1 2024 Annual Progress Report
April 1, 2025
Planning & Development
Department
2 Table of Contents
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... 2 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 3 About the Annual Progress Report ......................................................................... 3 Presentation to the City Council .............................................................................. 3 Housing Element APR Status ............................................................................................ 3 General Plan Amendments ................................................................................................ 3 Implementation Summary .................................................................................................. 6 2024 Implementation Highlights .............................................................................. 6 Planning Activities ................................................................................................. 14
3 Introduction
The City of Fresno adopted a comprehensive update to the General Plan on December 18, 2014, after extensive community participation. The General Plan establishes a long- range vision and is the primary policy framework for the physical development of the city, reflecting the aspirations of the community. It contains 17 Goals, 102 Objectives, and 575 Implementing Policies, which have guided decision-making to achieve equitable economic prosperity, sustainable urban form, efficient public services, diverse housing options, and overall improved quality of life for all Fresnans. The General Plan contains seven elements required by State law (Land Use, Circulation, Open Space, Conservation, Safety, Noise, and Housing) and five optional elements (Economic Development and Fiscal Sustainability, Public Utilities and Services, Historic and Cultural Resources, Healthy Communities, and Implementation). Each Element contains narrative, Objectives, and Implementing Policies to achieve the goals of the General Plan.
The 2014 General Plan departs from prior comprehensive planning efforts in that it did not expand the City’s Sphere of Influence (SOI) and focuses half of new residential development within City Limits (measured by the location of the City Limits on December 31, 2012). In promoting the attainment of Complete Neighborhoods, it introduced new Mixed-Use land use categories, allowing a mix of higher density housing and commercial uses to be co-located near high-frequency transit service, including the City’s BRT route along Blackstone and Cesar Chavez Boulevard.
About the Annual Progress Report
Government Code Sections 65400 and 65700 mandate that all cities and counties submit an Annual Progress Report (APR) on the General Plan to the local legislative body, the Governor's Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI), and the Housing and Community Development Department (HCD). APRs must be presented to the local legislative body for review and acceptance.
This APR fulfills State requirements and provides community members and the City Council with an update on progress in implementing the General Plan.
Presentation to the City Council
This report is scheduled to be provided to the City Council on April 24, 2025.
State law also requires that a separate Annual Progress Report on the Housing Element of the General Plan be submitted to HCD. The City of Fresno’s 2024 Housing Element APR was submitted to HCD on March 31, 2025.
General Plan Amendments
Table 1 below contains information on each General Plan amendment adopted in 2024, including the Application ID, the date adopted, the applicant, and a brief description of the amendment and how it advanced the implementation of the General Plan. 4 Table 1: General Plan Amendments (2024)
Application
ID
Date
Adopted Applicant Description
P19-05889 03-07 SER-Jobs
For
Progress,
Inc.
Amended the Fresno General Plan and the
Roosevelt Community Plan to change the
planned land use designation for the subject
property, APN 462-042-25, for 4.83 acres
from Medium Low Density Residential to
Urban Neighborhood Residential.
Implements General Plan by adding high
density residential capacity pursuant to
General Plan Goal 7: Provide for a diversity
of districts, neighborhoods, housing types,
residential densities...that appeal to a broad
range of people throughout the city. Goal 8:
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 as many
services as possible within walking
distance.
P21-01960 04-18 Urban
Planning
Partners/
Costco
Wholesale
Corporation
Amended the Fresno General Plan and
Bullard Community Plan to change the
planned land use designation for the subject
property, APN 503-020-12, for 23.26 acres
from Community Commercial to General
Commercial, and reclassify West Herndon
Avenue between North Riverside and North
Hayes Avenue, from an Expressway to a
Super Arterial. Implements General Plan
Goal 1 of increasing opportunity, economic
development, business and job creation and
Goal 8: Development of complete
neighborhoods (see above).
P22-00388 07-25 Harbour and
Associates/
Wilson
Homes
Amended the Fresno General Plan and the
Hoover Community Plan to change the
planned land use designations for the
subject properties, APNs 574-140-04 & 05,
for approximately 31 acres from Low
Density Residential to Medium Density
5 Residential. Implements General Plan by
adding high density residential capacity
pursuant to General Plan Goal 7 for a
diversity of districts (see above) and Goal 8,
complete neighborhoods (see above)
P24-00589 11-21 City of
Fresno
Amended the Fresno General Plan and the
McLane Community Plan to change the
planned land use designation of the subject
properties, APNs 494-291-05 & 10, from
Light Industrial to Community Commercial.
Implements General Plan Goal 1 of
increasing opportunity, economic
development, business and job creation,
increasing land use intensity, and making
full use of existing infrastructure to promote
economic growth.
P24-04066 12-12 City of
Fresno /
Planning
Department
Amended the Fresno General Plan to adopt
the 6th Cycle Housing Element. Implements
General Plan Goal 7 for a diversity of
districts (see above), General Plan Policy
LU-2-b: Infill Development for Affordable
Housing, and Healthy Communities
Objective HC-3 to create healthy, safe and
affordable housing.
Each adopted General Plan amendment is analyzed, and findings are made to ensure consistency with the General Plan and that the amendment would not cause detriment to the public health, safety, and general welfare of the residents of the city.
Pursuant to the recommended 10-year cycle of General Plan updates, the City will propose a number of amendments in 2025-2027. Table 2 below contains information on these anticipated amendments. This information is tentative and subject to change.
Table 2: General Plan Anticipated Amendments (2025-27)
Chapter Description Comments
Multiple
Chapters
Climate Adaptation and
Environmental Justice.
Updating multiple chapters to
incorporate climate and
environmental justice policies.
State mandate. Required for next
General Plan or upon simultaneous
update of two Elements. Proposed to
be adopted in 2026.
Urban Form Housing Implementation
Text Amendments. Updates
to the General Plan required
to remain consistent with
proposed updates to the
Development Code.
This series of text amendments is
proposed to be adopted between Q2
2025 and Q2 2026. It will contain
updates to the Development Code
(and General Plan, as needed for
6 consistency) to remove barriers to
housing production.
Urban Form Private Applicant Plan
Amendments. Update Figure
LU-1: Fresno General Plan
Land Use Diagram.
The City accepts private applications
for Plan Amendments.
Urban Form West Area Neighborhoods
Specific Plan. Update Figure
LU-1: Fresno General Plan
Land Use Diagram and Figure
LU-2: Dual Designation
Diagram.
Comprehensive plan to address the
area west of State Route 99 and
north of Clinton Avenue, with a mix of
infill and greenfield development
opportunities. Anticipated adoption in
2025.
Urban Form Central Southeast Area
Specific Plan. Update Figure
LU-1: Fresno General Plan
Land Use Diagram.
Comprehensive plan to address the
area east of downtown, which has
infill development opportunities.
Anticipated adoption in 2025.
Urban Form Southeast Development
Area Specific Plan. Update
Figure LU-1: Fresno General
Plan Land Use Diagram and
Figure LU-2: Dual
Designation Diagram
Comprehensive plan to address the
area east of the existing city limits
and within the Sphere of Influence,
which has greenfield development
opportunities Anticipated adoption in
2025.
Urban Form Tower District Specific Plan
Update. Update Figure LU-1:
Fresno General Plan Land
Use Diagram and Figure LU-
2: Dual Designation Diagram
Comprehensive plan to update the
Tower District Specific Plan adopted
in 1991. Anticipated adoption in
2025.
Implementation Summary
2024 Implementation Highlights
Economic Development and Fiscal Sustainability
Economic Development Strategy
After a 12-month process involving input from the community, elected officials, and industry professionals, the City of Fresno’s Five-Year Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) was approved by the US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) in July 2024. The CEDS is an Economic Development Plan that highlights opportunities and challenges in improving economic prosperity for the Fresno and improves the City’s potential to receive funding from federal, state and private foundations.
Business Recruitment and Partnerships
The City recruited 170 new businesses in 2024, which is eight times more than the previous year. Several partnerships also provided support to existing local businesses. 7 The City’s Economic Development Department co-hosted the free “Immigrant Entrepreneurship Expo” with the Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative. The Expo included educational panels on how to create and run a business, and shared information from nonprofit, public, and private sector agencies about available assistance programs and funding opportunities.
The City of Fresno, City of Clovis, California State University Fresno, SEMI Americas, and Fresno County Economic Development Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding at SEMICON West to commit to bring the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain industry to the Central Valley. Partners like Fresno State’s Lyles College of Engineering anticipate preparing future professionals for the semiconductor industry.
The Economic Development Department launched a virtual business startup guide on the City’s website. After answering a few basic questions on how the business will run, the online tool guides business owners through the process of becoming compliant.
Large Development Projects
Several large development projects progressed within the past year:
• In February 2024, the City approved the Scannell Properties’ 901,438 square foot industrial project located in the Roeding Business Park on North Marks and West Nielsen Avenues. The project is anticipated to bring in millions of dollars in revenue, attract more companies to the local economy, and provide more than 1,000 jobs.
• The Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling Company in South Fresno held its ribbon-cutting grand opening ceremony in January 2025 after many years of development. The facility brings job opportunities to the Fresno area and contributed $300,000 to a community benefits fund.
• Fresno’s current North Costco facility received approval to relocate further northward for logistical improvements from West Shaw Avenue to West Herndon Avenue and North Riverside Drive. The purpose of the relocation is to improve vehicle transportation access and increase product capacity. • In October 2024, Hanger, Inc., a nationwide leader in orthotic and prosthetic products and care services, relocated its West Coast distribution operations to a new state-of-the-art 75,000 square foot distribution center in Fresno. This relocation, along with its increased facility size, allows for better service times and delivery logistics for seven clinics within the Central Valley.
Fancher Creek Town Center
After many years of planning, construction started on the Fancher Creek Town Center, a 94-acre mixed-use regional commercial center aiming to provide major amenities to Fresno’s southeast communities, including anchor retailers, restaurants, a movie theater, a hotel, offices, a transit hub, a public plaza, park space, and multi-unit housing.
Construction has been completed on a parking garage and Brandhaven Senior Apartments, a 180-unit affordable housing development. A 240-unit low-income 8 apartment development is currently under construction. Identified future tenants include Sprouts, Target, PetSmart, In-N-Out Burger, HomeGoods, and Michaels.
Financial Rating and Revenues
Fitch Ratings gave Fresno a double level ‘AA’ Issuer Default Rating, which was a first in Fresno’s history. The City benefited from increasing property tax revenue despite sales tax revenue declining. In addition, increased revenue is expected through a $2 million increase in transient occupancy tax revenue through an agreement with Airbnb, and $3.1 million through increased cannabis tax revenue with 11 shops now open.
Workforce Development
The City is committed to local job development, especially to combat unemployment, which rose to 6.9 percent. The State-funded Youth Job Corps Program, which started in 2022, has been successful in placing youth into service-oriented jobs. Through a partnership with Workforce Connection and Career Nexus, the program supports Fresno youth ages 16-30, who face barriers such as difficulties obtaining a job or being unemployed, a low-income background with more limited resources, previous involvement with the justice system, being in or transitioning from foster care, mental health needs including substance abuse issues, or unstable access to housing.
Participants are trained for different roles through their time in the program. First, they are placed with a local community organization, then the serve as a Downtown Ambassador. Following this, participants transition into internship roles within City departments. In 2024, 155 youth participants were hired, 29 of which found permanent employment within the City of Fresno, and 80 who were successful in finding employment elsewhere after completing their internship.
Urban Form, Land Use, and Design
Downtown Infrastructure and Housing
The State of California committed $49 million dollars through the Infill Infrastructure Grant - Catalytic (IIGC) for Downtown infrastructure improvements. The funding will upgrade aged water and sewer systems, improve plumbing and streets, and will construct new shared parking structures to incentivize housing development.
In 2024, the historic Hotel Fresno re-opened its doors as an affordable housing project after being vacant for decades. The building now provides 81 new units Downtown and, as a mixed-use development, will host a future commercial tenant on the ground floor.
There are five more housing projects in the development pipeline for the Downtown area.
Planning-Related Efforts
2024 saw several long-range planning projects progress towards completion. The Tower District Specific Plan draft was released to the public and initiated by the City Council in the fall. The Plan is being refined and an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is underway. The Plan and EIR are anticipated to be presented to City Council for 9 adoption and certification by the end of 2025. This plan seeks to preserve the unique cultural aspects of this older neighborhood while enhancing equity, walkability, and community amenities.
Fresno’s Climate Adaptation and Environmental Justice (CAP-EJ) Plan concluded its first outreach phase during the first half of 2024. Outreach was extensive and included three community workshops, three place-based workshops, 28 tabling events and a survey which received over 2,500 responses. This robust community input is being incorporated into new policies, with a public draft review period to occur in the summer of 2025.
The South Central Specific Plan and EIR were completed and brought to the City Council for consideration in December. The Council voted to deny the plan and is currently rescoping the project.
In 2024, the City prepared a Recirculated Draft Program EIR for the Southeast Development Area (SEDA) Specific Plan, which was released for public comment in February 2025. The SEDA plan is a greenfield development designed with Neighborhood, Community and Regional Town Centers that include mixed-use, walkable and transit-friendly design.
The City participated in the Multi-Jurisdictional Housing Element process, administered by Fresno Council of Governments, and after wide-ranging community outreach for over a two-year period, the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element was adopted in December of 2024 and certified by HCD in 2025.
In order to increase housing capacity to meet local housing needs, the City Council initiated a text amendment to the Development Code that would allow for the conversion of existing office buildings to residential units, allow new residential uses on Office- zoned land, and to allow for certain residential developments near bus stops and in Mixed-Use districts to be processed ministerially. The City released a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for public comment in November 2024 and the proposed text amendment and MND will be presented for City Council consideration in Spring 2025.
Mobility and Transportation
Active Transportation Projects
Last year, the City added two Hydrogen Buses to its fleet to explore alternative fueling vehicles as part of its commitment to transition to zero emissions by 2040.
The Fresno HOP trolley service launched in 2024. This free trolley service aims to improve local tourism by connecting Fresno’s entertainment districts: Campus Pointe, Fresno City College, Tower District, Cultural Arts District, and the Brewery District.
In 2024, construction continued on the development of Fresno’s Midtown Trail. When complete the trail will span seven miles, enhance bike and pedestrian access, and connect the City of Clovis’ Old Town Trail to the Manchester Center retail and housing 10 development. The American Public Works Association Central California Region awarded the Midtown Trail Project as the Public Works Project of the Year.
The City of Fresno also initiated a Vision Zero Action Plan and an update to its Active Transportation Plan to help lower pedestrian fatalities and vehicular collisions, as well as identify needed improvements for active transportation options. Both Plans are anticipated to be complete in 2025.
Roadway Improvements
The City of Fresno awarded a contract to AECOM Technical Services, Inc. for professional engineering services for the design of plans and general construction contract documents for the BNSF Blackstone McKinley Grade Separation Project. The Project is being supported by funding from Measure C and will create a double-grade railroad separation at the busy intersection located just east of Fresno City College. The grade separation will eliminate the existing at-grade crossing of the BNSF tracks at North Blackstone and East McKinley separating train traffic from vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. Construction is anticipated to start in 2026; 2029 is the targeted year for completion.
Parks, Open Space, and Schools
Measure P Implementation
Measure P is a voter-approved 3/8-cent sales tax that provides funding for Fresno’s parks, arts, and culture. It was approved by voters in 2018 and went into effect in 2021.
The funds support park maintenance, the development of new parks, programming and job training, arts and culture initiatives, trails, beautification, the San Joaquin River Parkway, and ongoing planning and oversight.
In 2024, the PARCS department continued to implement Measure P through allocating funding for eligible projects, holding public workshops, and facilitating the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission (PRAC) meetings. The highest-needs neighborhoods definition was updated and the Parks Master Plan update continued throughout the year.
Twelve percent of Measure P funding is allocated to the development of local cultural arts, and projects are funded through the Cultural Arts Grant Program. By the end of 2024, approximately $9,500,000 had been distributed amongst 112 applicants. A Request for Proposals will be announced in 2025 for new applicants.
Parks Improvements
Multiple improvements were made to parks in 2024, including new shade, benches, lighting, play field improvements, irrigation improvements, and accessibility improvements.
Construction began on the new $8.7 million, 10-acre, Les Kimber Park in Southwest Fresno. The park will be the central open space of the West Creek Village Master Development, which was detailed in the 2017 Southwest Fresno Specific Plan. The 11 scope of work includes the construction of a new public street (West Creek Village Way). Park amenities include flexible green space, a picnic area, restrooms, and a children’s play area inspired by the Sierra Nevada mountains. The park is designed to incorporate a variety of future recreational programs. The central feature of the park’s landscape is the “Park Peak” – a prominent sculpted landform providing views over the park and surrounding neighborhood.
The expansion of Radio Park was initiated last year. Radio Park is located at the intersection of First and Clinton near the Fresno Art Museum. The park will expand into the area on the corner that is currently occupied by a commercial use.
Trolley Park, a pocket park in the Tower District, opened in 2024. The $3.3 million, one- third-acre park features many amenities within a small area: a playground, exercise zones, dedicated water bowls for dogs, a bocce ball court, open green space, 19 trees, mosaic artwork from local high school students, and sitting walls that encourage people to converse with one another. The park was the first built with Measure P funds.
The City completed construction drawings on the new 4.5-acre Dolores Huerta Park, to be constructed on the property at the northeast corner of Milburn and Dakota Avenues.
The park will provide green space, playgrounds, dog park, skate park, jogging track, multi-use courts, splash pad, shade structures, picnic areas, and landscape amenities.
The project will also include street improvements to provide safe access to the park.
In 2023, the City approved a new 49-acre regional park, Peach Park, to provide green space and amenities for passive and active recreation for the Southeast Fresno community. In 2024, construction drawings were underway. Development of the park will be divided into three phases, with construction of Phase 1 projected to start in Spring 2025. Phase 1 will include the southwest section of the park, along Peach Avenue and Geary Street; it will include open green space, a central plaza area with picnic tables and shade structures, an artificial turf sports field, playgrounds, parking, and restroom facilities.
Funded by the Transformative Climate Communities Program, the reconfiguration and modernization of Mariposa Plaza was in construction throughout last year. This public plaza is centrally located in the Fulton Corridor and is deeply connected to Fresno’s history. The upgrades encompass tree planting, landscaping, lighting enhancements, the installation of permeable paving, two stages, a shade structure, and related utility improvements. The plaza will continue to serve its historical purpose as a gathering place for public speaking and community events.
Parks Programs
In 2024, the PARCS Department expanded programming for youth and seniors at community facilities. The Department also continued existing joint-use agreements with school districts and Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District.
The City of Fresno announced the Park Ranger Program in late 2023, hired and trained rangers throughout 2024. There are 19 Park Rangers fully trained and assigned to a 12 Policing District. Park Rangers provide visibility and observed patrols to neighborhoods and regional parks, trails, and recreational open spaces. Park Rangers report crimes, perform citations, and engage the community through special events, public events and organized sporting groups.
Public Utilities and Services
First Responders
Plans continued in 2024 to expand the 911 Emergency Call center at the Fresno Municipal Service Center, replacing the existing call center located at Fresno Police Headquarters. The call center will be outfitted with new call stations provided by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. The facility will be built to accommodate staffing levels to meet the City’s projected emergency response needs over the next 10-15 years.
Plans continued in 2024 to move Fire Station 12 to 3315 West Ashlan from its current location at 2874 W. Acacia Avenue, which was built in 1977. The new fire station is larger and strategically located to better serve the Northwest Fresno community. The station will include four pull-through apparatus bays and house a company of eight firefighters, two captains, and one fire chief.
Beautify Fresno
In 2024 Fresno was designated as a Clean California Community along with 66 other communities. To be designated, a community must meet at least 10 of 15 requirements within a year, including: 1) signing the pledge, 2) establishing an Advisory Board, 3) community input 4) conducting a litter assessment, 5) scheduling community clean-ups, 6) measuring metrics for progress, 7) promoting community education, 8) promoting youth education, 9) improving infrastructure in key locations, 10) enforcing policies and programs, 11) engaging in long term planning regarding sustainability efforts, 12) creating greening and beautification strategies, 13) scheduling collection drives for bulky items that are typically hard to dispose, 14) continuing partnerships, and 15) and providing cigarette receptacles.
With the combined efforts of Beautify Fresno, community volunteers, and collaborative clean up days, 1.5 million pounds of trash were collected from city streets in 2024.
Beautify Fresno also planted over 100 trees and cleaned over 200,000 square feet of graffiti with the Graffiti Abatement Team.
Utilities
The City of Fresno was awarded $496,000 for local agency technical assistance for broadband connectivity.
Resource Conservation and Resilience
The Transformative Climate Communities grant program is funding Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure and Chinatown Urban Greening projects that aim to enhance the pedestrian infrastructure in Chinatown. This will be achieved by installing 13 streetlights, planting trees, reconstructing curb ramps, crosswalks, filling sidewalk gaps, and reconstructing China Alley. These enhancements are being implemented along F Street from Fresno to Cesar Chavez (Ventura), Mariposa Street, Kern Street, and China Alley.
In 2024, to better prepare for potential critical hazards, Fresno partnered with 17 other valley cities and districts to create a Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. This plan identifies a community profile of the Central Valley and assesses the varied risks of each region along with mitigation strategies and policy commitments from each jurisdiction.
Healthy Communities
Brownfields
The City’s Brownfields Program made progress in reducing environmental harms created by brownfields and remediating underutilized lots for new developments. By partnering with local organizations and other government agencies for collaboration, the Brownfields Program provides resources to reclaim these properties for community health and equitable economic opportunities. Currently two projects, 832 China Alley and 1427 Tulare St, are undergoing Phase II of environmental site assessments before next steps for redevelopment.
Transform Fresno Project #17, also known as the St. Rest + Food to Share Hub:
Healthy Food Rescue and Redistribution, opened in 2024. The project remediated the old Farmer John’s Warehouse and converted it to several new uses including a food distribution center and a community commercial kitchen space.
Housing & Homeless Services
The City of Fresno’s Mobile Shower and Restroom unit had success in promoting public health services for people experiencing homelessness through a partnership with UCSF to run a mobile health clinic. Collaboratively, the Mobile Shower and Restroom unit and USCF engage in improving public health for people experiencing homelessness.
With the conversions of emergency shelters to permanent housing and lodging-to- housing conversions, the past year saw a 5.6 percent reduction of homelessness.
Temporary shelter was provided to more than 7,000 people within the year, 50 percent of which transitioned into permanent housing.
The City of Fresno continues to collaborate with organizations like Fresno Housing to acquire and create affordable housing for our residents as Fresno still faces a dire need for more housing.
The Mortgage Assistance Program assisted 41 families with becoming first generation homeowners. Specifically targeted to low-income and first-time homeowners, the mortgage assistance program provides a loan for families that will be forgiven after 15 years of ownership.
14 Planning Activities
Table 3 contains information on planning activities that occurred in 2024, including the name of the activity, its status for the prior year, and comments on key decisions or milestones.
15 Table 3: 2024 Planning Activities
Planning Activity 2024 Status Comments
Brownfields Activities Ongoing
Central Southeast Area Specific Plan In-Progress
South Central Specific Plan Denied/ Sent
for Review
Local Early Action Planning Grant
Programs Completed
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)
Program In-Progress
Standard Plans and ADU
Guidebook completed,
development code update
included in Housing
Implementation
Development Code Text
Amendments, below.
Multi-Jurisdictional Housing Element Adopted by
City Council
Fresno’s Housing Element
was certified by HCD in
January 2025.
Southeast Development Area
Specific Plan In-Progress Update of 2008 Draft Plan
Tower District Specific Plan Update In-Progress Update of the 1991 Plan Housing Implementation
Development Code Text
Amendments
In-Progress
VMT Mitigation Program In-Progress
West Area Neighborhoods Specific
Plan In-Progress
Residential in Office Development
Code Text Amendment Started
Farmland Preservation Program Started
West Shaw TOD Study Started