle speeding and increase safety and access for active modes.

Be mindful of safety vehicle and first responder access and for areas for vehicles to safely move over to allow access in these designs. Single traffic lanes on major streets gives limited options to make way for responder vehicles.

Comment noted
Circulation 118
C 1.4 Provide universal accessibility
Ensure full access for mobility impaired persons in all parts of the Tower District, especially in areas which are centers of public and community life.

Add in policy to include on-street parking for persons with disabilities Recommend with revisions
Circulation 118
C 1.8 Improve transit amenities.

Improve transit waiting areas with better shelters, seating, and real-time arrival information.

Trees and shade
Recommend with revisions
Circulation 118
C 1.10 Encourage "Green Alleys"
To encourage walking and biking and active underused alley infrastructure, establish a new green alleys program. Encourage community engagement by creating safe corridors for slower modes of travel that allow residents to interact.

Add in policy to establish a pilot program for green alleys Comment noted
Circulation 119
C 3.2 Consider mid-block crossings in critical locations.

Provide safe mid-block pedestrian crossings where pedestrian safety would be significantly improved, such as near schools and in the middle of particularly long blocks in main street areas, if consistent with the City’s uncontrolled crosswalk standards. Accompany mid-block crossings with high-visibility crosswalks and Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs).

C 3.2 PROVIDE mid-block crossings in critical locations Provide safe mid-block pedestrian crossings where pedestrian safety would be significantly improved, such as near schools and in the middle of particularly long blocks in main street areas, if consistent with the City’s uncontrolled crosswalk standards. Accompany mid-block crossings with high-visibility crosswalks and Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs).

Recommend with revisions
Circulation 120
C 4.3 Address change to lcoal traffic from High Speed Rail improvements Evaluate potential traffic impacts on Olive Avenue due to the High-Speed Rail (SR)-99 ramp closure at Belmont Avenue, such as to make streetscape improvements along Olive Ave.

Provide clarification on what it means to evaluate traffic with streetscape improvements
Recommend with revisions
Circulation 120
C 4.4 Address motorist needs and potential impacts from vehicles during special events.

Designate detour routes and provide consistent wayfinding signage to help visitors navigate the Tower District during special events. Protect neighborhoods from cut-through traffic.

Need to add some conversation to this in the narrative to address the need Add more reference of cut through traffic in narrative
Recommend with revisions
Circulation 121
C 5.1 Rerouting of truck traffic.

Evaluate potential impacts from rerouting truck traffic due to High-Speed Rail and closure of SR99 interchanges, particularly health and equity-related concerns. Study potential effects of truck traffic at the local level and mitigate potential negative impacts, such as to make multimodal street improvements and designate truck routes away from residential neighborhoods. Specifically, study the potential effects of truck use of Weber Avenue following the closure of Golden State Boulevard, particularly its potential effects on residential areas, notably South Tower.

What do we do next after this study is complete? Implementation of changes? Working with business and neighbors? More specific solutions? Comment noted
Circulation 122
C 6.3 Surface parking fronting major streets.

Establish development standards that dramatically limit on-site surface parking where it fronts major streets, such as to require that at least three-quarters of a parcel’s street frontage be lined by building or community open space.

C 6.3 Surface parking fronting major streets.

Establish development standards that PROHIBIT on-site surface parking where it fronts major streets, such as to require that at least three-quarters of a parcel’s street frontage be lined by building or community open space.

Recommend with revisions
Circulation 122-123
C 7.1 Create unique gateways to signal entry into the Tower District The Tower District has many distinct entryways. Enhancing the sense of place at gateways can create pride among residents and highlight the district as a cultural hub of Fresno. Gateway locations may include:
• Van Ness, Wishon/Maroa, and Palm Avenues on the north • Van Ness, Fulton, and Broadway on the south
• McKinley, Olive, Belmont (at San Pablo), and Maroa on the east • McKinley, Olive, Belmont (at HSR crossing), and Shields on the west Maintain the public areas of these places. Park at the BNSF Wishon underpass has fallen into disrepair and is currently a location for unhoused to congregate. It sends all the wrong messages about a 'gateway'. This needs to be addressed first. Define the public and private areas. Maybe include a plan of the area? Comment noted
Circulation 123
C 7.4 Consider a demonstration program from alley enhancements.

Consider a demonstration program for alley enhancements to support alley paving and enhancement for walking, biking, and access for garages and to potential accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Enhance the spaces with landscaping and public art where possible.

Yes! How do we address the worry of residents safety and possible unhoused congregation in these areas?
Comment noted
Circulation 125
C 8.5 Plant street trees to enhance tree canopy and maintain uniformity within plan areas.

Trees are essential in providing respite from urban heat, and infusing nature into the urban environment.

Specific actions include:
• Examine the tree trimming policies and tree replacement policies to maintain tree health and shade in the Tower District. Add the tree data to the public data portal to allow residents to help report on tree health or surrounding issues.
• Plant street trees along sidewalks where missing, especially along Olive and Belmont Avenues and in the South Tower neighborhood, to mitigate the urban heat island effect in these areas. • Through property owner support, a Business Improvement District (BID) or other similar mechanism, require the planting of trees in plazas and parking lots.
• Choose street trees with large canopies to provide adequate shade where planted. Use drought-tolerant, native species as much as possible to reduce maintenance needs.

Reference this section throughout the plan.

Coordinate with COF Urban Forrest Management Plan.

Study, on a regular basis, to insure improvement.

How do we track tree losses to make sure they are replaced? What to do about homeowners and businesses removing the street trees? Explore a public training program on tree importance and proper process for problems, planting and ownership of the trees?
Industrial areas buffers to residential a priority.

Recommend with revisions
Utilities 128
The Tower District is supported by an established infrastructure network that serves existing land uses. Many utilities are aging and in need of upgrades to ensure proper long-term function and to accommodate intensification of uses as infill development occurs. Additionally, the City is moving toward a more sustainable and resource-efficient future, for which infrastructure will play a critical role. This chapter provides a general description of infrastructure conditions and needs.

What are the challenges for the district with the aging infrastructure? These are a problematic burden in providing affordable infill housing and development. How can they be lessened to promote investment? Comment noted
Utilities 129
The Solid Waste Management Division handles the collection of municipal solid waste, recyclables, green waste, and Operation Clean-up for 118,915 residential customers, which includes the Tower District area. In addition, the division oversees litter collection and responds to FresGO customer queries across 103 square miles within the city limits. These collection efforts generate about 4,918 tons of material weekly.

Study to allow smaller dumpsters for trash?
Comment noted
Utilities 129
Items missing and included in 1991 plan:
- Electricity and gas service - typically a huge issue with development and infill - even just adding vehicle
electrification! Especially in commercial, multifamily and industrial areas - Street Lighting
- Fire Protection
- Policing
New items needing to be added:
- Access to technology - cell and broadband access improvements to district ADD Objectives and Policies to the section
Comment noted
Staff Recommendation
Comment noted
Staff Recommendation
Comment noted
Staff Recommendation
Comment noted
Staff Recommendation
Comment noted
Staff Recommendation
Comment noted
-Recommend all Draft Plan policies with comments, as referenced in the Committee Policy Recommendations document to the City Council for review. -Recommend rezoning residences zoned industrial back to residential and rezone the Central Valley Cheese Factory building from industrial to a zone more compatible. -Recommend edits to Policy LU 4.3 to remove reference to ADUs and ACU's.

May 14, 2024 Committee Motions
-Motions incorporated in comments noted above in this Exhibit.

September 17, 2024 Committee Motions
-Motions incorporated in comments noted above in this Exhibit. -Motion to retain industrial zoning on the property generally located at 234 E Franklin and recommend rezoning of light industrial zoned properties with residential uses generally located at: 348 N Palm, 342 N Palm, 332 N Palm, 462 N Yosemite, 454 N Yosemite
August 20, 2024 Committee Motions
-Requested to continue initiation of the Tower District Specific Plan update from the August 29, 2024 City Council meeting agenda to September 26, 2024 -Add recommended land use changes by the Committee from May 14, 2024 into the Draft Plan update.

September 3, 2024 Committee Motions
-Motions incorporated in comments noted above in this Exhibit.

September 9, 2024 Committee Motions

Fresno City CouncilNovember 7, 2024

Fresno City Council
November 7, 2024