West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan
City Council
October 16, 2025
Presentation Outline
1. Background
2. Plan Overview
3. Environmental Impact Report
4. Public Comment
5. Planning Commission Recommendations
6. Findings & Staff Recommendations
1. Background
Image credit: Homes.com
Outreach
• Email
• Direct mail
• Flyers
• Specific Plans To-Go
• Tabling events
• Social media
• Radio announcement
• Webpage
• Legal notices
• Committee presentations
Engagement
• Steering Committee Meetings
• Community Meetings
• Tabling Events
• Committee Presentations
• Surveys
9 2. Plan Overview
Milestones
1998: Highway City Plan adopted
2002: West Area Community Plan adopted
2014: General Plan adopted
2018: WANSP kick-off
2019: Plan initiated
2020: Plan and EIR drafted
2021: Draft Plan & EIR released
2022: Planning Commission recommended
approval
2022-2025: Plan & EIR Revised
2025: Recirculated EIR
Recirculated Draft Plan
Planning Commission
City Council
Guiding Principles
Goals & Policies
2019 Specific Plan
Proposed Land Use
2025 Specific Plan
Proposed Land Use
Regional Park
17 From the Guiding Principles:
Provide for the location of a flagship regional park
in the Plan Area that has components of the Plan
Area’s agricultural history through the planting of
drought resistant vegetation or trees, and the
creation of public art that exhibits the Plan Area’s
contribution to the agricultural industry.
3. Environmental Impact Report
Environmental Impact Report
Program-Level EIR
Notice of Preparation: June 28, 2019
Public Scoping Meeting: July 24, 2019
Circulation of Draft EIR: February 10 – March 28, 2022
• 9 comments received
Recirculated Draft EIR March 12, 2025
• 8 comments received
Final EIR released: September 19, 2025
19 Impact Areas Analyzed
• Aesthetics and Visual Resources
• Agricultural Resources
• Air Quality
• Biological Resources
• Cultural and Tribal Resources
• Geology, Soils and Seismicity
• Greenhouse Gases, Climate Change, and
Energy
• Hazards and Hazardous Materials
• Hydrology and Water Quality
• Land Use
• Noise
• Population and Housing
• Public Services and Recreation
• Transportation and Circulation
• Utilities
20 4. Public Comment
5. Planning Commission Recommendations
6. Findings & Staff Recommendations
Findings
Fresno Municipal Code
Consistency with the General Plan
• A concurrent Plan Amendment to the General Plan Figure LU-1 and LU-2 ensures land use consistency between the General Plan and Specific Plan • The Plan helps implement Objectives in the following Elements: Economic Development; Urban Form, Land Use, and Design; Mobility and Transportation; Parks, Open Space, and Schools; Public Utilities and Services; Resource Conservation and Resilience; Historic and Cultural Resources; and Healthy Communities Consistency with the Development Code
• The Plan relies on the Development Code for implementation. • The Plan does not modify the Development Code.
Housing Element – Gov. Code 65863
Lower -
Income
Moderate -
Income
Above
Moderate -
Income
a. Remaining Capacity (Table B) 18,023 6,555 16,162
Project Impact -787 -614 -597
c. Remaining Capacity with project 17,236 5,941 15,565
1. Adoption of the Plan would reduce dwelling unit capacities on Housing Element sites;
2. Surplus capacity exists to accommodate the reduction;
3. The reduction is consistent with the adopted General Plan; and
4. The remaining sites identified in the Housing Element are adequate to accommodate the City’s share of the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA).
Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330)
Adoption of the Plan would result in a gain of housing capacity.
Staff Recommendations
Staff Recommendations
1. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council), of the findings set forth in the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR SCH No. 2019069117).
a. RECOMMEND ADOPTION (to the City Council) of an appropriate Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) as required by Public Resources Code Section 21081.6 and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15097; and,
b. RECOMMEND ADOPTION (to the City Council) of findings based upon testimony presented by staff that there are significant, unavoidable, environmental impacts which have not been mitigated to a level below significant. Therefore, the City Council should adopt the findings of fact and consider an appropriate statement of overriding considerations.
Technical Corrections
APN 511-011-21 (CUSD Property)
General Plan Specific Plan
Planned Land Use Residential Medium Public Facility – Elementary School Zoning RS-5 RS-5
APN 442-060-33
General Plan Specific Plan
Planned Land Use Residential Medium High Residential Urban Neighborhood Zoning RM-2 RM-2
Staff Recommendations
2. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of Plan
Amendment Application P22-01351 which proposes to
repeal the West Area Community Plan, pertaining to
approximately 12,341 acres located in the Development
Area-1 West Development Area, and the portion of the
Highway City Neighborhood Specific Plan that overlaps the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan Boundary,
approximately 455 acres.
Staff Recommendations
3. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of Plan
Amendment Application P22-01352 which proposes to
adopt the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan and
accompanying Planned Land Use Map.
Staff Recommendations
4. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of Plan
Amendment Application P22-01353 which proposes to
update the Planned Land Use Map (Figure LU-1) and Dual
Designation Diagram (Figure LU-2) of the Fresno General Plan to incorporate the land use changes proposed in the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan.
Staff Recommendations
5. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of Rezone
Application P22-01353 which proposes to rezone
approximately 958 acres of property within the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan area to be consistent with the planned land uses proposed in the Plan.
End of Presentation