Southeast Development Area
City Council Workshop
May 1, 2025
1. Background: Development of
SEDA is not a New Idea
2. Implementing the General
Plan: Balancing Infill with
Growth Areas
3. Regional Context: Sprawl vs
Planned Growth
4. Myths & Facts
5. Next Steps: Start Small
Background
3 Development of SEDA is not a new idea
1958 General Plan
• One of the first general plans adopted
by the City of Fresno, the 1958 General
Plan identified population increases
from the existing 160,000 in 1958 to an
estimated 400,000 in 1978.
• This estimate included residents living
between Easton to the south, Clovis to
the north, Belmont Country Club to the
east and Kearney Park to the west.
4 1964 General Plan
• Area maps in the 1964 General Plan included the
City of Fresno project area extending as far east as
McCall Avenue and identified the Temperance Area
within the “path of growth.”
• It projected 6,600 dwelling units developed by
1985.
5 1974 General Plan
• The 1974 General Plan included standards for
adopting a five-year urban growth management
plan to control the pattern and timing of growth on
the City’s urban fringe.
• This identified land as urban growth reserves
within the existing sphere of influence.
• It further stipulated that as individual projects are developed, they must conform with the adopted
general plan, community plans and specific plans.
6 1984 General Plan
• The 1984 General Plan was then the first-in-kind
to formally identify that, beyond the City’s ability
to provide for existing growth projections, there
may be the possibility of expanding City limits for
eventual urbanization to the northwest or
southeast.
• It provided a holding capacity within the
Southeast Growth Area of approximately 30,654
dwelling units.
7 Southeast
Growth Area
(SEGA) Planning
Work - 2002
• SEGA was approved in the City’s Sphere of Influence
in 2002
• The City planning work started in 2006, but it was
tabled following the 2010 recession.
• At that point, a draft specific plan had been
developed and shaped through a collaborative
public outreach process, which included an advisory
committee of local residents.
8 SEGA
Becomes
SEDA (Southeast
Development
Area) - 2014
• Concepts from the draft SEGA Plan were rolled into
the current Fresno General Plan, adopted in 2014.
• The General Plan accommodates one-third of SEDA’s
capacity, or 14,900 dwelling units, by 2035 and
assumes the remaining 30,000 dwelling units will be
needed in the future.
9 Implementing the General Plan
10 Balancing Infill with Growth Areas
Sequencing of Specific Plan
Updates
Specific Plan Identified in Resolution Current Name of Specific Plan Status Southwest Fresno Specific Plan Southwest Fresno Specific Plan Adopted 2017 Roosevelt Specific Plan Central Southeast Specific Plan Complete Urban Water Management Plan Urban Water Management Plan Adopted 2021 West Area Market Study West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan Adoption Expected in 2025 West Area Specific Plan (N. of Clinton) West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan Adoption Expected in 2025 Southeast Development Area Specific
Plan (SEDA)
SEDA Specific Plan In Progress
West Area Specific Plan (S. of Clinton) N/A Sequenced After SEDA A 2016 City Council Resolution confirmed commitment to specific planning for both infill and growth areas and identified the sequencing of long-range planning documents in the following order. In addition to these, the Fulton Corridor Specific Plan (October 2016) and the Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan (October 2016) have also been completed.
Specific Plan Process
Standard Process
• Initiation
• Consultant Selection
• Community outreach (typically includes 3 workshops)
• Preparation of Draft Specific Plan and environmental
analysis
• Public Comment
• Respond to Public Comment/integrate revisions
• Preparation of final Specific Plan and Final EIR
• Presentation to Planning Commission and City Council for final recommendation and adoption
SEDA Process
• Initiation
• Consultant Selection
• Community outreach (7 events)
• Preparation of Draft Specific Plan and environmental
analysis
• Analyze Potential Housing Demand
• Prepare Public Facilities Financing Options Report
• Public Comment
• Respond to Public Comment/integrate revisions
• Preparation of final Specific Plan and Final EIR
• Presentation to Planning Commission and City Council for final recommendation and adoption
• Customized Zoning
• Parks and Trails Master Plan
12 Regional Context
13 Surrounding
Jurisdictions
Madera County
• Development in Madera County has been rising over
the past 13 years, while development in Fresno
County peaked from 2013-2015
Acres Residential units
Tesoro Viejo (2014) 1,600 • 4,740 residential units
Riverstone (2016) 2,062 • 6,578 residential units
Liberty Groves
(proposed)
1,320 • 5,384 residential units
Total
approved/proposed
since 2014
4,982 acres 16,702 residential units
14 Surrounding
Jurisdictions
City of Clovis
Acres Residential units Non-residential
Harlan Ranch (2005) 635 • 1,800 (single-family, multi-
family and live-work)
• 45 acres non-
residential
• 13 acres parks and
open space
Loma Vista (2009) 3,307 Community Center North:
• 1,304 residential units
Community Center South
• 3,443 residential units
Community Center North:
• 675,942 SF retail,
commercial, office
space, restaurants
Community Center South:
• 1,370,720 SF of non-
residential
Heritage Grove (2019) 2,506 City Center Village North:
• 2,668 residential units
City Center Village South:
• 1,275 residential units
City Center Village North:
• 82,056 SF retail
City Center Village South:
• 67,941 SF retail
Home Place (2022) 310 • 1,306 (single family and multi- family)
• 5 acres neighborhood
commercial uses
• 24 acres agricultural
museum
Vista Ranch (Proposed) Expand Clovis SOI
952 acres
• 3,286 residential units • 16 acres commercial
and mixed use
• 19 acres new
elementary school
• 59 acres parks, trails
and open space
Total approved/proposed
since 2005
7,710 acres 15,082 residential units
15 SEDA Draft
Specific Plan
Why Now?
1. Housing Crisis:
• 3.8% vacancy rate
• 20% increase in home prices
in 2022
2. Demand Exists:
• 14,350 units by 2030
3. If SEDA not approved,
piecemeal development will
happen anyway
16 40,000 and 45,000 dwelling
units of varying types, sizes,
densities, and affordability
levels.
Variety of housing choices
to a mix of incomes, age
groups, and lifestyles.
Protects farmland to the east by
providing an agricultural buffer
along the eastern edge.
It includes compact
development options for all life
stages that prioritize walkability
and multimodal access.
Benefits
A Multi - Faceted Plan
It is informed by a Public Facilities
Financing Options Report that
provides financing options for
development to pay its own way.
17 • This planning work done for the SEDA Draft Specific Plan was completed using the population
projections included in the 2014 Fresno General
Plan as provided by the Department of Finance.
• Proposed land uses incorporate walkable
neighborhood, community and regional town
centers with varying housing types.
• Rural Cluster buffer along easter edge to preserve
agriculture to the east.
SEDA Draft
Specific Plan:
Objectives in
Action
18 Myths & Facts
19 • Population projections for the SEDA are based on
population projections in the Fresno General Plan.
• The Fresno Housing Element documents Fresno’s
population growth to be 1.2% from 2000 to 2022, in
line with General Plan assumptions.
• A market study prepared for the SEDA, and census
data show population growth to be significantly higher
than recent Department of Finance projections.
• The SEDA phasing and development would be paced
with current demand.
MYTH
The SEDA Plan is based
on incorrect population
projections
FACT
20 MYTH
The SEDA is urban
sprawl
FACT
• Urban growth has been envisioned in the SEDA
area since the 1958 General Plan
• SEDA will rely on municipal services and
infrastructure
• Sprawl is discontinuous, piecemeal
development
21 • Specific Plan policies call for self-financing
• Potential financing mechanisms will be included in the Public Facilities Financing Options Report
• The City Council will provide direction on potential
funding mechanisms
MYTH
The SEDA Plan will result
in a reduction of City
services
FACT
22 MYTH
The SEDA will burden
existing City neighborhoods
or residents
FACT
• As part of the recent tax sharing agreement with the
County of Fresno, the tax apportionment ratio in the
SEDA is 50%, compared to the balance of the Sphere
of Influence, which is 40%.
• In the previous tax sharing agreement with the County of Fresno, new development in the City received a tax
apportionment ratio of 38%.
• Increased property tax revenue funds additional
services Citywide.
23 MYTH
The SEDA will not benefit
existing City neighborhoods
or residents
FACT
• The SEDA would benefit existing City residents
through higher taxes collected.
• Fees paid by some existing neighborhoods:
• Property tax
• Lighting/landscape maintenance (LLMD)
perimeter only
• Community Facilities Districts (CFD) – interior
and exterior maintenance
• Fees paid by new neighborhoods (such as SEDA):
• Property tax
• CFD
• Public safety CFD
• Impact fees
• Infrastructure district
24 MYTH
The SEDA will not benefit
existing City neighborhoods
or residents
FACT
25 MYTH
The SEDA will result in
blight within City limits
FACT
• Planning and investment in the City’s infill areas is ongoing.
• In accordance with the infill objectives of the General Plan, the City of Fresno has prioritized Community and
Specific Plans within city limits.
• Completed infill plans include: the Downtown
Neighborhoods Community Plan, Southwest Fresno
Specific Plan, Fulton Corridor Specific Plan
• Plans currently underway include: the Tower District
Specific Plan Update, West Area Neighborhoods
Specific Plan, and Central Southeast Specific Plan.
26 • The Specific Plan supports continued agricultural
operations.
• The Specific Plan reinforces the Fresno County Right- to-Farm Ordinance which applies to subdivisions
within 300 feet of an Exclusive Agriculture, Limited
Agriculture, Timberland Preserve or Resource
Conservation Zone District, per Ordinance No. 87-010.
• The Specific Plan will not affect the status of
Williamson Act parcels.
MYTH
Agricultural operations
will not be permitted to
continue
FACT
27 • The SEDA Plan will not require termination of existing legal uses.
• Legal non-conforming uses may continue indefinitely
with few exceptions per FMC Section 15-404.
• Existing rural residential uses and farm operations may continue after being annexed into the City per FMC
Section 15-1606, Annexed Rural Residential
Transitional Overlay District.
• Permitted uses include uses that are lawfully
existing at the time of annexation; barns,
stables, corrals, coops and/or animal or fowl
pens; cows, horses, sheep, goats, hens and
rabbits; and private gardens, among others,
can remain.
MYTH
I will not be allowed to
continue existing legal
uses on my property
FACT
28 MYTH
The City will take my
property through
eminent domain
FACT
• Property needed for public facilities is expected to be acquired through sale of private property.
• Eminent domain is utilized as a last resort for
acquiring property for public infrastructure.
• The use of eminent domain can occur today whether
the SEDA Specific Plan is adopted or not.
29 • Adoption of a specific plan does not trigger
annexation.
• Annexations would occur incrementally as individual
development applications are filed and are not
anticipated to occur until necessary infrastructure is
installed, which is estimated to occur after 2030.
• The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) is
the agency that approves or denies annexations.
MYTH
Annexation of all 9,000
acres will occur immediately
upon Plan approval
FACT
30 • Adoption of the SEDA Specific Plan will not require immediate connection to water and sewer
infrastructure.
• No sewer or water connections will be required until
infrastructure is constructed and located within 300
feet of the property.
• Properties that maintain well water will be obliged to adhere to laws and regulations like the Sustainable
Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), as currently
required.
• Current property owners will have 4 years to connect
to the City sewer and water system once
infrastructure to serve their property is in place.
MYTH
The City will require
connection to water and sewer
infrastructure immediately
upon Plan approval
FACT
31 MYTH
The SEDA Plan will
increase Vehicle Miles
Traveled (VMT)
FACT
• The SEDA Plan results in reduced VMT
• The SEDA Plan incorporates a unique Mixed-Use land
use pattern which puts jobs, schools and housing
within walking distance to reduce VMT
32 • The SEDA Plan addresses carbon emissions through its unique Mixed-Use land use pattern, which puts jobs,
schools and housing within walking distance to reduce
vehicle trips and carbon emissions.
• The alternative is continued development in
surrounding jurisdictions farther from urban uses,
which could lead to increased regional trips and
worsened air quality.
MYTH
The SEDA Plan will
increase carbon
emissions
FACT
33 MYTH
Approving the SEDA Plan
will make us “sicker”
FACT
• The SEDA Plan addresses air quality through its unique Mixed-Use District land use pattern, which puts jobs,
schools and housing within walking distance in order
to reduce vehicular emissions.
• The alternative is continued development in
surrounding jurisdictions farther from urban uses,
which will lead to increased regional trips and
worsened air quality.
34 MYTH
The SEDA Plan does not
address reduction in
farmland
FACT
• The Environmental Impact Report requires
preservation of farmland at a 1:1 ratio
35 MYTH
The SEDA does not have
enough water to serve
the area
FACT
• A Water Supply Assessment (WSA) was prepared for
the proposed Specific Plan and is included in Appendix
I of the EIR.
• According to the WSA, the SEDA Specific Plan will
result in a 1.7% increase in water demand
• Per the WSA, there will be sufficient water supply to compensate for this increase.
36 MYTH
The City is not responding to
any prior comments received
on the SEDA Environmental
Impact Report
FACT
• The City will be responding to all new environmental issues raised in the Final EIR
• Additional analysis was conducted on environmental issues raised on the previously circulated Draft PEIR which is incorporated into the current 2025 draft
• The SEDA EIR was released for public comment on the following dates:
• July – August 2023 (Draft PEIR)
• October – November 2023 (Recirculated Draft PEIR)
• February – March 2025
• CEQA Guideline Section 15088.5(f)(1) provides that:
• When an EIR is substantially revised and the entire document is recirculated, the lead agency may require reviewers to submit new comments and need not respond to those
comments received during the earlier circulation period. 37 MYTH
There is no demand for the
SEDA and all future housing
can be accommodated in City
limits
FACT
• A recent SEDA Housing Market Demand Analysis
concluded that there is a demand for 14,350 housing units in SEDA in the 20-year period starting in 2030.
• This analysis assumes that development will continue in the West, Southwest and North areas as well as infill in existing neighborhoods.
• In the last 10 years, approximately 10,000 housing units have been built and 5,000 more proposed in Madera
County, while the City of Fresno has only built 16,607
housing units from 2013 – 2023.
38 Proposed
Phasing Map
39 Future Phase
Future Phase
Future Phase
Public
Facilities
Financing
Options
Report
City commissioned a Financing Options Report
to assess the following:
• Land Use Assumptions
• Phasing
• Facilities Costs
• Funding Sources
• Analysis
40 Next Steps
41 Start Small
Next Steps
Zoning Code Update
Parks and Open Space Master Plan
Specific Plan Adoption & EIR Certification
SB2 Grant Closeout