Exhibit E
Golden Charter Academy Operational Statement The Golden Charter Academy, presently located at 1626 W Princeton Ave, proposes to construct a new campus in the Parkside neighborhood for a K – 8 charter school. Project Site Address: 741 W Belmont Ave APNs: 458-121-17 and 458-121-19 Existing GPLU Designation: Neighborhood Mixed-Use Existing Zone District: NMX—Neighborhood Mixed-Use Community Plan: Downtown Specific Plan: None Describe efforts that have been made to discuss the proposal with neighbors: The applicant has a close working relationship with the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and they are fully aware of this proposal and are supportive of it. Describe how the proposal is complimentary to the surrounding neighborhood: The new Golden Charter Academy campus will be complimentary to the Parkside neighborhood in many ways, such as: • Easy access to high-quality educational options. The Golden Charter Academy is highly regarded, and having such easy access to a school of this caliber will be a tremendous benefit to Parkside families. • Aesthetic enhancements. The existing structure is vacant and in a poor state of repair after decades of neglect and deferred maintenance. The proposed new campus has been designed by award-winning architect Arthur Dyson; it will add beauty and an instant landmark to the area. • Likely reduction in disruptive behavior. The site will be active, maintained, and secured. This will have many benefits, because in Fresno at the present time, problems such encampments, fires, and illegal dumping are particularly acute at vacant and abandoned locations. Having personnel on-site regularly will discourage such behavior and will result in calls to the proper authorities before any minor issues escalate into major problems. Nearby residents will certainly benefit from this. • Reducing air pollution by reducing driving. This proposal will lower vehicle miles travelled and associated air pollution by supporting the concept of “Complete Neighborhoods” with a mix of housing, retail, services, schools, and other uses. As stated in Page 10-22 of the General Plan: “A design emphasis of this Plan and the Complete Neighborhoods concept is to reduce VMT. Decreasing the VMT also has the added benefit of reducing air pollution, which has a major impact on local health conditions in Fresno.” • Improved public health by promoting walking. Having a school within walking distance can improve health. As stated in Page 10-22 of the General Plan: “By exchanging some… vehicle trips for non-motorized trips, a community can realize health benefits. For
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instance, there is evidence that for each half-mile walked per day, people are about five percent less likely to be obese (controlling for age, education, gender, and ethnicity).” Describe how the proposal helps implement the Fresno General Plan: This proposal is consistent with the General plan and helps to implement several of its goals, objectives, and policies. Examples include: • A school is consistent with the Neighborhood Mixed-Use General Plan Land Use designation. This designation promotes districts with a mix of housing, retail, offices, and services in a pedestrian-oriented built form. Schools are a Permitted use in the implementing zoning district (NMX) and the proposed project’s FAR of 0.3 is well below the maximum FAR of 1.5. • Placing a school along a planned mixed-use corridor adjacent to existing residential uses implements the Complete Neighborhoods goals of the GP. Creating Complete Neighborhoods with a mix of housing, retail, services, and schools is a clear goal of the General Plan, and it is mentioned in several instances, including: o Page 11-3: “Develop Complete Neighborhoods and districts with an efficient and diverse mix of residential densities, building types, and affordability which are designed to be healthy, attractive, and centered by schools, parks, and public and commercial services to provide a sense of place and that provide as many services as possible within walking distance.” o Objective HC-2: “Create complete, well-structured, and healthy neighborhoods and transportation systems.” o Policy HC-2-a: Healthy Neighborhoods. “Promote the design of Complete Neighborhoods whose physical layout and land use mix allow for walking to local stores and services, biking, and transit use; foster community pride; enhance neighborhood identity; encourage public safety; are family-friendly; and address the needs of residents of all ages and abilities.” • This proposal helps to curb suburban sprawl by driving investment away from the metropolitan edge and into the existing city. Curbing sprawl is a dominant theme of the General Plan and is mentioned throughout the document. Examples include: o Page 3-5: “Fresno has generally grown out over the years from its first origins, Downtown. For decades that growth has been mostly of a low density suburban style development that relies heavily on the auto as the single means of mobility. This has created a condition of sprawl, sometimes leaving neglected neighborhoods and developed land uses adjacent to a number of major streets either vacant or underutilized. This can be seen in Downtown today, as well as other areas surrounding Downtown.” o Page 4-3: “Emphasize the City as a role model for good growth management planning, efficient processing and permit streamlining, effective urban development policies, environmental quality, and a strong economy. Work collaboratively with other jurisdictions and institutions to further these values throughout the region. Positively influence the same attributes in other jurisdictions of the San Joaquin Valley –and thus the potential for regional
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sustainability -and improve the standing and credibility of the City to pursue appropriate State, LAFCO, and other regional policies that would curb sprawl and prevent new unincorporated community development which compete with and threaten the success of sustainable policies and development practices in Fresno.” o On Page 3-46 the General Plan notes that “Fresno is part of an eight-county region, each with its own Metropolitan Planning Organization. Collectively, they have approved the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint along with… Smart Growth principles… which have been integrated into the General Plan.” On Page G-26 Smart Growth is defined as “An urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl. It also advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood schools, complete streets, and mixed-use development with a range of housing choices. Smart growth values long-range, regional considerations of sustainability over a short-term focus. Its sustainable development goals are to achieve a unique sense of community and place; expand the range of transportation, employment, and housing choices; equitably distribute the costs and benefits of development; preserve and enhance natural and cultural resources; and promote public health.” The location of this proposed project within the existing boundaries of Fresno, in a neighborhood that began being urbanized over 100 years ago, by adding a pedestrian-oriented school to a residential neighborhood is clearly in line with adopted Smart Growth principles. Identify any use classifications from Article 67 that apply to the project: Under the category Public and Semi-Public Use Classifications, the classification of Schools, Public or Private fits this proposal perfectly. It is defined in Article 67 as follows: “Facilities for primary or secondary education, including public schools, charter schools, and private and parochial schools having curricula comparable to that required in the public schools of the State of California.” This use classification is Permitted by-right in the NMX zoning district. Describe, in detail, the proposed use(s): The proposed use is a kindergarten through eighth grade charter school which is chartered through Fresno Unified School District. There will be 19 classrooms which will be oriented along linear courtyards which facilitate ample outdoor play and learning. The total site size is 2.35 acres, and the gross building floor area is 34,499 square feet, resulting in an FAR of 0.3. Building heights will range from 18’-9” for classrooms, 20’-9” for the administrative building, and 30’ for the multipurpose room. The tallest architectural features will be the Belmont Avenue louver which will be 30’ at the top, and the Pacific Avenue entrance feature which will be 31’-4” at the top. Detail the hours of operation and the number of employees: The hours of operation will be between 7:30am and 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. There will be a maximum of 60 employees, approximately 45 of whom will be on the site at any given time.
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Detail the expected daily visitors/users/guests: At maximum enrollment, the school will have 480 students. Describe any reasonably foreseeable effects from construction and/or operation of the site that may impact the neighbors: During construction, there will be noise, dust, and traffic effects, however these will be minimized by enactment of all required mitigation measures. In particular, heavy construction equipment will not be used within 25 feet of existing structures. Once the school commences operations, there will be some noise from the presence of students and faculty, but it will be well within acceptable noise levels. There will be increased traffic, particularly during drop off and pick up times, but due to the school’s location along a designated Collector road at the edge of the residential area it will not attract traffic into the more heavily residential parts of the neighborhood. All lighting will be from low-intensity fixtures and will feature required shielding to reduce glare on neighboring properties. Detail all security measures: The school will have both fire and security alarm systems. They will be monitored by a third-party alarm company that will notify either the Fire or Police department depending on the type of alarm notification. There will also be security cameras which will monitor the outside areas of the school at all times. Finally, during school hours, there will be three campus safety personnel who regularly move about the campus monitoring activities for any type of safety concern. For projects in the Multi-Family or Mixed-Use zone districts, specify if the project is utilizing the Flexibility or Certainty option for façade design: The project is a permitted use, fits within the maximum FAR, and is consistent with the General Plan the overall vision for the Neighborhood Mixed-Use GPLU and zoning district. However, due to its civic nature and its innovative design, it is inconsistent with façade design standards and some other development standards. For this reason, the Development Permit application will be submitted concurrently with a Planned Development (PD) permit application as a way to seek greater flexibility, avoid monotony, and enable a design which is demonstrably superior to one that could occur under the regular development standards. Therefore, neither the Certainty nor the Flexibility option will by applicable to this review, however it will be similar to a project utilizing the Flexibility option. Other Information: We are aware that a Voluntary Parcel Merger will be required. That application will be submitted in early 2024 after Golden Charter Academy closes escrow on 704 W. Belmont Ave. (APN 458-121-19) and has full ownership of both lots.