Exhibit L - Planning Commission Resolutions — Fresno City Council, March 19, 2026

Exhibit L

Attachment 1
Whites Bridge
Maple
Braw el y
Herndon
Bullard
Shaw
Clovis
Fow el r
Temperance
West
Palm
Clovis
Fowler
Temperance
De Wolf
H gi h al nd
McCall
Shields
McKinley
Belmont
Chestnut
Peach American
Cedar
Grantland
Hayes
Elm
East
Marks
West
Walnut
Cornelia
North
California
Jensen
Ashlan
Grantland
Hayes
Cornelia
Brawley
Marks
Shaw
Bullard
Herndon
Malaga
H gi h al nd
De Wolf
Shields
McKinley
Belmont
California
Jensen
North
Kings Canyon
Ashlan
Peach
Behymer
Copper
Shepherd
Nees
B al ckstone
First
Cedar
Chestnut
Garfield
Bryan
Polk
Blythe
Valentine
Van Ness
Fruit
Maroa
Fresno
Millbrook
Maple
Willow
Dakota
Clinton
Olive
Gettysburg
Barstow
Sierra
Alluvial
Nielsen
Kearney
Muscat
Annadale
Church
Wil ol w
Minnewawa
Central
Orange
Bryan
Sunnys di e
A
mr strong
Locan
Leonard
Thompson
Fig
Cherry
Hughes
Fruit
Polk
Va el nt ni e
Blythe
Alluvial
Sierra
Barstow
Perrin
Sunnyside
Armstrong
Locan
Thompson
Leonard
Clinton
Olive
Tulare
Butler
Church
Annadale
M
Dakota innewawa
International
Teague
1 Roosevelt Community Plan Area
K:\GIS 2023\Internal Request\forDrew
W\Planning Com
misions maps 05252023\Roosevelt_vicinitymap.mxd
0 1 2 4
Miles
San
Joaquin River
Prepared by the Planning and Development Department
Disclaimer:This map is believed to be an accurate representation of the City of Fresno GIS data, however we make no warranties either expressed or implied for correctness of this data.

Legend
Roosevelt Community Plan
City limits
Sphere of Influence
|þ99
|þ41
|þ168
|þ180
|þ99
|þ41
|þ180
® ®
Whites Bridge
Maple
Braw el y
Herndon
Bullard
Shaw
Clovis
Fow el r
Temperance
West
Palm
Clovis
Fowler
Temperance
De Wolf
H gi h al nd
McCall
Shields
McKinley
Belmont
Chestnut
Peach American
Cedar
Grantland
Hayes
Elm
East
Marks
West
Walnut
Cornelia
North
California
Jensen
Ashlan
Grantland
Hayes
Cornelia
Brawley
Marks
Shaw
Bullard
Herndon
Malaga
H gi h al nd
De Wolf
Shields
McKinley
Belmont
California
Jensen
North
Kings Canyon
Ashlan
Peach
Behymer
Copper
Shepherd
Nees
B al ckstone
First
Cedar
Chestnut
Garfield
Bryan
Polk
Blythe
Valentine
Van Ness
Fruit
Maroa
Fresno
Millbrook
Maple
Willow
Dakota
Clinton
Olive
Gettysburg
Barstow
Sierra
Alluvial
Nielsen
Kearney
Muscat
Annadale
Church
Wil ol w
Minnewawa
Central
Orange
Bryan
Sunnys di e
A
mr strong
Locan
Leonard
Thompson
Fig
Cherry
Hughes
Fruit
Polk
Va el nt ni e
Blythe
Alluvial
Sierra
Barstow
Perrin
Sunnyside
Armstrong
Locan
Thompson
Leonard
Clinton
Olive
Tulare
Butler
Church
Annadale
M
Dakota innewawa
International
Teague
1 Butler/Willow Specific Plan Area
K:\GIS 2023\Internal Request\forDrew
W\Planning Com
misions maps 05252023\ButlerWillow_vicinitymap.mxd
0 1 2 4
Miles
San
Joaquin River
Prepared by the Planning and Development Department
Disclaimer:This map is believed to be an accurate representation of the City of Fresno GIS data, however we make no warranties either expressed or implied for correctness of this data.

Legend
Butler/Willow Specific Plan
City limits
Sphere of Influence
|þ99
|þ41
|þ168
|þ180
|þ99
|þ41
|þ180
® ®
Attachment 2
Ca lifornia Ave
Willow Ave
Ha ze lwood Blvd
Ora ng e Ave
Ma ple Ave
Pe a ch Ave
Ch e stnu t Ave
Pu llm a n Ave
Hu nting ton Blvd
La ne Ave
Bu tle r Ave
Ce da r Ave
Be lm ont Ave
Tu la re St
Je nse n
Ch u rch Ave
Su nla nd Ave
Proposed Land Use Map
Central Southeast Area Specific Plan
K:\GIS 2025\CSESP\CSESP_PLUch a ng e s.m xd
Pre pa re d b y th e Pla nning a nd De ve lopm e nt De pa rtm e nt Discla im e r:Th is m a p is b e lie ve d to b e a n a ccu ra te re pre se nta tion of th e City of Fre sno GIS da ta , h owe ve r we m a ke no wa rra ntie s Legend
Proposed Land Use Changes
Com m e rcia l – Com m u nity
Corridor - Ce nte r Mixe d Use
Re side ntia l - Me diu m De nsity
Re side ntia l - Me diu m Hig h De nsity
Urb a n Ne ig h b orh ood
General Plan - Planned Land Use

RESIDENTIAL
Low De nsity (1-3.5 D.U./a cre )
Me diu m Low De nsity (3.5-6 D.U./a cre )
Me diu m De nsity (5.0-12 D.U./a cre )
Me diu m Hig h De nsity (12-16 D.U./a cre )

COMMERCIAL
Com m u nity
Ge ne ra l

EMPLOYMENT
Office
Lig h t Indu stria l
He a vy Indu stria l

MIXED USE
Ne ig h b orh ood Mixe d Use
Corridor/Ce nte r Mixe d Use

OPEN SPACE
Com m u nity Pa rk
Ne ig h b orh ood Pa rk
Ope n Spa ce
Ponding Ba sin
Ponding Ba sin (Pa rk u se )

0.6 Mile s
0 0.15 0.3 e ihte re xp ersse d or im plie df or corerctne ss of htis da at.

Attachment 3
Public Draft | December 2025
central
southeast area

SPECIFIC PLAN
City of Fresno

table of contents

1. introduction 1

1.1 Introduction and Purpose 3

1.2 The Plan Area 3

1.3 What is a Specific Plan? 6

1.4 Existing Plans and Programs 7

1.5 Community Engagement Process 14

1.6 Document Structure 17

2. vision & goals 21

2.1 Vision 23

2.2 Guiding Principles 24

2.3 The Big Ideas 28

3. land use and urban design 31

3.1 Introduction 33

3.2 Existing Conditions 33

3.3 Issues and Opportunities 38

3.4 Land Use Plan 40

3.5 Goals and Strategies 48

4. transportation, public realm, & infrastructure 85

4.1 Introduction 87

4.2 Existing Conditions 87

4.3 Issues and Opportunities 96

4.4 Proposed Circulation Networks 98

4.5 Goals and Strategies 104

5. parks & open space 127

5.1 Introduction 129

5.2 Existing Conditions 129

5.3 Issues and Opportunities 132

5.4 Proposed Open Space Network 134

5.5 Goals and Strategies 136

6. economic development 145

6.1 Introduction 147

6.2 Existing Conditions 147

6.3 Issues and Opportunities 148

6.4 Targeted Industry Sectors 150

6.5 Goals and Strategies 151

7. quality of life 163

7.1 Introduction 165

7.2 Existing Conditions 166

7.3 Issues and Opportunities 169

7.4 Goals and Strategies 171

8. next steps & funding 187

8.1 Introduction 189

8.2 Community Priorities 189

8.3 Next Steps and Plan Tracking 192

8.4 Funding and Financing Strategy 192
acknowledgments
CSESP Steering Committee
• Mike Kludjian
• Gary Nachtigall
• Joe White
• Jenna Chilingerian
• John Alkire
• Brandie Banks-Bey
• Gabriel Lozano
• Jas S. Khalon
• Maria Perez
• Pao Yang
• Luis Santana
• Josephine Kiran
• Sushil Prakash
• Lilia Becerril
• Grecia Elenes
Consultant Team
• Matt Raimi, Raimi + Associates
• Alessandra Lundin, Raimi + Associates
• Dave Sargent, Sargent Town Planning
• Peter VanderWal, Sargent Town Planning
• Martin Cordova, Sargent Town Planning
• Andrew Krizman, Sargent Town Planning
• Ellen Martin, Economic Planning Systems
• Mary Bean, First Carbon Solutions
• Phil Ault, First Carbon Solutions
• Derek Rapp, Stantec
• Dennis Lammers, Stantec
1 CHAPTER 1: Introduction
ch. introduction 1
Our neighbors are resilient,
hard-working, and have
endured incredible pressures
over our city’s 135 year history.

We believe that this plan, which our
neighbors have deeply informed,
allows us to contribute to the wellbeing of our great city and also heal one of its great treasures — the central
southeast neighborhoods we call home.
“
– Joe White, CSESP Steering Committee Member
3 CHAPTER 1: Introduction
introduction

1.1 Introduction and Purpose
Central Southeast Fresno (CSE Fresno) is home to one of the most diverse communities in Fresno in terms of demographics, economics, and regionally significant cultural amenities. The area has a rich history and culture, with active and engaged community groups and residents who are proud to call CSE Fresno their home. With ample land available for development and a prime location next to Fresno’s Downtown, Central Southeast has great potential. Yet for many years, the area has had difficulty attracting investment, high-quality development, and desired services. The area includes several of Fresno’s economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, and is marked by areas of vacancy, disinvestment, and blight.

Residents have long advocated for equitable consideration in citywide development and the implementation of improvements that will preserve the community’s assets as well as improve the community’s image and quality of life. The need for a Specific Plan for the Central Southeast Area (Plan Area) emerged from community members who advocated for an actionable plan to address a broad array of neighborhood concerns including public health, safety, access to recreational amenities and open space, and economic opportunities, among others. The Central Southeast Area Specific Plan (CSESP, or the Plan) is the result of three years of visioning, robust community engagement, and relationship building between the City of Fresno and CSE Fresno residents to develop a community-driven Specific Plan. The purpose of the Plan is to help address community needs and guide future public and private development to create a more vibrant, attractive, equitable, and healthy community in a way that builds upon the social and cultural strengths of CSE Fresno.

1.2 The Plan Area
The Plan Area, shown in Figure 1-1, covers over 2,067 acres (3.2 square miles) just east and southeast of Downtown Fresno and is bounded by Belmont Avenue to the north, Fourth Avenue to the west, Church Avenue to the south, and Peach Avenue to the east. The Plan’s name relates to its location in the southern and central area of Fresno as shown in the Context Map in Figure 1-2. The Plan Area sits just north of the Southern Industrial Priority Area, is surrounded to the west by some of the oldest city neighborhoods, and to the east by unincorporated Fresno County agricultural lands, while the northern tip is a quarter-mile from access to State Route 180. The southern portion of the Plan Area boundary generally runs along Fresno City Limits, adjacent to and circumventing several “county islands” – unincorporated land under the jurisdiction of Fresno County. Maps and graphics throughout this document consider these county islands as a matter of good planning and spatial context, but the scope of the project, including the environmental analysis, focuses on the Plan Area only.

Like most areas in Fresno, Southeast was initially agricultural land. As the area was gradually annexed and incorporated into the City of Fresno post-WWII, it transitioned to include a mix of commercial, industrial, and residential uses. Today the Plan Area includes approximately 30,624 people and 9,150 homes, and is characterized by a blend of older single-family and multi-family housing developments, industrial facilities, public facilities, vacant land, and commercial areas such as Ventura/ Cesar Chavez Boulevard.
4 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 1-1. Plan Area
IRS Facility
Site
5 CHAPTER 1: Introduction
Figure 1-2. Context Map
6 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
The Plan Area is also home to several important regional and local institutions including the Fresno Fairgrounds, the Sal Mosqueda Community Center, and Fresno Pacific University. The San Joaquin Valley Railroad operates a local freight distribution line that provides services to existing industrial facilities adjacent to California Avenue, such as American Blues Trading, Kiwi Transport, Concept Coatings, Wawona Frozen Foods, and PDM Steel Service Center.

Additional information on the Plan Area and existing conditions related to land use, circulation, infrastructure, environment, and the economy can be found throughout this document and in Appendix A: Central Southeast Specific Plan Existing Conditions Report (2018).

1.3 What is a Specific Plan?
A Specific Plan is a comprehensive long-range planning tool used to guide future growth in a defined area.

It establishes a link between the City’s General Plan and individual development or project proposals for the Plan Area by specifying a range of programs, policies, and regulations that help implement citywide goals and objectives pertaining to various topics, such as housing, land use, urban design, and transportation. Project proposals consistent with the Plan’s policies, regulations, and environmental assessment may be afforded streamlined California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review. In addition to these core functions, a Specific Plan outlines a blueprint for the City to pursue partnerships, strategies, and funding tools to complete the various proposed improvements.

Regulatory Requirements
The State of California describes a Specific Plan as a plan “for the systematic implementation of the general plan for all or part of the area covered by the general plan” (California Government Code (GC) Section 65450). Consistent with this guidance, the City of Fresno has prepared specific plans to provide a more detailed vision, development regulations, and implementation plan for focused areas of the city.

The state allows flexibility for what local planning agencies include in specific plans (GC Section 65452).

However, GC Section 65451 requires a specific plan to include the following components at minimum:

1. The distribution, location, and extent of the uses of land, including outdoor space, within the area covered by the plan.

2. The proposed distribution, location, and extent and intensity of major components of public and private transportation, sewage, water, drainage, solid waste disposal, energy and other essential facilities proposed to be located within the area covered by the plan and needed to support the land uses described in the plan.

3. Standards and criteria by which development will proceed, and standards for the conservation, development, and utilization of natural resources, where applicable.

4. A program of implementation measures including regulations, programs, public works projects, and financing measures necessary to carry out paragraphs (1), (2), and (3).

In addition, GC Section 65451 requires that the “specific plan shall include a statement of the relationship of the specific plan to the general plan,” and that specific plans must be consistent with the general plan (GC Section 65454). According to GC Section 65453, “A specific plan shall be prepared, adopted, and amended in the same manner as a general plan, except that a specific plan may be adopted by resolution or ordinance and may be amended as often as deemed necessary by the legislative body.” 7 CHAPTER 1: Introduction

1.4 Existing Plans and Programs
Many previous planning efforts and programs have helped set the stage for the Specific Plan as described below. This Plan serves as the first major planning effort to focus on major issues such as land use planning, parks and open space, transportation, and utilities for the CSE Fresno area since 1992. Figure 1-3 shows the Plan Area’s relation to other Community Plans in Fresno.

Fresno General Plan (2014)
The Fresno General Plan, adopted on December 18, 2014, establishes a vision for the city and creates a set of policies and implementation actions to achieve that vision. The General Plan envisions the creation of “complete neighborhoods,” which replace the current patchwork of industrial, agricultural, and residential land-use patterns with cohesive neighborhood-scale development that connects housing with jobs, retail, recreation, and services. An example of a complete neighborhood envisioned by the General Plan is located along the Ventura Cesar Chavez Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, anchored by repurposed shopping centers between Chestnut and Peach Avenues along Cesar Chavez Boulevard.

In addition to the emphasis on complete neighborhoods, the City of Fresno has worked with the Building Healthy Communities (BHC) campaign, which is led by the California Endowment and strives to provide disadvantaged communities with equitable access to resources that improve health. To support healthy community initiatives, the General Plan provides land use and urban design policies to increase access to physical exercise and fresh food. The Plan adoption process includes rezoning of properties to facilitate implementation.

The General Plan does not include specific guidance for the Plan Area, but does include broad objectives and policies relevant to and supported by this Plan. The box on the following pages lists some of the key objectives from the General Plan. A map and table of the existing acreages, percentages, and density/ intensity ranges for each General Plan land use designation within the Plan Area can be found in Appendix A: Central Southeast Specific Plan Existing Conditions Report. The land use designations used in this Plan are consistent with the General Plan, however this Plan proposes changing the land use designation for some of the Plan Area’s parcels that will require the General Plan Land Use map to be amended. 8 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
General Plan Objectives
Economic Development
• Objective ED-1: Support economic development by maintaining a strong working relationship with the business community and improving the business climate for current and future businesses. • Objective ED-3: Attract and recruit businesses and offer incentives for economic development. • Objective ED-2: Support local business start-ups and encourage innovation by improving access to resources and capital and help overcome obstacles hampering economic development. • Objective ED-4: Cultivate a skilled, educated, and well-trained workforce by increasing educational attainment and the relevant job skill levels in order to appeal to local and non-local businesses.

Urban Form, Land Use, and Design
• Objective UF-1: Emphasize the opportunity for a diversity of districts, neighborhoods, and housing types. • Objective UF-2: Enhance the unique sense of character and identity of the different subareas of the Downtown neighborhoods.
• Objective UF-14: Create an urban form that facilitates multi-modal connectivity. • Objective LU-7: Plan and support industrial development to promote job growth. • Objective LU-8: Provide for the development of civic and institutional land uses to meet the educational, medical, social, economic, cultural, and religious needs of the community.

Mobility and Transportation
• Objective MT-1: Create and maintain a transportation system that is safe, efficient, provides access in an equitable manner, and optimizes travel by all modes. • Objective MT-2: Make efficient use of the City’s existing and proposed transportation system and strive to ensure the planning and provision of adequate resources to operate and maintain it. • Objective MT-4: Establish and maintain a continuous, safe, and easily accessible bikeways system throughout the metropolitan area to reduce vehicle use, improve air quality and the quality of life, and provide public health benefits.
• Objective MT-5: Establish a well-integrated network of pedestrian facilities to accommodate safe, convenient, practical, and inviting travel by walking, including for those with physical mobility and vision impairments.
• Objective MT-6: Establish a network of multi-purpose pedestrian and bicycle paths, as well as limited access trails, to link residential areas to local and regional open spaces and recreation areas and urban Activity Centers in order to enhance Fresno’s recreational amenities and alternative transportation options. • Objective MT-9: Provide public transit opportunities to the maximum number and diversity of people practicable in balance with providing service that is high in quality, convenient, frequent, reliable, costeffective, and financially feasible. 9 CHAPTER 1: Introduction
Parks, Open Space, and Schools
• Objective POSS-1: Provide an expanded, high quality and diversified park system, allowing for varied recreational opportunities for the entire Fresno community. • Objective POSS-2: Ensure that adequate land, in appropriate locations, is designated and acquired for park and recreation uses in infill and growth areas. • Objective POSS-3: Ensure that park and recreational facilities make the most efficient use of land; that they are designed and managed to provide for the entire Fresno community; and that they represent positive examples of design and energy conservation.
• Objective POSS-9: Work with California State University, Fresno, and other institutions of higher learning in Fresno, to enhance the City’s workforce, job creation, and economic development, as well as its image and desirability as a place to live.

Healthy Communities
• Objective HC-1: Work with neighborhood associations of local residents, businesses, and institutions on neighborhood and community health initiatives.
• Objective HC-2: Create complete, well-structured, and healthy neighborhoods and transportation systems.
• Objective HC-3: Create healthy, safe, and affordable housing. • Objective HC-4: Improve property maintenance.
• Objective HC-5: Promote access to healthy and affordable food. • Objective HC-6: Improve access to schools and their facilities for the community. • Objective HC-8: Support programs, leadership, and opportunities for Fresno’s youth.

Historic and Cultural Resources
• Objective HCR-3: Promote a “New City Beautiful” ethos by linking historic preservation, public art, and planning principles for Complete Neighborhoods with green building and technology.

Housing Element
• Objective H-1: Provide adequate sites for housing development to accommodate a range of housing by type, size, location, price, and tenure.
10 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Citywide Development Code Update (2015)
On December 3, 2015 the City updated its zoning ordinance – known as the Citywide Development Code – which governs development in all areas of the city and serves as a vehicle to implement the goals, objectives, and policies of the General Plan and other operative plans. The Code functions as a regulatory guide for the physical development of the city that is in concert with the arrangement of land uses identified in the General Plan. The Citywide Development Code includes standards and regulations on 11 types of districts: Buffer Districts, Residential Single-Family Districts, Residential Multi-Family Districts, Mixed-Use Districts, Commercial Districts, Employment Districts, Public and Semi-Public Districts, Downtown Districts, and Overlay Districts. The Plan adoption process includes rezoning of properties to facilitate implementation.

This Plan does not establish or change any regulations from the Citywide Development Code; rather, it references the Code for development regulations and design guidelines that apply to the Plan Area.

Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan (2016)
The Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan (DNCP) was adopted on October 20, 2016 and establishes a vision for the revitalization of the DNCP area based on input from property owners and residents. The DNCP is the community’s tool for guiding the successful regeneration of Downtown Fresno and its surrounding neighborhoods. It is a visionary document that lays out the community’s long-term goals for the DNCP Plan Area and provides detailed policies concerning a wide range of topics, including land use and development, transportation, the public realm of streets and parks, infrastructure, historic resources, and health and wellness. The Fresno General Plan’s direction to generate activity centers and focus reinvestment in the center of the city as the primary activity center is made tangible through the DNCP’s goals, policies, and actions. This Plan picks up where the DNCP left off along the northwestern boundary (Orange, Cedar, and Chestnut Avenues) and is a continuation of that effort (see Figure 1-3).

Specific Plan for the Butler/Willow Area (1971)
The Specific Plan for the Butler/Willow (SPBW) Area was adopted June 15, 1971 and was intended primarily to provide a detailed plan for zoning and circulation of the 564-acre area surrounding the Internal Revenue Service Center (IRS). The SPBW was created at the direction of the City Council after the property’s annexation to the City of Fresno in 1970. The SPBW project area mostly overlaps with the Plan Area, including the areas surrounding the current IRS facility on Butler and Willow Avenues. This Plan carries forward relevant policies from the SPBW, which will be repealed with the adoption of this Plan to avoid overlap and confusion.

Roosevelt Community Plan (1992)
The Roosevelt Community Plan (RCP) was adopted on April 7, 1992 and its primary purpose was to address issues and concerns affecting the community as it was experiencing growth. The RCP intended to anticipate the community’s needs and to stimulate the development of well-balanced quality neighborhoods for all of CSE Fresno. The RCP established policies and standards consistent with the 1984 Fresno General Plan. The RCP was intended to direct the physical growth and change of the community through 2002. The RCP project area overlaps with the entire Plan Area, as its planning boundaries extend further in every direction. This Plan carries forward relevant policies from the RCP, which will be repealed with the adoption of this Plan to avoid overlap and confusion. 11 CHAPTER 1: Introduction
Ventura / Kings Canyon Corridor Complete Streets Plan (2015) The Ventura/Kings Canyon Corridor Complete Streets Plan (also known as Revitalize Ventura/Kings Canyon) was completed in January 2015 and was a community-led project to improve how people live, work, and shop along Ventura Avenue and Kings Canyon Road in CSE Fresno. The project area for Revitalize Ventura/Kings Canyon includes a three-mile stretch of the east-west corridor from First Street and Ventura Avenue to Peach Street and Kings Canyon Road. The community planning effort resulted in a demonstration project which implemented temporary streetscape improvements to revitalize the corridor for a day and a Complete Streets Plan, which provides recommendations to revitalize the corridor for all modes of travel with permanent improvements. The project was funded by the Fresno Council of Governments (Fresno COG) via a California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Environmental Justice Transportation Planning Grant, which aimed to promote the involvement of underserved communities in transportation planning and community development efforts in local neighborhoods. Recommendations from the project are integrated into the Plan.

Parks Master Plan (2018)
The City of Fresno is dedicated to improving access to parks and open spaces to enhance the health and quality of life of the community. In January of 2018, the City of Fresno adopted the Parks Master Plan, which articulates a vision for improving Fresno’s park and open space system. The Plan identified citywide challenges including deferred lifecycle replacement investments, a shortfall in maintenance funds, a high percentage of parks in poor condition, lack of accessibility, and concern over crime and safety. Southeast Fresno was identified as an area in great need of improved park amenities. In 2021, the City of Fresno adopted the Fresno Clean and Safe Neighborhoods Parks Tax Ordinance, a retail transactions and use tax ordinance that is more commonly known as Measure P. Funding from Measure P is allocated to an expenditure plan which is intended to improve and maintain safe, clean neighborhood parks and playgrounds; invest in new neighborhood parks, senior and youth recreation facilities; fund after school, recreation and job training programs; expand access to arts and culture; ensure safe trails, improve streets through beautification and litter removal, and invest in the San Joaquin River Parkway.

Measure P requires the City of Fresno to adopt a “highest-needs neighborhoods” definition every three years. The definition is used to prioritize investment in new or existing parks based on a variety of equity factors. In December 2024, the City of Fresno adopted a technical amendment to the Parks Master Plan to incorporate Measure P and reflect updated census data and an updated park and facility inventory.

Within the Plan Area, Mosqueda Community Center is the only community center owned by the City. It serves as the Flagship center in Southeast Fresno, offering a variety of recreation and programs for the community. Measure P has enabled the City to begin to address needed upgrades for parks within the Plan Area, establish standard maintenance cycles and plan for lifecycle replacement.

Recommendations from the Parks Master Plan are integrated into this Specific Plan. 12 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 1-3. Relationship to Community Plans
Repealed and replaced by the West Area Neighborhoods
Specific Plan on October 16, 2025 for portion north of
Clinton Avenue
*
*
13 CHAPTER 1: Introduction
Fresno Active Transportation Plan (2017)
The Fresno Active Transportation Plan (ATP) (March 2017) outlines a vision for active transportation in Fresno. The plan includes a roadmap for creating a complete, safe, and comfortable network of trails, sidewalks, and bikeways that serves all residents of Fresno. It includes a comprehensive bicycle, pedestrian, and trail network for the Southeast area. Some of the recommended improvements in CSE Fresno include installing new Class II bikeways along Butler Avenue and along all north-south arterials in the Plan Area, designating Butler, Maple, and Lane Avenues as priority bikeways, closing gaps in the sidewalk network, and installing crossing improvements along Cesar Chavez Boulevard. This Plan builds on the recommendations in the ATP and proposes additional improvements, goals, and strategies to enhance the safety of streets and sidewalks and promote active transportation in CSE Fresno. As with other plans, the recommendations from the ATP are included in this Specific Plan.

Complete Streets Policy (2019)
A high-quality network of “Complete Streets” can improve safety, enhance access, and support greater choice in transportation options. A complete street is a transportation facility that is planned, designed, operated, and maintained to provide safe mobility for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and vehicles. The City of Fresno has adopted a “Complete Streets” policy that applies citywide (October 10, 2019). CSE Fresno presents an opportunity to implement complete streets principles on a large scale, providing safe and convenient travel for all modes and all users.

ADA Transition Plan for the Right of Way (2016)
On February 25, 2016 the City Council adopted the 2016 Update to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan for the Right of Way (ROW). The Transition Plan incorporates retrofitting Curb Ramps, Sidewalks, and Accessible Pedestrian Signals and replaces the 2003 Amended Curb Ramp Transition Plan.

The goal of the Transition Plan is to ensure that the City maintains accessible paths of travel in the ROW for people with disabilities. Through this and previous plans, the City of Fresno has made a significant and long-term commitment to improving the accessibility of the ROW. The Department of Public Works has been the primary leader in these efforts, with collaboration from the Disability Advisory Commission (DAC) in prioritizing and providing input on the Transition Plan. 14 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN

1.5 Community Engagement Process
The project team administered a multifaceted and extensive engagement strategy that leveraged a broad range of community input throughout the planning process. From the outset, a core objective of the Plan was to provide ample opportunities for participation among all sectors of the community, including disenfranchised populations not typically reached in community planning efforts.

To that end, the project team prepared a Community Involvement Strategy prior to the start of the planning process. This tool was designed with the intent to incorporate a diversity of perspectives into the planning process and understand how various stakeholders – including residents, business owners, visitors, and community organizations – view CSE Fresno as it stands today and how they envision it evolving in the future. This effort included numerous stakeholder interviews, community workshops, mobile workshops, surveys, and Steering Committee meetings. The various components of the outreach process are described in greater detail below:

Steering Committee Meetings
The success of this Plan would not have been possible without the collaboration and dedication of the CSE Fresno Steering Committee, who helped guide creation of the Plan reflecting the aspirations and needs of CSE Fresno’s diverse community. At the beginning of the planning process, the District 5 Council Member Luis Chavez appointed a 15-member Steering Committee made up of neighborhood residents, business owners, and other stakeholders. Represented on the Steering Committee were community organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, The Big Fresno Fair, The Fresno Center, Reading and Beyond, Neighborhood Church, and the Southeast Fresno Community Economic Development Association. The Committee had a mix of English- and Spanishspeakers and all meetings were bilingual. 15 CHAPTER 1: Introduction
The Steering Committee’s purpose was to ensure that residents and community leaders stayed engaged and driving the CSESP process and to translate community input into key elements of the Plan. They provided guidance throughout the planning process, weighed in at key decision points, and developed and reviewed Plan content. This included helping to develop the Plan’s Guiding Principles, refining the land use and transportation concepts, and recommending strategies for specific content areas and topics such as economic development, parks and open space, housing, public health, and safety. The Steering Committee was also invaluable in helping to promote, design, and facilitate workshops and conduct focused small group meetings with residents and stakeholders to gather additional input.

A total of nine Steering Committee meetings were held throughout the planning process, the majority of which were structured to allow the Steering Committee to discuss key issues identified by the community and provide recommendations for how these issues should be addressed in the Plan. The last two meetings focused on reviewing and approving the proposed land use changes and ranking the Draft Goals and Strategies for the Plan.

Website
The City created and maintained a project website, providing current project information, upcoming events, key milestones, and project deliverables.

Stakeholder Interviews
The project team conducted sixteen stakeholder interviews at the beginning of the planning process in October 2017. Stakeholders interviewed included: resident groups, Fresno Unified School District, Central Southeast Fresno Community Economic Development Association, religious leaders, Fresno Pacific University (FPU), local community organizations, and other representatives of CSE Fresno. These interviews provided the project team with an introduction to the assets, strengths, and primary issues in the Plan Area, as well as recommended outreach methods to reach a broad sector of the community.

Surveys
At key junctures in the process, the project team developed online and paper surveys to reach a broader diversity of residents, business owners, and other interested parties. Three surveys occurred during the Specific Plan preparation process. The first survey was aimed at getting an understanding of the community’s view of the project area as well as identifying key community issues and desires. The second survey asked residents to identify where they would like to see more park space and open spaces in CSE Fresno. The third survey allowed residents to rank the Plan’s Goals and Strategies according to priority. Input from over 600 different respondents was received over the course of the three surveys that provided valuable insight, the results of which were shared with the community and the Steering Committee.
16 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Community Workshops
Three community workshops were conducted to provide input at key stages in the planning process. The first workshop was held on June 20, 2018 with the goal of identifying issues and opportunities in the Plan Area, as well as the community’s vision and guiding principles for the Plan. The second workshop, held on July 17, 2018, invited participants to comment on “Big Ideas” (see Section 2.3 of Chapter 2) related to land use and transportation for the Plan Area, and provide input on priority locations and amenities for new parks. The third workshop, held on October 4, 2018 sought community input on and priority ranking of the Plan’s Draft Goals and Strategies for various topics such as parks, public health, safety, environment, and economic development. All of the workshop activities and results provided guidance to the Steering Committee and project team throughout development of the Plan.

Engagement Toolkit and Mobile Workshop
The project team developed a mobile outreach strategy designed to overcome common barriers to public participation such as planning fatigue, inability to attend evening meetings, and unfamiliarity with navigating the planning process. This included an engagement toolkit to allow the Steering Committee and other community partners to conduct their own meetings and events with members of the community, as well as mobile workshops to reach residents at times and locations convenient for them. Outreach efforts were integrated into established and ongoing community group meetings and events in the Plan Area. City staff brought mobile workshops to over 20 community group meetings in and near the project area, and received input from dozens of stakeholders. The activities conducted at the mobile workshops mirrored those from the community workshops. This provided opportunities for a broader range of stakeholders to offer input on key aspects of the planning process and provide guidance throughout development of the Plan.
17 CHAPTER 1: Introduction

1.6 Document Structure
This Specific Plan is intended to be an actionable document used by the City, developers, stakeholders, and community members to facilitate development in the CSE Fresno Plan Area. To that end, the remainder of the Plan following Chapter 2 (Vision and Guiding Principles) is organized by topic area.

These chapters evaluate existing conditions in the Plan Area and establish transformative strategies that implement the community vision.

The structure of this document and a summary of its chapters are as follows:

1. Introduction: This chapter provides a broad overview of the planning context, community engagement process, and organization of the Specific Plan.

2. Vision and Guiding Principles: This chapter outlines the vision and guiding principles for CSE Fresno that were articulated during the community engagement process.

3. Land Use and Urban Design: This chapter describes the proposed land uses in the Plan Area. It also outlines a unique set of goals and strategies that pertain to future desired uses and development in each “change area” or subarea in CSE Fresno.

4. Transportation, Public Realm, and Infrastructure: This chapter outlines priority circulation improvements for all travel modes – including walking, bicycling, driving, and transit – and specific design recommendations to make streets and pathways more walkable and comfortable for CSE Fresno residents. It also includes utility and infrastructure needs in the Plan Area.

5. Parks, Open Spaces, and Public Facilities: This chapter describes the existing context for public parks, open spaces, and recreational facilities within the Plan Area and identifies key opportunities for improvement. Strategies include both new parks on opportunity sites and enhanced programming at existing facilities.

6. Economic Development: This chapter outlines an inclusive and sustainable economic development strategy that targets growth in key industry sectors, as well as improved economic opportunity for CSE Fresno and businesses through job training and workforce development.

7. Quality of Life: This chapter outlines strategies to improve quality of life in CSE Fresno by addressing the social and environmental determinants of health. This multifaceted approach includes improving public safety, promoting healthy lifestyles, mitigating environmental hazards, and building capacity within communities. Topics covered include: public health, public safety, environment and environmental justice, and community empowerment.

8. Funding and Financing: This chapter summarizes the community priorities, next steps, and potential funding and financing strategies to implement the Plan’s recommended improvements and programs.
18 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
What are Goals and Strategies?
Each chapter contains goals and strategies that serve as tools to achieve the community’s vision. These are intended to provide clear direction for how the City and community partners will work collaboratively to implement the overall vision of this Plan. The vast majority of these goals and strategies come directly from the community through the engagement process described in this chapter. Staff and the consultant team added a few related strategies to incorporate best practices and to complement the comprehensive approach to achieving the community’s desired outcomes.

Goals
Goals either apply to the entire Plan Area or specific subareas, and are a visionary statement of the city and community’s intent for a particular topic. Not every project or program must fulfill every goal; rather, future projects will contribute in different and unique ways to the overall goals for the Plan Area.

Strategies
Strategies describe the recommended actions - including both programs and physical improvements - that should be completed by the City, community, and/or developers in order to achieve the associated goals and overall vision for the Plan Area.
19 CHAPTER 1: Introduction
how to use this plan
If you are a Community Member
For community members who are interested in learning about this Plan, Chapter 2 will help you understand the vision and guiding principles for CSE Fresno for the next 20-25 years. Chapters 3 through 7 have more detailed information about land uses and design, circulation and infrastructure improvements, new and improved parks and open spaces, policies to improve community health and safety, and economic development opportunities.

If you are a Property Owner or Developer
Property owners who are interested in developing in the Plan Area should become familiar with the Plan’s overall framework and vision, as described in Chapter 2. Development applications and project designs should be consistent with the land use and design recommendations, and community desires for specific subareas (Chapter 3), as well as relevant guidance for transportation and infrastructure improvements (Chapter 4).

If you Work for the City
If you are an elected City official or City staff, you will be responsible for guiding property owners and developers in their development decisions and applications, and pursuing partners, strategies, and funding sources for the improvements and programs identified in the Plan. The City will use this Plan to evaluate these applications and when planning public improvements to ensure new development and public investments are consistent with the overall vision and policies. Future public infrastructure, mobility, and public realm investments should be consistent with the CSESP. The City should regularly monitor the progress being made to achieve the goals in this Plan. 20 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
ch.
2 vision & goals
22 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
CHAPTER 2: Vision & Goals
23 vision & goals
This chapter includes an introduction to the Vision Statement and Guiding Principles that developed during the planning process. They set the stage for the Specific Plan’s overall planning framework – the “Big Ideas” for key areas of change – and are implemented through the proposed improvements, goals, and strategies found throughoutthe Plan. Additionally, Section 2.3 describes community implementation priorities for the Plan Area. Combined these elements represent the high-level desires and aspirations for CSE Fresno, as defined by the community.

2.1 Vision
vision statement
Over the next 30 years, CSE Fresno will become a lively, beautiful, walkable, and healthy community for its residents and all Fresnans.

Supported by enhanced mobility options and an activated public realm, the community will feature safe and complete neighborhoods that provide a range of amenities essential to a high quality of life, including parks, community centers, recreational programming, healthy food options, health services, and quality jobs. As development occurs and uses diversify, a variety of housing choices will be provided that meet the diverse needs and income levels of the community, all within a short walk from shops, schools, parks, and transit. Residents will enjoy greater economic opportunity and prosperity through a diversified economy, support for small businesses and entrepreneurs, access to quality education, and expanded workforce development. Revitalization, beautification, greening and other neighborhood improvement efforts will foster community pride and promote the image of CSE Fresno as an attractive, safe, and desirable location for businesses to thrive and people to live, work, and visit. CSE Fresno will have a strong sense of place, rooted in community-driven transformation and celebration of its many assets, rich history, cultural diversity, and passionate spirit.
24 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN

2.2 Guiding Principles
During the early stagesoftheplanningprocess,the communityprovidedinputonissues andopportunities in the Plan Area. Based on this input and further direction provided by the project Steering Committee, the City and its partners drafted a set of Guiding Principles that reflect the community’s shared vision for a prosperous, livable, safe, and attractive CSE Fresno for all residents. These Guiding Principles are aspirational yet achievable and underpin all recommendations found throughout the Plan. The Guiding Principles for the CSE Fresno Specific Plan are defined as follows:

1. Emphasize cultural diversity.

Protect and enhance the diverse cultures and ethnicities in Central Southeast Fresno through historic preservation and recording of history, supporting multi-cultural events, protecting diverse retail establishments and promoting racial tolerance. This will allow all people, regardless of race, class, income or age, to thrive in Central Southeast Fresno.

2. Keep the engaged population active.

Continue the community’s history of having an active and engaged citizenry through the Specific Plan process. This includes engaging residents in the decision-making process, building capacity to implement the vision of the community, and engaging youth in civic activities.

3. Support the underserved.

Protect and celebrate Central Southeast residents’ willingness to help one another and support those in need.

Photo credit: Fresno Bee Photo credit: PGA Design
CHAPTER 2: Vision & Goals
25 1. Preserve strong and unique neighborhoods.

Central Southeast Fresno has some of the most unique and diverse neighborhoods in the city.

Preserve the character, identity and sense of place. As part of the process, strive to protect the character of neighborhoods while allowing for growth and change over time.

2. Protect housing affordability and minimize displacement.

Protect existing housing affordability and reduce the potential for the displacement of current residents as the area reaches its full potential. Strategies include supporting both market rate and affordable housing and creating more housing choice in the neighborhood to serve a diverse demographic of new and existing residents.

3. Enhance connections to Downtown.

Build upon Central Southeast Fresno’s strategic location in proximity to Downtown to enhance access to jobs, services, cultural, and other community amenities.

4. Improve safety.

Improve safety in and around Central Southeast Fresno through a range of strategies including increased pedestrian activity, more “eyes on the street”, community policing, better lighting, activation of vacant spaces, and an increased sense of ownership and stewardship by residents, workers, and visitors.

Photo credit: GVWire
26 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN

1. Enhance mobility and improve connectivity.

Improve pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicle connections with a focus on improving transportation safety (especially around schools and parks) and inexpensive mobility options. Expand transit service to ensure that residents can quickly and easily access jobs and services throughout the city. Support the recent Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) investment along Cesar Chavez Boulevard as an important strategy to better connect residents to jobs and services in Downtown and other parts of the city.

2. Expand access to educational opportunities.

Seek to improve educational opportunities for residents of all ages. This includes improving youth education to expand access to opportunity, providing vocational training, and supporting on-the-job training at local businesses. As part of this strategy, partner with local educational institutions to ensure access for Central Southeast Fresno residents.

3. Support economic vitality.

Encourage an environment where diverse businesses can flourish and thrive. Expand job opportunities, workforce training programs, and support for local businesses.

4. Reduce pollution and protect environmental health.

Improve air quality by supporting innovative programs for environmental sustainability and increase resilience of the community against hazards. Protect residents from the adverse health impacts of nearby industrial land uses.

CHAPTER 2: Vision & Goals
27 1. Support health and equity.

Promote equity, health, and well-being by providing a range of community services and access to healthcare, recreational opportunities, and healthy food options. Encourage the development of grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and community farming.

2. Build and improve parks and community facilities.

Seek new ways to fund park maintenance and plan for new neighborhood parks, community facilities, and other public spaces that will provide a place for the community to gather, socialize, and play.

3. Invest in maintenance and beautification.

Invest in maintaining and cleaning streets and public spaces. Improve walkability, sense of place, public spaces, and community aesthetics through landscaping, streetscape treatments, and facade improvements. Create a welcoming community that is clean, safe, and inviting.

4. Encourage continued and expanded diversity of uses.

Support a diverse mix of uses including retail, jobs, services, housing, civic spaces, and community facilities, particularly along Cesar Chavez Boulevard, in neighborhood retail areas and in nonresidential areas. Encourage retention of key retail and ethnic establishments while introducing more varied essential goods and services.

5. Utilize the Fairgrounds.

Support existing events and encourage new events and flexible or temporary uses that will activate the Fresno Fairgrounds year-round, attract both local and regional populations and provide a longterm and tangible benefit for Central Southeast Fresno residents. 28 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN

2.3 The Big Ideas
The project team conducted a four-day charrette with the Steering Committee and community members to brainstorm strategies that would stimulate positive change in CSE Fresno. That session helped identify key opportunity or “change” areas and accompanying design concepts that would implement the Specific Plan’s overarching vision and Guiding Principles. These land use concepts, which became known as the “Big Ideas”, were presented at a Steering Committee meeting, a community workshop, and several mobile workshops, and further refined based on community feedback (see Figure 2-1).

The eight Big Ideas are defined as follows and further detailed in Chapter 3. Land Use and Design and Chapter 4. Transportation, Public Realm, and Infrastructure.

Figure 2-1. Map of the “Big Ideas”
CHAPTER 2: Vision & Goals
29 Cesar Chavez Corridor
Transform Cesar Chavez Boulevard from an old auto highway through town into a unique, walkable, and vibrant mixed-use corridor focusing on cultural and food establishments. Potential transformation can be completed through facade updates, street improvements, and attracting new mixed-use development.

Former UMC Hospital Site
Redevelop the former University Medical Center (UMC) hospital with senior housing and a continuum of care facility providing medical, behavioral, and social services. Activate the parking lot along Cesar Chavez Boulevard through the creation of temporary public space that could accommodate events such as farmers markets and food truck festivals.

International Shopping/Mixed-use Center
Turn the Asian Village shopping center along Cesar Chavez Boulevard into a regional destination for ethnic food and entertainment through streetscape and community open space improvements and programming. Strengthen the King Canyon Bus Rapid Transit corridor through redevelopment of surface parking lots along King Canyon with multi-family housing and pedestrian-oriented commercial development.

Maple/Butler Community and Cultural Center
Build upon existing successful amenities in the area such as the Mosqueda Center and the Fresno Fairgrounds to turn this area into a hub for cultural activities and community recreation and events.

In the interim before redevelopment occurs, activate vacant properties with temporary uses such as recreational, cultural, food, and entertainment events.

Orange Avenue Neighborhood “Main Street”
Streetscape and frontage improvements could transform Orange Ave into a charming neighborhood “main street” with shops, restaurants, and outdoor seating. Repurpose existing buildings into local serving amenities such as restaurants, small grocery stores, flexible office or makers spaces for nonprofits and entrepreneurs, and job training centers.

IRS Education/Tech Hub
Redevelop the former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) site as a tech-centered employment and/or education campus that could provide new jobs, commercial space, amenities, and residences for workers or students as well as the surrounding community.

Significant Neighborhood Infill
Large vacant and underutilized parcels in the southern part of the Plan Area are poised for new housing development for a range of household types. New housing should integrate with the surrounding neighborhoods through design and new street and pedestrian/bicycle connections.

Business Park/Employment District
As opportunity permits, encourage smaller-scale employment generating uses such as light industrial, clean tech, business parks, offices, and job training centers to provide a transition between heavy industrial uses outside the Plan Area and residential neighborhoods around California Avenue. 1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
30 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
ch.
3 land use &
urban design
32 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
CHAPTER 3: Land Use & Urban Design
33 land use and urban design

3.1 Introduction
The CSESP aligns future land uses and the built environment to the needs of the community. The proposed land use and design recommendations in this chapter aim to expand opportunities for a variety of housing types, provide spaces for businesses to grow, ensure ample open space, and create vibrant centers of commercial and community activity. New housing choices will accommodate residents of all income groups, ages, and at different stages in their lives. New mixed-use development is envisioned on most opportunity sites in the Plan Area, accented by new connections, improved public spaces, and enhanced streetscapes.

This chapter summarizes the proposed land uses and urban form for CSE Fresno, which reflects both the Steering Committee’s and community’s vision for future development. The locations of the various land uses were selected and refined by the Steering Committee in order to support the type of community described in the Plan’s vision (see Chapter 2). The Plan’s land use map should be considered the physical “vision” for the area and the underlying foundation for the Plan.

3.2 Existing Conditions
Existing Land Uses
Existing uses in the Plan Area include a mix of suburban housing developments, public facilities, strip shopping centers, industrial uses, and vacant land (see Figure 3-1). Predominant land uses on the ground are medium-density residential (21.5%), public facilities (20.4%), medium-low density residential (9.7%), and vacant land (8.6%). The vast majority of commercial uses are located along Ventura/Cesar Chavez Boulevard (community commercial), with very limited neighborhood and general commercial uses along Orange and Butler Avenues. Big Box retail and chain restaurants comprise most of the retail environment, with the rest being located in low quality strip commercial and semi-rural retail with low intensity activity. These car-oriented retail options lack character and limit pedestrian and bicycle access from main thoroughfares and adjoining neighborhoods, limiting travel choices for residents. Office uses in the Plan Area are limited to just a few small parcels on either side of Ventura/Cesar Chavez Boulevard.

The remainder of the Plan Area is largely comprised of single-family neighborhoods with some areas of multi-family housing. A lack of “missing middle housing”—namely, multifamily units like duplexes, fourplexes, mansion apartments, bungalow courts, and rowhouses—means there is limited variety in the type and affordability of housing options in the Plan Area. There is a particular need for multigenerational housing options that would allow households to upsize or downsize their living situation based on their current stage in life.
34 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Missing Middle Housing
Missing Middle Housing consists of multiunit housing that is similar in form, scale, and character to detached single-family
homes. These building types, such as
duplexes, fourplexes and bungalow courts,
provide diverse housing options to support
walkable communities, locally-serving
retail, and public transportation options.

They are termed “Missing” because they
have typically been illegal to build since
the mid-1940s and “Middle” because they
sit in the middle of a spectrum between
detached single-family homes and mid-rise
to high-rise apartment buildings.

Source: missingmiddlehousing.com
Vacant and underutilized land also make up
a large portion (almost 10%) of the Plan Area.

Underutilized land includes parcels that are
partially vacant, comprised primarily of surface
parking lots, have vacant buildings, or where
existing buildings are aging and/or lower density
than what is allowed on the site. These vacant and
underutilized parcels detract from the pedestrian
experience, lead to inactivity and blight, and
engender further disinvestment.
35 Urban Form and Character
The primary urban form and character of the Plan
Area is defined and described below by category.

Additional details and diagrams on existing land
use and urban form characteristics ofthe Plan Area
can be found in Appendix A: Central Southeast
Specific Plan Existing Conditions Report (2018).

Neighborhoods and Housing
CSE Fresno is organized into quarter-mile sections
(½ mile by ½ mile squares) by its primary northsouth and east-west streets. Within these quadrants, land-use patterns are generally singleuse, including mostly traditional single-family neighborhoods and small concentrations of
multi-family housing interspersed with civic and
community facilities. Block structure, streetscape,
and building setbacks are quite consistent
throughout these neighborhoods, providing
environments generally conducive to pedestrian
and bicycle movement by the completeness of the
network, lower vehicular speeds, and presence of
sidewalks and street trees in most areas. Many
of CSE Fresno’s traditional neighborhood blocks
are split in two by alleys, but the majority of alleys
are underused, with automobile access being
provided from the main fronting street. Thus,
most of these alleys are abandoned, vacated,
or fenced off, leading to concerns over safety,
litter, and debris. By contrast to the traditional
gridded neighborhoods, the more suburban and
multi-family housing tracts in the Plan Area are
characterized by larger blocks, limited points of
access, and dead-end streets that limit connectivity.

Most neighborhoods in CSE Fresno currently
lack clear neighborhood-serving “centers” – that
is, service or activity nodes within reasonable
walking-distance from home (1/4-mile or a
5-minute walk) that can meet the daily needs
of residents. However, numerous vacant and
underutilized sites provide opportunities for
mixed-use neighborhood centers to develop over
time, such as the former Hanoian Shopping Center
at Butler and Cedar Avenues.

While most neighborhoods are within a half
mile of a park or open space, most parks are in
poor condition, lacking regular maintenance and
programming, and residents have expressed
concerns about park safety and pedestrian
connectivity.

Corridors
Corridors are the local and regional connectors
of neighborhoods and districts. Cesar Chavez
Boulevard — formerly a State Highway — was
once CSE Fresno’s major corridor connecting it to
Downtown and the greater region. Unfortunately,
the construction of the 180 Freeway replaced
much of its original function, and CSE Fresno
suffered as a result. While still the primary
commercial corridor through CSE Fresno, Cesar
Chavez Boulevard is lined predominantly by strip
shopping centers with large surface parking areas
and suffers from an uncomfortable, and often
unsafe, pedestrian environment. The former
UMC Hospital along Cesar Chavez Boulevard sits
largely vacant, and is a significant opportunity site
envisioned as a future holistic health and wellness
center for CSE residents.

Along Cesar Chavez Boulevard, Orange Avenue,
and other key corridors in CSE Fresno, many
public frontage elements are either in disrepair
or entirely missing. These elements include street
trees and landscaping, streetlights, comfortable
and continuous sidewalks, street furnishings, and
curbside parking, among others.
36 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Public Frontages
“Public Frontages” refer to the spaces between the travel lanes of public streets and frontages of private properties. The careful design of these spaces and the transition between the public frontage and the private land use, is what generally separates “successful” urban places from unsuccessful ones.

These commercial corridors can be improved by infilling vacant and abandoned parcels, renovating facades, and investing in high-quality, cohesive public realm improvements.

Similarly, many of the other corridors in the CSE area were historically farm roads that evolved over time to meet the increased traffic demands, with little attention given to bike and pedestrian comfort, safety, and circulation, and active street-frontages that create a sense of place. At the scale of the city and the region, such streets are conceived of as “connectors” — but at the neighborhood scale they often act as “dividers” that separate neighborhoods from neighborhoods, and make it difficult for families, children, the elderly, and other pedestrians to walk to schools, parks, friends, shops and restaurants, and other local destinations.

Districts
Certain locations within the Plan Area are informally referred to as “Districts” because of the predominance of a special type of use. PG&E owns several large parcels on either side of Orange Avenue at California Avenue which could be considered an employment district. The site previously occupied by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Processing Center at the corner of Butler and Willow Avenue could serve as a key employment mixed use or housing district within the Plan Area. The community has expressed a strong desire to repurpose the IRS facility into a tech-education campus or center that could offset some of the lost jobs by providing new education and employment for residents. The Housing Element has also identified this site as a potential housing site. Lastly, the center of the Plan Area between Cedar and Butler Avenues contains the Fresno Fairgrounds which creates an entertainment district for two weeks each year.

CHAPTER 3: Land Use & Urban Design
37 Figure 3-1. Existing Land Use Map
California Ave
Willow Ave
Hazelwood Blvd
Orange Ave
Maple Ave
Peach Ave
Chestnut Ave
Pullman Ave
Huntington Blvd
Lane Ave
Butler Ave
Cedar Ave
Belmont Ave
Tulare St
Jensen Ave
Church Ave
Sunland Ave
Existing Land Use in the
Central Southeast Area Specific Plan Area
K:\GIS 2025\CSESP\CSESP_ELU.mxd
Prepared by the Planning and Development Department
Disclaimer:This map is believed to be an accurate representation of the City of Fresno GIS data, however we make no warranties ithd ilid ftf thidt
Legend
Central Southeast Specific Plan
City limits
Streets
Existing LandUse
Commercial - Community
Commercial - General
Commercial - Neighborhood
Commercial - Office
Rural Residential
Residential - Low Density
Residential - Medium Low Density
Residential - Medium Density
Residential - Medium High Density
Residential - High Density
Urban Neighborhood
Employment - Light Industrial
Public Facility
Parks
Open Space/ Agriculture
Vacant Parcel
. .
38 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN

3.3 Issues and Opportunities
While there are many challenges facing CSE Fresno from an urban design and placemaking perspective, there are also numerous “yet-to-be-realized” opportunities. With a strong vision, clear strategies, and well-organized, well-coordinated implementation efforts, CSE Fresno can evolve into the place envisioned by its many residents. The following summarizes some of the key issues and opportunities related to land use and design in the Plan Area.

Issues
• Lack of multimodal connectivity. Most major corridors in CSE Fresno have been designed to prioritize continuous vehicular movement, creating barriers that separate neighborhoods from neighborhoods, workers from jobs, students from schools, and pedestrians and cyclists from daily needs. These factors contribute to unsafe urban environments with high-speed vehicle traffic that discourages walking and cycling.
• Inadequate services and amenities. Due to a limited mix of land uses in the area, most residents of CSE Fresno have poor access to neighborhood-serving amenities and services they need to meet their daily needs. These include grocery stores, healthcare facilities, employment centers, and public and community gathering spaces.
• Blight. The numerous vacant and inactive parcels and properties in the Plan Area highlight conditions of physical and economic blight in the area. These conditions can cause further disinvestment and abandonment of properties, dissuading residents from attending areas and potential investors from conducting business in CSE Fresno.
• Unsafe and unattractive alleyways. Many of the traditional neighborhoods in CSE Fresno have service alleyways that are unused or abandoned and have turned into places for illegal dumping, graffiti, stray dogs, and crime.
• Limited housing choices. Housing options in CSE Fresno are very limited – with most residents either living in more expensive single-family homes, or in more-affordable (albeitisolated) suburban apartments, with very little in between. A lack of “missing middle housing” means there is limited mix of housing types and affordability levels, leading to low homeownership and high housing burden in the CSE Fresno, and in-turn, very limited reinvestment in private properties. 39 • Unsafe and uninviting public realm. CSE Fresno currently lacks a coherent, interconnected public realm network, deterring bicycle and pedestrian activity. Most public streets are clearly autooriented at the expense of bicyclists and pedestrians, with inadequate bicycle facilities, minimal landscaping, street tree canopy, and street furnishings, and narrow or incomplete sidewalks – often immediately adjacent to high-speed travel lanes. Large blocks lacking in pedestrian connections detract from walkability and disconnect residents from their daily needs.

Opportunities
• Connections at all scales. Improving connections at all scales, from expanding transit to completing the bicycle and pedestrian networks and implementing streetscape improvements, is critical to the success of CSE Fresno. Focusing new patterns of mixed-use development along new and improved routes can facilitate the creation of amenity-rich neighborhood centers that provide residents access to workplaces, daily retail needs, and public spaces within a short walk from their homes. • Proximity to Downtown Fresno. Fresno’s new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has considerably improved transit access and frequency in CSE Fresno. The Plan Area’s connection to Downtown via the BRT presents an opportunity to attract people and businesses into the area, bringing investment that can transform the Ventura/Cesar Chavez Boulevard corridor into a higher density mixed-use center and regional tourist destination.
• Vacant and underutilized sites. Vacant and underutilized lots along major corridors present opportunities to encourage development of missing activities, housing, and retail in the area.

Large land uses like the Fresno Fairgrounds (approximately 70 acres) and its surrounding overflow parking lots are used only for a short time throughout the year and are otherwise underutilized.

Similarly, the soon-to-be vacated Internal Revenue Service (IRS) facility will become a 48-acre parcel ready for its next use. These properties, along with many others throughout the area, present significant opportunities for redevelopment that can provide new jobs, business and educational facilities, and additional housing options.
• Traditional neighborhoods. The walkable nature of CSE Fresno’s neighborhoods conveys significant potential for a vibrant and safe public realm. Frontage, streetscape, and intersection improvements in a well-connected network of streets and blocks, can provide a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly environment that fosters connectivity between residential neighborhoods and mixed-use corridors, parks, schools, and workplaces.
• Service Alleys. Repurposing and reactivating abandoned alleys could unlock significant value for the properties in these neighborhoods, provide additional affordable dwelling units, and improve overall quality of life.
• Existing public facilities. Though there are numerous notable public facilities in CSE Fresno — the Fresno Fairgrounds, Mosqueda Community Center, Fresno Pacific University (FPU), and many public elementary, middle, and high schools— yet most of these facilities are disconnected from residents due to a lack of continuous and safe streets, pedestrian pathways, and bicycle facilities. A safe and walkable public realm, improved frontage conditions, and better programming to activate these public amenities, supported by strategic partnerships and programs, can improve access to and use of these vital resources.
40 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN

3.4 Land Use Plan
The proposed land use changes in the CSE Fresno Plan Area were produced through a collaborative planning process between the City, project team, Steering Committee, and community members, reflecting the overall vision for CSE Fresno and specific opportunity subareas.

Figure 3-2 conveys the overall Land Use Plan for CSE Fresno, with just the specific parcels targeted for land use changes identified in Figure 3-3. Consistent with the Fresno General Plan, parks, open space, and public facilities sometimes carry dual land use designations, as shown in Figure 3-4. These dual designations allow for alternative uses consistent with zoning and development standards to be approved if such facilities are not needed. Key elements of the proposed changes and Land Use Plan include:
• Reclassification of some parcels to match uses on the ground today that are likely to remain for the foreseeable future
• Higher intensity mixed-use infill along priority corridors and at key opportunity sites • Strengthened neighborhoods that provide a range of housing types As CSE Fresno continues to evolve over time, this Land Use Plan should be reevaluated to support an expanding system of mixed-use corridors, consistent with the vision and land uses of the Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan.

Land Use Classifications
Table 3-1 defines all the land use designations in the Plan Area, and are categorized by residential, mixed-use, employment, commercial, public facilities, and open space uses. These land use classification descriptions include allowable development intensities by designation, which are measured by dwelling units per acre (dua) for residential uses and floor area ratio (FAR) for non-residential uses. 41 Table 3-1. General Plan Land Use Classifications
General Plan
Designation
Density/
Intensity Description
Residential - Low
Density
1 - 3.5 dua Large lot residential development
Residential -
Medium Low
Density

3.5 - 6 dua Single-family detached housing
Residential -
Medium Density
5 - 12 dua Intended for areas with predominantly single-family residential development, but permitted uses also accommodate a mix of housing types, including small-lot starter homes, zero-lotline developments, duplexes, and townhouses.

Residential -
Medium High
Density
12 - 16 dua Mix of single-family residences and townhomes, garden apartments, and multi-family units intended to support a finegrain, pedestrian scale.

Residential – Urban
Neighborhood
12 - 30 dua Multi-family residences, condos, and other multi-family units intended to support a pedestrian scale.

Commercial -
Community
FAR 1.0 Commercial development that primarily serves local needs such as convenience shopping and small offices. Allowed uses include medium-scale retail, office, civic and entertainment uses, supermarkets, drug stores and supporting uses.

Commercial -
General
FAR 2.0 Range of retail and service uses that are not appropriate in other areas because of higher volumes of vehicle traffic and potential adverse impacts on other uses. Allowed uses include building materials, storage facilities with active storefronts, equipment rental, wholesale businesses, and specialized retail not normally found in shopping centers. Strip malls fall into this designation.

Employment - Office FAR 2.0 Administrative, financial, business, professional, medical, and public offices. Mainly intended to apply to existing office uses on smaller lots, generally located on arterial roadways. Retail uses limited to business services, food services, and convenience goods for those who work in the area.

Mixed Use -Corridor
Center
16 - 30 dua
FAR 1.5
Horizontal and vertical mixed-use development in multiple story buildings along key circulation corridors where height and density can be easily accommodated. Primary uses are groundfloor retail and upper-floor residential or offices, with personal and business services and public and institutional space as supportive uses.
42 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
General Plan
Designation
Density/
Intensity Description
Mixed-Use
-Neighborhood
12 - 16 dua
FAR 1.5
Requires a minimum of 50 percent residential uses and provides for mixed-use districts of local-serving, pedestrian-oriented commercial development, such as convenience shopping and professionaloffices intwo-tothree-storybuildings.Development is expected to include ground-floor neighborhood retails uses and upper-level housing or offices, with a mix of small lot single family houses, townhomes, and multi-family dwelling units on side streets, in a horizontal or vertical mixed-use orientation.

Built form is expected to be small-scale, pedestrian-oriented and walkable. Automobile-oriented uses are discouraged.

Employment - Light
Industrial
FAR 1.5 Diverse range of light industrial uses, including limited manufacturing and processing, research and development, fabrication, utility equipment and service yards, wholesaling, warehousing, and distribution activities. Small-scale retail and ancillary office uses are also permitted.

Open Space NA Intended for undeveloped park lands and permanent open spaces in the community, including environmentally-sensitive lands, waterways, and wetlands. May include trails and other low-impact public recreational uses, ponding basins, riverbottoms/riverbeds, and airport approach/clear zones.

Park NA Intended to maintain areas for active and passive public parks and multi-purpose trails, including outdoor and indoor recreation such as playing fields, trails, playgrounds, community centers, and other appropriate recreational uses. The PR district may include ponding basins or airport approach/clear zones if developed for, programmed, and actively used as recreation fields.

Public Facility NA Public or quasi-public facilities, including City facilities, utilities, schools, health services, corporation yards, utility stations, and similar uses. Accessory retail uses and services, including food facilities and childcare, are permitted.

CHAPTER 3: Land Use & Urban Design
43 Figure 3-2. Proposed Specific Plan Land Use
California Ave
Willow Ave
Hazelwood Blvd
Orange Ave
Maple Ave
Peach Ave
Chestnut Ave
Pullman Ave
Huntington Blvd
Lane Ave
Butler Ave
Cedar Ave
Belmont Ave
Tulare St
Jensen
Church Ave
Sunland Ave
Proposed Land Use Changes in the
Central Southeast Area Specific Plan Area
K:\GIS 2025\CSESP\CSESP_PLUchanges.mxd
0 0.15 0.3 0.6
Miles
Prepared by the Planning and Development Department
Disclaimer:This map is believed to be an accurate representation of the City of Fresno GIS data, however we make no warranties either expressed or implied for correctness of this data.

Legend
Proposed Land Use Changes
Commercial – Community
Corridor - Center Mixed Use
Residential - Medium Density
Residential - Medium High Density
Urban Neighborhood
General Plan - Planned Land Use

RESIDENTIAL
Low Density (1-3.5 D.U./acre)
Medium Low Density (3.5-6 D.U./acre)
Medium Density (5.0-12 D.U./acre)
Medium High Density (12-16 D.U./acre)

COMMERCIAL
Community
General

EMPLOYMENT
Office
Light Industrial
Heavy Industrial

MIXED USE
Neighborhood Mixed Use
Corridor/Center Mixed Use

OPEN SPACE
Community Park
Neighborhood Park
Open Space
Ponding Basin
Ponding Basin (Park use)

PUBLIC FACILITIES
Public/Quasi-public Facility
Special School
Elementary School
Middle School
College
Fairgrounds
Fire Station
PG & E Substation
Central Southeast Specific Plan
City limits
. .
44 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 3-3. Proposed Land Use Changes
California Ave
Willow Ave
Hazelwood Blvd
Orange Ave
Maple Ave
Peach Ave
Chestnut Ave
Pullman Ave
Huntington Blvd
Lane Ave
Butler Ave
Cedar Ave
Belmont Ave
Tulare St
Jensen
Church Ave
Sunland Ave
Proposed Land Use Changes in the
Central Southeast Area Specific Plan Area
K:\GIS 2025\CSESP\CSESP_PLUchanges_v2.mxd
0 015 03 06
Prepared by the Planning and Development Department
Disclaimer:This map is believed to be an accurate representation of the City of Fresno GIS data, however we make no warranties either expressed or implied for correctness of this data Legend
Proposed Land Use Changes
Commercial – Community
Corridor - Center Mixed Use
Residential - Medium Density
Residential - Medium High Density
Urban Neighborhood
Central Southeast Specific Plan
City limits
. .
45 Figure 3-4. Land Use Plan – General Plan Dual Designations 46 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Land Use and Urban Design Framework
This section introduces opportunities for catalytic new development that will support the creation of a vibrant, livable, and prosperous CSE Fresno. The Land Use and Urban Design Framework Map, shown in Figure 3-5, organizes the Plan Area into distinct corridors, districts, and neighborhoods. The key corridors and districts highlighted represent areas of change, or “subareas,” where there is considerable vacant land and/or significant opportunities for redevelopment, rehabilitation, and public and private improvements that can catalyze positive change in CSE Fresno. These subareas (corridors and districts) and their associated strategies were derived from the “Big Ideas” described in Chapter 2 and articulate a vision for the future uses, character, and experience of each district or corridor in the Plan Area.

Apart from these areas of change, the remainder of the Plan Area consists of existing residential neighborhoods – or areas of stability – where City- and community-led programs and incremental changes can improve neighborhood health, safety, and overall quality of life, as described in the Neighborhoods and Housing section.

This framework is not intended to describe prioritization of change. Rather, this section serves as a reference guide for both catalytic and incremental changes – such that each new improvement, investment, or project (no matter how big or small), contributes to the intended healthy, active, vibrant, safe, and sustainable future of CSE Fresno.

Subareas
The subareas in CSE Fresno identified for comprehensive redevelopment include a set of three corridors and three districts. Though unified under a single vision for the entire Plan Area, each subarea possesses its own distinct identity, set of characteristics, and unique opportunity sites that will advance its transformation. Each subarea is defined and described in further detail below.

Corridors

1. Cesar Chavez Boulevard. Transform Cesar Chavez Boulevard into an active mixed-use corridor. • 1A. Former UMC Hospital. Redevelop the former UMC Hospital Site into a holistic health and wellness center.
• 1B. International Shopping and Entertainment Village. Evolve strip shopping centers such as Asian Village into mixed-use/entertainment centers that focus on ethnic food establishments and cultural shopping amenities.

2. Butler Avenue. Create a series of neighborhood centers along Butler Avenue. • 2A. Mosqueda Regional Cultural and Community Center. Build on the success of Mosqueda Center to expand this area into a hub for cultural activities, education, and recreation. • 2B. Hanoian Shopping Center. Redevelop Hanoian Shopping Center into a small mixed-use neighborhood center that will meet the daily needs of residents.

3. Orange Avenue. Evolve Orange Ave into a neighborhood “main street.” Districts

4. Fairgrounds. Activate and strengthen connections to the Fresno Fairgrounds as an important hub for community, cultural, and recreational activities.

5. IRS Processing Center. Redevelop the IRS site into an education campus and/or tech hub.

6. Employment District. Encourage additional employment opportunities such as business park/ office/R&D district with clean/non-nuisance employment uses.

CHAPTER 3: Land Use & Urban Design
47 Figure 3-5. Land Use and Urban Design Framework
48 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN

3.5 Goals and Strategies
Subareas
This section provides place-specific goals and strategies for the subareas of CSE Fresno that are most likely to change in the future.

1. Cesar Chavez Boulevard
LU-1. Transform Cesar Chavez Boulevard into a walkable and lively corridor with a diverse mix of retail, service, residential, cultural, and institutional uses that will attract both local residents and regional visitors.

Opportunity:

Historically the main highway coming through town, Cesar Chavez Boulevard remains CSE Fresno’s primary thoroughfare, connecting to Downtown to the west, and to major shopping centers to the east.

Cesar Chavez Boulevard is a six-lane commercial corridor with high traffic volumes butis underperforming in its function as the “main” corridor of the area. Numerous factors contribute to this reality, including challenging market conditions for retail districts and an altogether deteriorated urban environment, characterized by a prominence of vacant/underutilized sites, mostly suburban development patterns, and a low-quality, incomplete pedestrian/public realm.

However, there is ample potential for positive change. Along all urban corridors, the street is the thread running through and connecting a series of places, nodes, and centers. The City can leverage Cesar Chavez Boulevard’s new bus rapid transit (BRT) line and advantageous physical characteristics – including a wide right-of-way and proximity to institutions such as the Fresno Fairgrounds and former UMC Hospital – to transform the corridor into a key multimodal connector that provides access to a higher density mixeduse centers, serving as a regional tourist destination bringing people and activities from across the region to CSE Fresno.

CHAPTER 3: Land Use & Urban Design
49 Opportunity sites in the former UMC Hospital.

Strategies:

LU-1.1. Redevelop and improve the UMC Hospital site (1A) and surrounding area to create a Health & Wellness Campus with supportive uses.

The former UMC Hospital is a significant opportunity site on the Cesar Chavez Boulevard corridor. It lies at the intersection of Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Cedar Avenue and is primed for redevelopment. The City could work with the County and private sector partners to redevelop the vacant UMC hospital site through a master planning process. Future development plans could include a Wellness Center or Continuum of Care facility offering a range of medical, behavioral health, and social services to provide much needed healthcare services for residents. This could be spread out through the site in a campus-like fashion or it could be consolidated in one specific area allowing the remaining site to be developed with housing that will complement on-site healthcare and social services, such as senior and/or transitional housing. This housing component can incorporate a range of housing options that provide healthcare services at different levels and intensities, providing the full range of transitional housing for elders depending on their needs. Additional site opportunities could include a mobility hub, providing several transportation opportunities in one location.

In the near term, the large underutilized parking lots fronting Cesar Chavez Boulevard can be immediately activated through temporary events and uses that will enliven the street and support future redevelopment of the County Hospital (see Figure 3-6. UMC Hospital Parking Lot Transformations). This parking lot could become community gathering space that could host food trucks, farmer’s markets, pop-up shops, art festivals, performances, and other temporary events. See Strategy ED-1.6 in Chapter 6 for more details on how the City could allow and encourage temporary uses on vacant and underutilized sites. 50 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 3-6. UMC Hospital Parking Lot Transformations
Example of crosswalk improvements to provide better connections for pedestrians along the site. An engaging shade structure on the other side of the street provides weather protection.

Example of a possible food-truck park on the corner of the site creating an activity center along Cesar Chavez Blvd.

Underutilized parking lot on the south side of the UMS Hospital site has the opportunity to house temporary uses like a food truck park along the street intersection, streetscape improvements that include crosswalks, trees for shading, landscaping and formal on-street parking.

Example of a shading structure and landscaping to spatially hold a small intersection corner and to screen the parking lot behind it. 51 LU-1.2. Transform the large strip shopping centers along Cesar Chavez Boulevard between Chestnut and Willow Avenues into active, mixed-use regional destinations for international cuisine, cultural shopping establishments, and entertainment. (Site 1B on Framework Map)
Between Chestnut and Willow Avenues, Cesar Chavez Boulevard is flanked on both sides by a nearly a ½ mile stretch of suburban shopping centers (see Figure 3-7). This area encompasses large surface parking lots with underperforming and aging retail buildings that form long superblocks and create an unwalkable environment.

As retail economics continue to evolve in the coming years, opportunities may arise for significant infill development along these blocks. Through economic incentives and investments in frontage improvements, the City can facilitate the creation of mixed-use regional centers that transform large strip shopping centers – like Asian Village – around the notion of an International Food Boulevard experience, concentrating international and cultural shopping and restaurant amenities that will both serve local residents and attract regional patrons.

The City should establish Ventura-Cesar Chavez Boulevard Design Guidelines that promote mixed-use infill along Cesar Chavez Boulevard with active ground-floor uses and engaging pedestrian-oriented frontages. Large underutilized blocks and/or surface parking lots in commercial centers can be subdivided to create new street connections, pedestrian and bike pathways, and public spaces/plazas, better accommodating infill development of new mixed-use buildings, retail, and multifamily housing. Figure 3-8 illustrates an example of infill development around “big box” commercial centers. The City could also coordinate and support public and private investment efforts along this stretch of Cesar Chavez Boulevard, providing economic incentives to encourage local businesses to rehabilitate and improve building frontages. See Strategy LU-1.4 and ED-1.8 in Chapter 6 for additional recommendations on developing a Facade Improvement and Beautification Program in CSE Fresno. 52 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 3-7. Mixed-use opportunity areas along Cesar Chavez Boulevard Mixed use opportunity area along Cesar Chavez Blvd Infill opportunity at Pilibos Soccer Park Figure 3-8. Example of Infill Development of a “Big Box” Retail Site Typical “Big Box” commercial buildings in a corridor (DPZ CoDesign) Retrofit and infill development of a typical “Big Box” commercial site (DPZ CoDesign)
53 Commercial signage examples along a corridor New BRT Station on Cesar Chavez Blvd LU-1.3. Develop and implement a cohesive Streetscape Amenity and Wayfinding Palette for the Cesar Chavez Boulevard corridor focused on placemaking, identity, and branding of the corridor.

Cesar Chavez Boulevard presents a significant opportunity to improve the street character in a way that reflects and celebrates the unique character of CSE Fresno. Cohesive and coordinated streetscape furnishings, lighting, signage, and wayfinding elements can help reinforce a sense of identity, branding the corridor as a multicultural shopping and entertainment destination.

For example, public art and unique multicultural elements could be integrated into public spaces, street furnishings, and paving. To achieve this, the City should develop and implement a cohesive Streetscape Amenity and Wayfinding Palette for Cesar Chavez Boulevard focused on placemaking and branding of the corridor.

This strategy is part of the larger recommendation to develop a distinctive brand for CSE Fresno, as described in Strategy ED-1.7 in Chapter 6. Additional design and street reconfiguration recommendations for Cesar Chavez Boulevard are described in more detail in Chapter 4.

Transportation, Public Realm, and Infrastructure.

LU-1.4. Incentivize frontage improvements to renovate aging and vacant commercial buildings, attract new businesses, and strengthen existing ones.

Along most of the corridor, Cesar Chavez Boulevard supports a suburban land use pattern characterized by abundant surface parking that separates the street from the surrounding buildings that frame it. On small stretches of the corridor where existing buildings do front the street, their frontages are generally dilapidated and uninviting.

The City should encourage property owners to improve building frontages and facades by establishing a frontage and facade revolving loan fund for property owners. Revitalizing storefronts through simple improvements such as repairs, new paint, and attractive signage can create positive visual change in the neighborhood and improve economic vitality. The City, property owners, and local businesses could also consider establishing a Cesar Chavez Boulevard Corridor Improvements District (or similar organization) to help coordinate and implement such improvements. This strategy is part of a larger recommendation to develop a Facade Improvement 54 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 3-9. Cesar Chavez Boulevard Existing and Proposed Street Section Existing retail along Cesar Chavez Blvd suffers from a car-oriented design. Sidewalks have no buffer or landscaping between the pedestrian and the fast-moving car. Further lack of tree-shading, and engaging storefronts dissuades people from walking to businesses, causing infrequent buyers even on main avenues.

Incremental transformation of Cesar Chavez Blvd showing a new landscaped median, buffered bike lanes and facade improvements to existing buildings.

Cesar Chavez Blvd final state will provide wide shaded sidewalks with landscaping, cohesive street furnishings, a buffered biking lane and a landscaped median. The bike lane could also potentially become fully protected, as shown. This multimodal corridor will also contain a mix of uses.

See Chapter 4, Figure 4-7 for more information on how to incrementally improve the Cesar Chavez Blvd corridor streetscape.
55 Figure 3-10. Transformations along Cesar Chavez Boulevard Current conditions of Cesar Chavez Blvd show narrow sidewalks without landscaping, multiple vacant lots, and building frontages that do not engage and activate the street.

The first step in the transformation of Cesar Chavez Blvd should involve streetscape improvements that provide an inviting public realm, such as: restriping lanes to add on-street parking with bulb-out planters to shade the sidewalk and adding a buffered bike lane. Now, Cesar Chavez Blvd will provide a multimodal environment.

As resources become available, the City should implement a cohesive streetscape palette and facade improvements program to beautify the public realm and building frontages Further temporary and tactical interventions, such as outdoor seating on parking lanes, can occur to activate retail.
56 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Key Sites along Butler Avenue

2. Butler Avenue
LU-2. Build on existing institutions and opportunity sites along Butler Avenue, particularly near Maple Avenue, to create a series of central neighborhoodsupporting hubs for daily retail and service needs, cultural activities, education, and recreation.

Opportunity:

Along Butler Avenue, particularly at its intersections with Cedar and Maple Avenues, a number of vacant and underutilized sites present opportunities for community-oriented mixed-use development. These sites are central to the Plan Area and are located within walking distance of the surrounding traditional neighborhoods. In particular, the community envisions the Mosqueda Center – located at the intersection of Butler and Maple Avenues – as a key hub for recreational and social activities. The Mosqueda Center and Fresno Fairgrounds lend this area a strong civic use component. New mixed-use infill development on nearby vacant parcels can build on these community anchors. Such development has the potential to reduce automobile trips by providing shops, healthy food options, basic services, and new neighborhood gathering spaces within a short walking distance of housing. This mix of public amenities, commercial and service centers, jobs, and housing can create a significant neighborhood center at the heart of the community.
57 Strategies:

LU-2.1. Transform Mosqueda Center into a Regional Community Center by expanding facilities and constructing a new youth, senior, and/or cultural center extension on surrounding vacant parcels.

The Mosqueda Center is a highly valued community resource with potential to grow and satisfy a larger area with further investment and improvements. The vacant lots to the west and south of the Mosqueda Center can easily accommodate new expansion, featuring additional event spaces, classrooms, outdoor recreational programming, youth services, social services, classes, and cultural events. Some of these programming options can be coordinated in cooperation with local non-profits. The City should develop an expansion plan for the Mosqueda Center that identifies funding sources, phases of the development, and partner agencies and organizations.

LU-2.2. Promote retail and multifamily infill housing development on vacant parcels surrounding Mosqueda Center to further activate the area.

Mixed-use infill in this area presents an opportunity to create a neighborhood center building on and supported by key community recreation and social activity hubs – Fresno Fairgrounds and Mosqueda Center. This area would serve as a convenient location for multigenerational and senior housing, as the nearby Mosqueda Center provides senior services. Furthermore, the previous theater site and its parking lot on Butler Avenue can be consolidated and adaptively reused. These efforts should be supported by streetscape improvements that enhance walkability.

The City should ensure that future development of these large parcels creates new street connections through over-sized blocks. Pedestrian and bicycle connections are of high importance due to the numerous nearby public facilities. New buildings should front major avenues in order to provide an active streetfrontage and “eyes on the street.” While development should be concentrated at the intersection of Butler and Maple Avenues, smaller neighborhood parks and open spaces in the interior vacant parcels pose the potential for a multi-functional community space. Figure 3-11 shows a conceptual plan for the vacant parcels north of the Mosqueda Center. For more detailed information on parks and recommended improvements to Mosqueda Center, see Chapter 5. Parks and Open Space, specifically P-1.1.

Potential Mosqueda Center activities
58 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 3-11. Conceptual Plan for Redevelopment of Vacant Site North of Mosqueda Center
The inactive theater and parking lot could be activated with tactical uses such as movie screenings (below).

Community movie screening. Photo Credit: Film L.A.
59 LU-2.3. Create a new mixed-use neighborhood node around the vacant Hanoian Shopping Center to ensure that residents can meet their daily needs within a comfortable walking distance.

The Hanoian supermarket structure at Butler and Cedar Avenues can be feasibly repurposed as a new mixed-use neighborhood center within walking distance of many residents. The existing building already houses basic neighborhood services, such as a laundromat and a dry cleaner.

Potential future development on this site can include amenities and uses such as a small grocery store, makerspaces, market, community garden, office space for local nonprofits, and/ or housing. In the short term, temporary tactical uses around the existing structure can provide near-term activation of the site. The existing taco truck and shelter at the corner of Butler and Cedar Avenues exemplify such a strategy and should be supported. For example, a temporary tree farm could be established on the empty lot east of the building. The tree farm could be founded on a joint agreement with Public Works and Tree Fresno to use the trees for future landscaping on streets in the Plan Area. The area where the trees are growing could be utilized as a community gathering space for events. The City should work with the property owner and Every Neighborhood Partnership to promote temporary uses.

Existing Hanoian’s structure and parking lot could host a makerspace for artists / entrepreneurs (right). Photo credit: Rick Ele Makerspace. Photo credit: FabHub
Transformation of a vacant lot in Buffalo, NY into a community garden. Photo credit: Landscape Architecture Magazine
Small neighborhood retail center
60 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Lots along S Orange Ave correlating to photo transformations on the following pages.

3. Orange Avenue
LU-3. Intensify, activate, and beautify Orange Avenue, building on its existing character to strengthen its identity and appeal.

Opportunity:

While most commercial uses in CSE Fresno are located along Cesar Chavez Boulevard, Orange Avenue contains a cluster of commercial activity around and to the south of Butler Avenue. Orange Avenue is located near Downtown Fresno and connects to Ventura Avenue (the continuation of Cesar Chavez Boulevard) to the north and to industrial, office, and other commercial uses to the south. Currently, most non-residential buildings in the area are set back from the street behind parking lots, creating an unfriendly pedestrian environment. The avenue has recently been equipped with incomplete Class II bike lanes that should be completed to ensure safe multimodal travel.

Throughout the planning process, the community expressed concerns about noise and safety impacts of existing recycling centers and other light industrial properties along the corridor. As new mixed-use development is constructed along the corridor, Orange Avenue can evolve into a charming neighborhood main street. The relationship between buildings of varying uses and the streetscape must be well calibrated along Orange Avenue in order to create a continuous, cohesive, and active street environment. These efforts should be combined with traffic calming measures and improved connectivity with surrounding areas to enhance the pedestrian experience. Both public and private investments are required to support this transformation.
61 Strategies:

LU-3.1. Implement coordinated streetscape and frontage enhancements along Orange Avenue to revitalize and activate the public realm.

Orange Avenue is envisioned to become an active and pedestrian-friendly corridor that supports walkability and incentivizes retail and other neighborhood-serving uses. To enliven the street environment, business owners should improve building facades and use their frontages as extensions of the sidewalk, dedicating them as spaces for outdoor dining or merchandising by applying for an outdoor dining permit or an encroachment agreement. (See Figure 3-13. Fresno Super Market. Fresno Supermarket as an example).

Improvements to multimodal infrastructure are also needed to enhance safety and activate the public realm. The City should work to implement coordinated streetscape improvements through the development of a routine maintenance policy to create a safer and more pedestrianfriendly environment. The improvements to be considered in the policy would include wider sidewalks, corner bulb-outs, and cohesive landscaping and street trees (See Figure 3-13, Figure 3-13. Fresno Super Market, and Figure 3-15 as examples). The addition of on-street parking with broad street trees in planters can create a buffer between pedestrians and moving vehicles, increasing pedestrian comfort and safety.

Additionaldesignandstreet reconfigurationrecommendations forOrangeAvenuearedescribed in more detail in Chapter 4. Transportation, Public Realm, and Infrastructure (Strategies T-1.1 and T-4.2). Frontage improvements along Orange Avenue can be incentivized through a Facade Improvement and Beautification Program, as outlined in Strategy ED-1.8 in Chapter 6.

Figure 3-12. Streetscape Improvements along Orange Avenue 62 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 3-13. Fresno Super Market
The Existing Fresno Super Market does not provide an active front towards the street, as it is mostly a large blank wall. In addition, narrow sidewalks, an underutilized side parking lot, and a lack of pedestrian and bicycle facilities create an uninviting experience for all people not traveling by car.

Initial streetscape improvements on Orange Ave can be of a more temporary nature. These should include restriping and interim landscaping. Meanwhile, the market can provide a more prominent entrance from the street to improve its street presence. The parking lot next door can be used as an opportunity to create shaded outdoor seating arrangements for customers.

As resources become available, permanent streetscape improvements should include bulb-outs that extend the sidewalk in front of the supermarket as well as pedestrian and bicycle facilities and mature trees for shading. The super market can then utilize the extended sidewalk for permanent outdoor furniture installations creating a proper commercial front. 63 Figure 3-14. Idea Works Central Southeast
This site currently does not activate the street, but minor private frontage improvements could transform it into an inviting commercial building.

Potential improvements include facade upgrades, signage, and outdoor seating. The public frontage improvements include buffered bike lanes, painted crosswalks, wider sidewalks with on street parking, bulb-outs, and trees for shading. 64 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
LU-3.2. Facilitate the adaptive reuse of vacant and underutilized sites along Orange Avenue to provide new neighborhood assets.

Orange Avenue contains several parking lots, underutilized buildings, and vacant sites that can be adaptively reused to provide amenities for nearby residents. The City should prioritize the approval of permits for uses that directly support the community’s vision for a healthy and thriving neighborhood, such as outdoor food sales and seating, makerspaces, and public plazas (see Figure 3-16 and Figure 3-17). In the short-term, this could be achieved by converting onstreet parking spaces into parklets and underutilized parking lots or vacant lots into temporary public spaces with programming that would allow people to gather and socialize (e.g. movie nights or musical performances). Examples of these temporary “pavement-to-parks” type improvements include parklets and temporary plazas with seating, planting, bicycle parking, lights, and art, among other amenities, which are typically constructed from inexpensive or salvaged materials and through volunteer labor with little public assistance. A first step could be to identify potential sponsors and resources for the implementation of pavement-to-parks improvements and then construct a pilot project along Orange Avenue, which could be used to inform the location, design, programming of a more permanent public space along the corridor (see Strategy LU-3.3).

See Strategy ED-1.6 in Chapter 7 for more details on how the City can allow and encourage temporary uses on vacant and underutilized sites. For additional details on supporting adaptive reuse of buildings, see Strategy ED-1.2.

Figure 3-15. Fresno Recycling - Site 2
This recycling facility transformation highlights streetscape improvements, including a buffered bike lane and on street parking, as well as better landscaping. The parking lot could be activated with a corner café and seating, turning it into a small activity center.

CHAPTER 3: Land Use & Urban Design
65 LU-3.3. Construct a public open space along Orange Avenue that can be used for community gathering and events.

The City should facilitate the construction of a public park or plaza along the corridor. The plaza could be a place for community events such as movie nights or musical performances. This venue can become a community-building asset for the surrounding neighborhoods, and it can be carved out of an underutilized surface parking lot at an intersection to provide it greater exposure (See Figure 3-16 for an example).

LU-4.4. Work with property owners to minimize negative impacts from recycling and trafficgenerating uses near homes.

Throughout the planning process, the community expressed concerns about noise and safety impacts of existing recycling centers and other light industrial properties along the corridor.

The City should work with property owners to minimize the negative impacts from recycling and traffic-generating uses by incentivizing the installation of screens, landscaping, and other buffers to reduce noise and visual impacts and by working to create a retrofit program. See Strategies PH-4.1 and PH-4.2 for additional recommendations on how to ensure compatible uses and protections for residential neighborhoods.

Figure 3-16. Tactical Uses Along Orange Avenue
Underutilized parking lots at key intersections provide an opportunity for temporary uses and future development. The intersection of Butler and Orange Ave would benefit from landscaping and sidewalk improvements. A restaurant on the corner could create a more formal outdoor seating space to attract customers while the large surface parking lot could host temporary uses like food trucks to activate the corner. 66 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
The Big Fresno Fair. Photo Credit: fresnofair.com

4. Fresno Fairgrounds
LU-4. Activate and integrate the Fairgrounds into the existing fabric of the community.

Opportunity:

The Fresno Fairgrounds, located near the heart of the Plan Area, receives more than 1.7 million annual visitors and generates over $68.8 million in revenue for the County (Fresnofair.com). Despite the Fairgrounds’ own internal success, CSE Fresno’s limited retail and recreational offerings provide little reason for patrons of the Fairgrounds to spend time or money in the rest of the community. For security reasons, the perimeter of the Fairgrounds is largely walled off and inaccessible to the public. Due to the large demand for conveniently located parking to support fairgoers, the Fresno Fair also buys and leases many large sites in the area that are mostly underutilized for the remainder of the year. These factors adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods and perimeter streets — such as Butler Avenue, Maple Avenue, and the Cesar Chavez Boulevard corridor — as they impede efforts to activate the public realm.

Coordinated development and infrastructure improvements should be prioritized to ensure that the Fairgrounds becomes an anchor that supports the CSE community.

Strategies:

LU-4.1. Activate the Fairgrounds entrance by constructing a neighborhood-facing public plaza and allowing temporary events and uses on the Chance Ave parking lot.

The Fairgrounds entrance is located within a residential neighborhood, and is generally nondescript with a large surface parking lot sitting opposite it. To better connect the Fairgrounds with the existing fabric of the neighborhood, a neighborhood-facing public plaza could be constructed at the Fairgrounds entrance on Chance Avenue, creating a stronger presence and 67 The existing facade wall is a playful way for the Fairgrounds to meet Cesar Chavez Blvd, but it lack active uses.

Big Fresno Fair. Photo credit: Sami Yousif
community amenity for nearby residents. To further activate the area, the large parking lot at the intersection of Lane and Chance Avenues could be used for temporary/special events such as a weekly farmers market, artisans’ market, and other smaller festivals. The City should work with the Fresno Fair and the County of Fresno to develop a strategy to create the plaza, and work with local community organizations to program the plaza.

LU-4.2. Construct active liner spaces such as shops, kiosks, and cafes along the perimeter of the Fairgrounds, particularly the Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Butler street frontages.

To create a more engaging frontages along the Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Butler Avenue perimeters, the City should work with the Fresno Fair to construct active liner spaces such as kiosks, pop-up shops, and cafes that support incubators/small retailers and mobile vendors.

As these corridors grow and develop into more active mixed-use corridors these temporary spaces could evolve into permanent retail buildings that provide continuous active frontages.

LU-4.3. Activate underutilized overflow parking lots around the Fairgrounds for recreational sports and other temporary events and uses.

The City should pursue and facilitate joint-use agreements with the Fresno Fair to allow for and program temporary use of its underutilized overflow parking lots for recreational sports fields, temporary venues for special events, and other activities that have been requested by the community to expand its services for the Area. The City should work with community organizations such as Every Neighborhood Partnership and Neighborhood Church to help program the events. One example of such a use could be a temporary street-tree nursery (for later use in CSE Fresno once matured to the point of being ready to plant), where potted saplings could even be arranged to help organize parking bays on these sites. See Strategy P-1.5 in Chapter 5 and Strategy ED-1.6 in Chapter 6 for related recommendations on how to better utilize the Fairgrounds’ overflow parking lots.
68 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
LU-4.4. Work with the Fresno Fair to publicize and lease existing/new event spaces to CSE Fresno residents and businesses at no or low cost.

There is strong community desire for additional large gathering spaces that can be rented affordably for social gatherings. The Fairgrounds contains several such facilities that are empty most of the year and could satisfy the community’s need. The City could work with the Fresno Fair to evaluate the potential of utilizing the Fairgrounds for additional community activities. If the Fairgrounds are found to be suitable the City could work with the Fresno Fair to promote and facilitate use of these spaces, leasing them to local residents and businesses at low or no cost.

LU-4.5. Develop a local marketing campaign to better publicize and promote year-round events at the Fairgrounds.

The Fairgrounds hosts many year-round events in addition to the Big Fresno Fair, yet these events are not widely known or attended by the local community. The City should work with the Fresno Fair to develop a local marketing campaign to publicize and promote year-round events, and to curate events specific to the needs of CSE Fresno. This could include working with local community organizations and businesses to publicize events, taking out ads on local radio stations, advertising via social media, posting flyers at schools and community centers, and/or donating tickets.
69 Temporary activation of a vacant lot. Photo credit: CarrieGartner.com 70 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 3-18. Conceptual Improvements to the IRS Facility Site This aerial view illustrates one way to accomplish LU-5 (redevelopment of the former IRS site). In this example, the IRS facility and parking lots are converted into a technology,employment, and education campus. The western remaining portion of the IRS structure could accommodate parking for the new institutional buildings, using efficient parking technology. Elsewhere on the site, new streets connecting to the existing neighborhood fabric can create traditional neighborhood blocks to accommodate new residential and supportive commercial development around this new center of employment and activity. A bike lane lined with trees would align with Willow Avenue, while northsouth vehicular traffic would be deflected around gateway open spaces and into the campus. Further details are provide in LU-5.

5. IRS Facility
LU-5. Redevelop the former IRS facility site as a technology-centered employment and education campus that can provide training, jobs, and residences for workers and students.

Opportunity:

Located at the corner of Butler and Willow Avenues, the 48-acre Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Processing Center facility is primed for redevelopment due to its size, vacant status, and proximity to several amenities including parks, schools, retail, and the BRT line along Ventura/Cesar Chavez Boulevard. Throughout the planning process, the community conveyed a strong desire to repurpose this technologicallyequipped series of buildings into a tech-education campus or center that could offset some of the lost jobs by providing new education and employment for residents of CSE Fresno. When redeveloped, this site should utilize more strategic and spatially efficient parking solutions in order to better utilize this large area of land. New mixed-use buildings can provide affordable student and teacher housing and commercial services supporting the new education campus. Though the site is the size of 10 traditional neighborhood blocks, it has no through streets. In the future, multiple streets should cross through the site – new north-south connections must link Butler Avenue to Lane Avenue, especially to the west in order to reconnect Willow Avenue. East-west streets should connect to adjacent neighborhoods, fostering connectivity in the area.

CHAPTER 3: Land Use & Urban Design
71 Office campus Tech Education Center. Photo credit: College of DuPage Strategies:

LU-5.1. Facilitate the redevelopment of the former IRS facility as a technology and/or education campus.

The City should work with property owners over time to redevelop the former IRS facility into a high-tech employment and education campus with a mix of high-tech offices, education, public uses, supportive retail, and housing. To complement and support education, employment, and commercial uses, new affordable workforce or student housing can be developed or contained within new public buildings. Additionally, other residential unit types can be developed along new neighborhood streets and along Butler and Lane Avenues, providing a natural transition to adjacent neighborhoods. As a first step, the City could establish an exploratory working group to identify potential users, funding opportunities, and partners to redevelop the site. This group should include local educational entities, tech firms, trade representatives, government agency representatives, community representatives and multi-family housing developers.

LU-5.2. Enhance connections to and from the IRS site and surrounding neighborhoods, transit, and commercial centers.

Future development should subdivide the IRS site into smaller, more walkable blocks with new street connections and pedestrian/bicycle pathways that will improve access to and from surrounding neighborhoods. The City could require the developer of this site to submit a master plan that meets the subdivision requirements of Article 41 in the Citywide Development Code.

This involves at least two north-south connections through the site, from Lane Avenue to Butler Avenue, and the possibility of east-west connections to the adjacent residential neighborhoods.

Figure 3-18. Conceptual Improvements to the IRS Facility Site depicts a 3-dimensional massing for one possible scenario for subdividing this land and adaptively reusing the IRS facility. See Strategy T-2.1 in Chapter 4 for additional recommendations for creating new roadway and bicycle/pedestrian connections in the Plan Area.
72 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN

6. Employment District
LU-6. Promote clean/non-nuisance employment uses while ensuring compatibility and protections for residential neighborhoods.

Opportunity:

Throughout the planning process, the community expressed concern about existing industrial uses and vacant lots south of California Avenue directly abutting residential neighborhoods. 73 Strategies:

LU-6.1. Actively market vacant and underutilized industrial land to potential R&D and tech firm tenants.

The City should work to expand R&D, business park, office, and other non-nuisance or nonpolluting employment uses around California Avenue to provide local job opportunities and buffer residential neighborhoods from heavy industrial uses. The City could pursue grant funds to develop marketing sheets for each opportunity site that provide useful information to developers and businesses such as availability of suitable commercial and industrial buildings, ownership status, parcel size, existing uses and regulations for the site, known environmental issues, and infrastructure needs, and highlighting the area’s proximity to freight rail, transit, and major highway corridors.

LU-6.2. Develop a target business attraction strategy for the employment district.

While marketing is an important part of the strategy to transform this district, the City will also need to target and attract specific industries desired in the area. This could be achieved by developing a business attraction strategy, to include researching and developing a list of office, R&D, technology, and other clean/non-nuisance businesses that would be well suited to the district and community. Research should be focused on companies that have the potential for growth, expansion, and/or relocation. The City may also partner with the commercial brokerage community to connect business owners with new real estate opportunities, ensuring that commercial brokers are tied into the local economic development, community, and business networking groups. The City Councilmember’s office should consider developing an incentive program for businesses that locate in the California Avenue area similar to the City of Fresno’s 2018 Support Small Business Act.
74 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Business park
Office park with a walkable and pedestrian oriented approach to the street
LU-6.1. Apply existing regulations to reduce
the negative impacts of commercial
and industrial uses on nearby
neighborhoods.

Existing industrial uses in the southern
part of the Plan Area produce air pollution,
noise, and heavy truck traffic that can
negatively impact the health and safety of
nearby residents. The City could work with
the businesses to analyze the effects of
existing operations and identify potential
solutions to minimize these negative
externalities on adjacent residential areas
in accordance with approved land use
entitlements. For example, incentivizing
physical buffers, such as wide setbacks,
extensive landscape areas, fencing, and
noise barriers can help separate and
protect existing homes from the negative
impacts of rail and industrial uses. See
Strategies PH-4.1 and PH-4.2 in Chapter 7.

Quality of Life for additional information
and strategies to address land use
compatibility and health and safety
protections for neighborhoods.
75 Neighborhoods and Housing
Throughout the planning process, the community expressed a strong desire to strengthen residential neighborhoods by improving connections to parks, community centers, schools, and jobs, addressing public safety concerns, and improving housing affordability. These desires respond to very real issues in the community. Most residential neighborhoods in CSE Fresno consist of suburban housing types that lack diversity and cannot accommodate households at different stages of life. Further complicating matters are deteriorating properties, unregulated building additions, neglected streetscapes, and abandoned alleys that have created public safety issues. Neighborhood streets, meanwhile, lack human scale and provide few, if any, spaces for gathering and enjoyment.

Consequently, this Plan establishes goals and strategies to preserve and strengthen existing neighborhoods, while providing a diversity of housing that accommodates a broad range of household sizes, stages of life, and income levels.
76 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
LU-7. Pursue policies and programs that support housing stability and mitigate displacement.

LU-7.1. Develop pilot programs to minimize displacement.

The City should explore and test anti-displacement programs in the community. If successful, these policies could be implemented city-wide. This will help minimize displacement of current residents.

LU-7.2. Construct temporary housing options in CSE Fresno (e.g. Tiny Home communities) for homeless residents or others in need of transitional housing.

The City should work with Fresno Housing as well as other partner agencies and communitybased organizations to create temporary housing options in CSE Fresno (e.g., Tiny Home communities) for homeless residents or others in need of transitional housing. This might include conducting studies to find suitable sites and pursuing funding to build temporary housing in the area.

LU-7.3. Preserve existing low-cost housing.

The City should provide financial incentives to preserve existing low-cost housing. This process could include creating an affordable housing fund that can be used to acquire affordable housing developments at risk of conversion and supporting upgrades to existing affordable housing.

LU-7.4. Expand homeownership programs and improve access to existing programs offered by the City.

The City should develop programs to increase homeownership rates in order to provide greater neighborhood stability. Some of these programs may include: working with local banks to promote rent-to-buy policies or programs; developing “opportunity to purchase” legislation requiring owners to notify tenants of intent to sell, and providing an opportunity to purchase; and creating low-income housing funds to purchase, rehabilitate, and then sell homes to qualifying families.
77 CSE Fresno residential neighborhood
Senior Citizens Village in CSE Fresno Townhomes
Multi-family housing Tiny home
78 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Housing in need of repair in CSE Fresno Neighborhood retail node with housing behind LU-8. Improve the safety, quality, and condition of housing structures and the neighborhoods they inhabit.

LU-8.1. Provide property owners with information, resources, and funding to address code violations and health issues in buildings.

In existing residential neighborhoods, there are illegal units, additions, and modifications to buildings that lack proper permitting. Similarly, some properties are in a state of disrepair that violates building codes and poses a threatto health and safety. The City should conduct proactive code enforcement audits and work with property owners to address code violations and health issues in buildings, such as pests and mold, that compromise the health of residents. As part of this strategy, the City should work with additional agencies and organizations, such as Fresno Housing, Self-Help Federal Credit Union, and Habitat for Humanity, to create a fund to help homeowners pay for renovations, repairs, and upgrades. City communication channels such as websites, newsletters, and other venues can be used to educate landlords and residents on existing programs and resources, such as the County’s Lead Hazard Control Program, which educates residents on lead-based paint risks and precautions and provides financial assistance to fix lead hazards in homes. See Strategy PS-2.1 in Chapter 7 for additional recommendations related to maintenance and code enforcement efforts to improve health and safety.

LU-8.2. Continue to implement and support rental housing registration and inspection.

The City should continue to implement its rental housing registration and inspection program and work to certify residential rental units, single-room occupancy hotels (SROs), and boarding homes in CSE Fresno. This might include partnering with the Independent Living Association for certification and educating landlords and tenants on rights and responsibilities. 79 LU-8.3. Develop an Alley Improvement Program to help residents repurpose or transform alleyways into active and safe spaces.

The City should develop an Alley Improvement Program, in partnership with community organizations and leaders currently working on these efforts, to address safety and blight issues in alleys and help residents repurpose or transform alleys into active and inviting spaces. This program could include resources, tools, and guidelines to:
• Physically improve alleys by repaving, adding lighting, and installing security cameras, in coordination with Public Works.
• Reopen and use alleys for rear-access, services, and deliveries and to facilitate use of alleys for new affordable Accessory Dwelling Units (see Strategy LU-9.3). • Privatize or vacate alleys where all adjacent residents would prefer to close off the alleyway entirely (including moving fences and property lines).
• Create green alleys for stormwater retention and treatment, and transform alleys into community gardens.
• Convert alleys into linear parks or greenways.

Existing residential alley in CSE Fresno. Photo credit: ABC30 Fresno Green residential alley rendering. Photo credit: SALT-la.com Residential alley transformation. Photo credit: SALT-la.com 80 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Residential Neighborhood Improvements
The strategies in this section respond to the community’s desire to preserve and strengthen the character of the single-family neighborhoods, using planning methods which enhance neighborhood streets, improve connections to services, jobs, and daily needs, and provide a diverse range of housing options for residents of CSE Fresno. The series of vignettes below illustrate how these strategies could work in tandem to accomplish this vision.

Neighborhood Lanes and Infill Housing
Many alleys in the Plan Area have either been abandoned or were never actually utilized at the time of development, where “front-loaded” suburban development types and patterns (with garages projecting in front of the house, and the front “yards” visually dominated by driveways and parked cars) were favored over the traditional types and patterns the platting was designed to receive. Not only have these patterns created degraded, unsafe conditions in the alleys themselves, they have left a tremendous amount of untapped value in neighborhoods.

First, by reactivating the alleys—and taking advantage of their intended purpose as means of access to garages and accessory dwellings—the neighborhoods will be able to seamlessly intensify and provide new housing units. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are allowed by State Law, without additional parking requirements. In CSE Fresno, embracing these new units and facilitating their development will provide a new housing type to the area that can be more affordable for residents of different backgrounds and support residents as their housing needs change over time.

As the neighborhoods develop and as resources become available, other traditional housing types that will require alley access should be developed. These developments should be incentivized on blighted properties and vacant parcels that create unsafe areas in neighborhoods.

Alley reactivation and improvements will free up neighborhood streets, allowing them to provide continuous sidewalks and parkways, uninterrupted by driveway-cuts. This also creates significantly more on-street parking. Additionally, the houses themselves could convert their projecting (front) garages into habitable space, improving the overall neighborhood aesthetic, adding “eyes on the street,” and enlivening the public realm. Car-oriented neighborhood streets will then become outdoor rooms that are viewed as places to be enjoyed, not just traveled. This improved public realm will increase the overall property values within these neighborhoods and the area.

1. Existing neighborhood fabric
81 2. Additional dwelling units accessed from the alleys

3. Existing fabric with ADU’s and footprints of infill housing

4. Alley-loaded lots & pedestrian friendly frontages & streets 82 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
LU-9. Expand housing supply to accommodate households of all sizes, stages of life, and income levels.

LU-9.1. Encourage and support high-quality infill housing development in CSE Fresno.

The City should encourage the redevelopment of blighted and vacant parcels with new highquality multi-family or single-family housing that face and are accessed from the sidewalk. New multi-family and single-family buildings should be house-like in form and have engaging and attractive residential frontages. Incentives can include permit processing assistance, subsidized or deferred development application fees, and partnerships with financial institutions to provide financing for purchase and construction of projects of this kind. The City may want to explore implementing a Neighborhood Revitalization Zone (from the Citywide Development Code) throughout residential zones in the Plan Area, in order to promote “missing middle” housing infill types. Missing middle housing types – such as duplexes, fourplexes, and bungalow courts – are similar in form and character to single-family homes but provide greater variety of unit sizes and configurations to accommodate a broad range of household sizes and income levels. Potential locations for significant infill housing are outlined in the previous Subarea goals and strategies.

LU-9.2. Facilitate the development of new income-restricted affordable housing, including senior, workforce, and student housing.

To encourage the development of new income-restricted affordable housing, the City should provide a series of development incentives supporting projects of this kind. These incentives can include permitting and processing assistance, subsidized or deferred development application fees, and working with financial institutions on providing financing for purchase, construction, and rehabilitation of projects of this kind. Additionally, the City should aggressively pursue grants and new funding sources to support affordable housing development. The City should partner with Fresno Housing, Habitat for Humanity, and Self Help Enterprises to provide income-restricted housing as these organizations are currently the primary provider of affordable housing in Fresno. Potential locations for senior, workforce, and student housing include the former UMC hospital and IRS facility sites, as outlined previously in the Subarea goals and strategies.
83 LU-9.3. Encourage and facilitate the building
of backyard or alley ADUs in existing
residential neighborhoods.

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) provide
the opportunity to seamlessly and
gently intensify neighborhoods. The
addition of ADUs in the back of lots (or
in converted “front garages”) would
add to the overall housing stock and
maintain affordable housing choices,
while the overall property values within
these neighborhoods could increase.

The City should streamline the process
of approving ADUs. One way to do
this is to utilize the ADU toolkit of preapproved drawings and a kit of parts and architectural styles and materials
for ADUs to maintain the character of
existing single-family neighborhoods. In
turn, these new units will bring activity
and “eyes on the street” to alleys,
converting them into inviting and safe
“neighborhood lanes.” (See Strategy LU8.3 for additional strategies to improve alleyways.)
ADU
Cedar Heights affordable housing development in CSE Fresno.

Photo credit: TFS Investments
84 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
ch.
4 transportation,
public realm, &
infrastructure
Photo credit: NACTO
86 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 87 transportation, public realm, &
infrastructure

4.1 Introduction
Transportation infrastructure is a critical component of any neighborhood. It should not only afford the public opportunities for convenient, comfortable, and safe travel within the neighborhood, but also provide the same connections to other neighborhoods and the regional network. Throughout the planning process, it became clear that safe, convenient access to transit, cycling and walking were a high priority for the Central Southeast community. The Central Southeast neighborhood has five arterials and a network of wide collector streets that present obstacles to walking and biking. Many of these streets need a strategic rebalancing of priorities in order to improve the safety and livability of the neighborhood.

CSE Fresno will build on its strengths and assets: completing and improving its sidewalk network, adding enhanced pedestrian crossings at key locations, building upon the existing transit network, and adding bike facilities to ensure all residents have access to a safe and attractive transportation network that supports multiple community goals, rather than simply moving traffic through the area. Additionally, an integrated and sustainable approach to improving infrastructure systems, both above and below ground, will help promote energy, waste management, and water efficiency, mitigate the impacts of flooding, enhance water quality, and foster future private investment in the community.

4.2 Existing Conditions
Street Network
CSE Fresno’s existing circulation has been laid out over historically agricultural land and is primarily delineated by major arterials and collectors that form half-mile square “neighborhoods.” Existing roadways within the Plan Area range from local roads with a single lane in each direction to arterials with up to two through lanes in each direction. Street types include arterials, collectors, neighborhood streets, frontage roads, and alleys.

While the majority of the streets in CSE Fresno form a connective grid, there are a few breaks in the network, notably California Avenue between Cedar and Chestnut, and Willow Avenue, on the east side of the former IRS facility, between Butler and Cesar Chavez Boulevard. Such network breaks exhibiting large and/or irregular block structures, constrained access, and limited pedestrian connectivity are prevalent in the big box retail centers along Cesar Chavez Boulevard, the newer suburban and apartment developments, and the undeveloped and industrial areas in the southern portion of the Plan Area.

The older, more historic residential neighborhoods tend to have a fine-grained street network that is better connected, with a majority of blocks split by residential service/utility alleys. While some alleys are still functional, many of them have been in disuse or neglected and, due to safety concerns, neighborhood blocks have restricted access to the alleys. Block structure, streetscape and building 88 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Example of a high-volume commercial corridor within the Plan Area
Example of a neighborhood street
setbacks are quite consistent throughout these
neighborhoods, providing environments more
conducive to pedestrian and bicycle movement by
the completeness of the network, lower vehicular
speeds, and general presence of comfortable
sidewalks.

Streetscapes vary amongst the street types.

Most existing streets are primarily designed to
move a maximum number of vehicles and often
lack landscaping, lighting, appropriate crossings,
comfortable sidewalks, and bike facilities. Having
such gaps in the network creates challenges for
mobility throughout the Plan Area, particularly for
those who are not able to drive including youth,
the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Roadway Capacity and Planned
Projects
Most roadways in the Plan Area operate
acceptably under the City of Fresno traffic impact
thresholds. There are currently no plans for road
widening capacity improvements within the Plan
Area, except for Willow Avenue (north of Cesar
Chavez Boulevard) that is planned to be expanded
from 2 to 4 lanes. In addition, there is one
roadway segment planned for lane reductions
– Lane Avenue from Chestnut Avenue to Willow
Avenue.

CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 89 Bicycle Network
CSE Fresno has a very limited bicycle and trail
network, which discourages bicycling as an
alternative to vehicle travel. The Plan Area has
one of the lowest bike ridership and some of the
highest concentration areas for bicycle and vehicle
collisions in the City, particularly along Cesar
Chavez Boulevard (Fresno Active Transportation
Plan (ATP), 2017). Most of the bike lanes in the
Plan Area run in short segments and are often
discontinuous (see Figure 4-3. Proposed Bicycle
Network). The Plan Area has two continuous
bike lanes along Cesar Chavez Boulevard, which
connects to Downtown, and along Chestnut
Avenue, but they do not provide any buffer from
fast-moving vehicular traffic. Trails, or Class I bike
paths, are multi-use pathways separated from
vehicle traffic and shared between bicyclists and
pedestrians. Currently, there is only one short
trail segment in the northern part of the Plan
Area along McKenzie Avenue between Willow and
Clovis Avenues.

Example of a Class I bike path adjacent to the Plan Area Example of a Class II bikeway in the Plan Area
90 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Bikeway Facility Types
Bicycle/Pedestrian or Multi-use Path (Class I)
Description: Bike paths, often referred to as shared-use paths or trails, are off-street facilities that provide exclusive use for non-motorized travel, including bicyclists and pedestrians. Bike paths have minimal cross flow with motorists and are typically located along landscaped corridors. Bike paths can be utilized for both recreational and commute trips.

Purpose: To provide a safe and comfortable environment to bike and walk that is completely separated from roadway traffic.

Bike Lane (Class II)
Description: Class II bike lanes are on-street facilities that use striping, stencils, and signage to denote preferential or exclusive use by bicyclists. On-street bikes lanes are located adjacent to motor vehicle traffic (see diagram). Bike lanes are intended to alert drivers about the predictable movements of bicyclists, and provide adequate space for comfortable riding. Current City standards require bike lanes on all new collectors and arterials; many existing collectors are already constructed with Class II bike lanes.

Purpose: To provide an exclusive space for bicyclists on the road.

CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 91 Bike Route (Class III)
Description: Class III bike routes are on-street pavement markings or signage that connect the bicycle roadway network. Shared-lane markings, or “sharrows,” are a common Class III pavement marking that alerts drivers that bicyclists are sharing the road. Class III bike routes can be utilized to connect bicycle lanes or paths along corridors that do not provide enough space for dedicated lanes on low-speed and low-volume streets. Shoulders are useful but not required on streets with Class III bike routes.

Purpose: To provide a shared use with motor vehicle traffic, typically on lower volume roadways.

Cycle Track/Separated Bikeway (Class IV)
Description: Class IV separated bikeways, commonly known as “cycle tracks,” are physically separated bicycle facilities that are distinct from the sidewalk and designed for exclusive use by bicyclists. They are located within the street right-of-way, but provide similar comfort when compared to Class I multi-use paths. The key feature of a separated bikeway is a vertical element that provides further separation from motor vehicle traffic. Common vertical elements used for separation include a vertical curb, a painted buffer with flexible posts, parked cars, a landscaped area, or a fixed barrier.

Purpose: To provide a safe and comfortable environment to bike separated from roadway traffic. 92 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Example of missing and incomplete sidewalk segment along East Dwight Way Existing Pedestrian Network
Not unlike the existing bicycle network, the pedestrian network also lacks connectivity and accessibility in the Plan Area. During the planning process, stakeholders considered an unsafe walking environment as the most important issue facing CSE Fresno. Long block lengths, wide streets, unmarked or unsignalized intersections, fast moving traffic, narrow sidewalks, and a lack of street trees and furnishings are just some of the conditions that contribute to an unsafe and uninviting pedestrian environment. Cesar Chavez Boulevard (from Cedar Avenue to Peach Avenue) is a high-activity commercial corridor that has been identified for having one of the greatest concentrations of pedestrian and vehicle collision incidents in the city (Fresno Active Transportation Plan (ATP), 2017). While most streets have sidewalks, there are gaps in the sidewalk network in the areas near the northern and southern limits of the Plan Area (see Figure 4-4. Proposed Pedestrian Network).

CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 93 Existing Transit Routes
Fresno Area Express (FAX) provides transit service in the Plan Area, as well as adjacent communities in the City of Fresno. FAX operates 17 bus routes throughout the City, with six routes serving the Plan Area (Routes 1, 22, 26, 33, 38, and 41) (see Figure 4-1. Transit Network). Routes 1 and 38 operate at 10 and 15 minute frequencies respectively, with the rest operating at 30-minute frequencies on weekdays and reduced frequencies on weekends.

FAX has made three significant service enhancements in the Plan Area over the last several years. In 2017, FAX implemented “FAX-15” service along Cedar Avenue on Route 38. This route operates at 15-minute frequencies from 6 a.m. - 6 p.m., 30-minute frequencies until approximately 8 p.m., and 60-minute frequencies until approximately midnight. Route 38 includes multiple stops in the Plan Area and serves a variety of land uses, including various schools and health centers.

In 2018, FAX initiated service on the “FAX Q,” the City’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which operates along Blackstone and Ventura/Cesar Chavez Boulevard. In the Plan Area, the Q (also known as Route 1) includes four stations in each direction along Ventura/Cesar Chavez Boulevard. The BRT runs at 10-minute frequencies during peak periods and at 15-minute frequencies during off-peak periods on weekdays.

The BRT stations are spaced at half-mile intervals. Station amenities include modern shelters, ticket vending machines, benches, trashcans, real-time display signs, and night lighting, with station platforms built into the street to facilitate faster travel by preventing buses from having to transition in and out of traffic. The BRT route has traffic signal priority, which, combined with the ½-mile station spacing and station platforms, moves the buses through existing traffic more efficiently. These design features allow for faster travel times and an enhanced customer experience. The Q carries approximately 25 percent of FAX’s passengers on an annual basis.

In 2019, FAX added night service from Mondays through Saturdays, providing transit until approximately midnight on five routes across the City. Two of these routes are in the Plan Area, including Route 1 (the Q) with 30-minute frequencies from 7 p.m. until midnight and Route 38 at 60-minute frequencies in the evening hours. On Sundays, all routes in the Plan Area operate until approximately 7 p.m. In 2025 Route 29 at 30 minute frequencies was added and travels along church east and west While the community appears to use and like the BRT system and other local bus routes, residents noted a need for additional bus stops at closer intervals, more bus shelters and amenities, greater bus frequency to address overcrowding, and expanded routes and schedules, including night service on additional lines beyond Routes 1 and 38 for residents working night shifts.

FAX offers 17 fixed-route bus lines throughout the city BRT Station, recently installed on Cesar Chavez Blvd.

Photo credit: GWire
94 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 4-1 Existing and Proposed Transit Network
CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 95 Existing Truck Routes
The Plan Area has a robust truck route system, with all major arterials in the Plan Area currently designated truck routes (see Figure 4-5. Proposed Truck Routes). Cesar Chavez Boulevard, Chestnut Avenue, and Cedar Avenue are the major truck routes. However, Butler Avenue – a smaller, lower volume neighborhood collector – is also a designated truck route. While it is crucial to provide access and service to existing industrial uses south of the Plan Area, heavy truck traffic through residential neighborhoods can have detrimental impacts on quality of life, including noise, air quality, and safety issues for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Existing Infrastructure-Utilities
The Plan Area is currently served by multiple utility providers. Water and sewer services are provided by the City of Fresno; storm water drainage systems are constructed and maintained by the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District (FMFCD); untreated irrigation water is supplied by the Fresno Irrigation District (FID); electricity and gas utilities are provided by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E); and telephone, fiber, and cable services are provided by AT&T/Comcast/Xfinity. Recycled water is not yet utilized in the Plan Area, but is planned and will be provided by the City of Fresno in the future.

Utility providers currently serving existing needs in the area have plans in place to serve future needs in accordance with the Fresno General Plan, as described below. Additional information on existing utility and infrastructure conditions and planned improvements can be found in Appendix A. Central Southeast Area Specific Plan Existing Conditions Report.

Water and Sewer
The City of Fresno delivers drinking water to a population of over 550,000 through approximately 182,000 residential, commercial, and industrial service points (connections) over a 125 square mile area of the city including many county islands. In 2024 the City’s water supply is made up of approximately 40% groundwater and 60% surface sources. According to the 2013 City of Fresno Metropolitan Water Resources Management Plan EIR, no water distribution system improvements have been identified for the CSESP area. However, the 2019 Drinking Water Renewal and Replacement Plan provides a detailed water system evaluation for the entire City of Fresno, including the CSESP area.

The City’s 2015 Wastewater Collection System Master Plan Update identified wastewater infrastructure in poor condition and/or with current or projected future flow deficiencies. The primary impact identified within the CSESP area was the Orange Avenue trunk sewer main. The needed capacity improvements consist of replacing approximately 6,050 feet of 36-inch diameter pipeline with a new 42-inch diameter sewer on segments of 8th Street, Woodward Avenue, and Orange Avenue in the CSESP area. The master plan also confirmed that the Gallo Winery facility at Clovis and Olive Avenue has a direct storm drain connection to the sewer system that was recommended for removal to eliminate capacity impacts currently present in the downstream pipelines, including one within the CSESP area on McKenzie Avenue east of Chestnut Avenue. No major sewer pipeline structural deficiencies were identified within the CSESP area.

Storm Drain
Storm drainage facilities within the Fresno‐Clovis Metropolitan Area are planned, implemented, operated, and maintained by the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District (FMFCD) and documented in the Storm Drainage Master Plan (SDMP). The storm drainage facilities within a drainage area consist of storm drain inlets, pipeline, retention basins, urban detention (water quality) basins, and storm water pump stations.

The only location within the CSESP area identified for storm drain improvements is California Avenue between Cedar and Maple Avenues and the detention basin to the south of the Plan Area. 96 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Closed alley in CSE Fresno Typical streetscape environment in CSE Fresno

4.3 Issues and Opportunities
The following is a summary of the issues and opportunities around transportation in CSE Fresno.

Issues
• Uncomfortable and uninviting pedestrian environment. Sidewalks, while present throughout most neighborhoods, are missing in key areas, such as Willow Avenue (north of Cesar Chavez Boulevard), Chestnut Avenue (south of California Avenue), Maple Avenue (Butler Avenue to Cesar Chavez Boulevard), and smaller neighborhood streets along the northern and southern limits of the Plan Area. Coupled with wide crossing distances, truck traffic, and limited street trees and other pedestrian amenities, streets are not conducive to walking. Residents have safety concerns around a lack of walking paths and crossings to and around schools and parks in the community. • Scattered and disconnected bicycle network. There are few dedicated bicycle lanes in CSE Fresno, and many bicycle routes are disconnected and do not provide physical separation from vehicle traffic. Completing missing links in the network and adding buffered and/or separated bike facilities designed to provide safety and comfort for all skill levels could encourage more people to bike within the community and beyond.
• Traffic collisions. Pedestrian and bicycle collisions occur in higher concentrations at intersections along major corridors, including Cesar Chavez Boulevard, Chestnut Avenue north of Cesar Chavez Boulevard, Lane, Butler, Hamilton, Florence, and Church Avenues. The highest concentrations of collisions occur on Cesar Chavez Boulevard, west of Chestnut Avenue and near the intersection of Chestnut and Butler Avenues.
• Truck traffic negatively impacts neighborhood livability. Virtually every major roadway in the neighborhood is designated a truck route. While commercial traffic is necessary and vital to the success of businesses in the neighborhood, the impacts of regional truck traffic should be investigated and changes to the truck route network should be considered to preserve the quality of life of adjacent residential neighborhoods.

CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 97 • Lack of multimodal connectivity and access. The existing street network is set up on a half-mile grid system. This spacing creates long block lengths, particularly in new suburban subdivisions with limited access points, and results in poor pedestrian and bicycle accessibility by reducing opportunities for crossings and direct routes.
• Parking spillover during special events. During special events such as the Big Fresno Fair, visitor parking spills over into adjacent residential neighborhoods, where there are no parking regulations or fees.
• Aging Infrastructure. Given the age of the Plan Area infrastructure, it is likely that the existing sanitary sewer connections are old and susceptible to inflow and infiltration. Maintenance and upgrades to the City’s aging and deteriorating sewer system is being addressed by the City’s capital improvement program (CIP). However, funding is limited, and the City addresses the highest priority projects that have ongoing overflows, backups, and/or collapsed pipes. Redevelopment may allow for the repair of existing lines and installation of new service connections to rehabilitate the infrastructure network over time.

Opportunities
• New street connections. The “big box”, strip commercial developments along Cesar Chavez Boulevard, the former IRS Processing Center at Willow and Butler Avenues, and undeveloped areas in the southern portion of the Plan Area present redevelopment opportunities that would benefit from subdivision of large blocks to create new connections and more walkable blocks. Developers should be encouraged to provide new privately-maintained, publicly-accessible streets and bicycle/ pedestrian pathways that would improve multimodal connectivity and access. • Excess street widths and capacity. Available street widths as compared to traffic volumes on roadways like Butler, Lane, and Orange Avenues could allow reconfiguration of the right-of-way to accommodate new and improved pedestrian and bicycle facilities. • Residential “frontage” streets. Many residential subdivisions in the Plan Area were constructed with a local residential roadway fronting the larger roadway network, such as along Maple, Butler, and Chestnut Avenues. In many locations, these roadways are duplicative and the additional rightof-way may be better used for multimodal amenities and/or public open space. • Regional multimodal improvements. The railroad right-of-way along California Avenue east of Cedar Avenue presents an opportunity for a regional Class I multi-use trail (as identified in Figure MT-2 of the General Plan) that could provide a valuable connection to Downtown, while promoting active transportation.
• Recent transit investments. Recent investments in BRT along Cesar Chavez Boulevard and FAX 15 along Cedar Avenue have considerably improved transit access and frequency in CSE Fresno. New connections and bicycle, pedestrian, and streetscape improvements along Cesar Chavez Boulevard and other key corridors in the Plan Area could encourage walking, biking, and increased transit ridership.
• Alley Activations. While some alleys are still functional, the majority of alleys are underused or have been closed-off due to safety concerns. Alley activation strategies, including developing an Alley Improvement Program to help residents repurpose alleys, are described in more detail in Chapter 3. Land Use and Urban Design.
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4.4 Proposed Circulation Networks
This Plan proposes a series of transportation improvements to make travel in and around CSE Fresno safe, efficient, convenient, and accessible to pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities while balancing the need to provide for vehicular access and goods movement. The proposed improvements include adding new street connections, creating a robust network of primary bicycle corridors, and implementing a series of major and minor street and streetscape improvements as described in the sections below.

Street Network
A high-quality network of Complete Streets can improve safety, enhance access, and support greater choice in transportation options. Complete Streets also provide additional benefits to a community by accommodating the needs of an aging population, promoting public health and fitness, minimizing transportation costs, creating and maintaining vibrant neighborhoods, and reducing GHG emissions that contribute to climate change. The City of Fresno adopted a “Complete Streets” policy that applies citywide (October 2019). CSE Fresno presents an opportunity to implement Complete Streets principles on a large scale, providing safe and convenient travel for all modes and all users. The City should seek out appropriate sources of funding and grants for implementation of Complete Streets policies throughout the Plan Area.

The proposed street network and improvements shown in Figure 4-2. Proposed Street Network. Proposed Street Network support a multimodal Complete Streets network that improves mobility for current residents and visitors and accommodates future growth in the Plan Area. Overall, the Plan maintains the current street network and hierarchy while providing new connections and reconfiguring unneeded or overly wide streets to accommodate pedestrians and bicycle amenities. Key modifications include:
• Creating new street and/or bicycle/pedestrian connections • Removing or repurposing frontage roads along Maple, Butler, and Chestnut Avenues • Constructing major and minor street improvements along key corridors to improve multimodal mobility, as described in the Goals and Strategies section.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Networks
This Plan builds on the planned bicycle and pedestrian facility improvements in the Fresno Active Transportation Plan (ATP), proposing additional recommendations that will allow more convenient, safe, and comfortable travel by foot and bicycle. Key destinations within and adjacent to the Plan Area will be more accessible with these improvements, including BRT and shopping destinations along Cesar Chavez Boulevard, schools, parks, and community centers. Figure 4-3. Proposed Bicycle Networkshows the location of existing and proposed new off-street and on-street bicycle facilities in the Plan Area. Figure 4-4 shows the existing and proposed sidewalk network and intersections that should be prioritized for evaluation and installation of crossing improvements.

CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 99 Figure 4-2. Proposed Street Network
100FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 4-3. Proposed Bicycle Network
CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 101
Figure 4-4. Proposed Pedestrian Network
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Transit Network
CSE residents need better options to commute and make local trips without a car. This Plan includes strategies to improve multimodal connections to local transit stops in and around the area, as well as street design recommendations that will encourage increased transit ridership. The transit network map shown in Figure 4-1 Existing and Proposed Transit Network includes existing transit routes in the area.

FAX, which is a part of the City of Fresno Transportation Department, serves as the transit operator for the City. FAX is continually evaluating bus routes, frequencies, and stops throughout the City, and will continue to build on the recent improvements in the CSE community to promote equitable, attractive, and efficient transit that supports residents’ needs.

Truck Network
With the significant amount of industrial uses located south of the Plan Area, multiple truck routes pass directly through the CSE community. Throughout the planning process, CSE community members voiced a strong desire to limit truck traffic through neighborhoods, particularly for safety reasons. The proposed truck network shown in Figure 4-5, Proposed Truck Routes, includes existing truck routes and routes recommended for removal to protect community health and safety.

CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 103
Figure 4-5. Proposed Truck Routes
104FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Complete Street. Photo credit: Grist

4.5 Goals and Strategies
To address the community’s concerns, this Plan builds on and goes beyond the recommendations in the General Plan, ATP, and Ventura/Cesar Chavez Boulevard Corridor Complete Streets Plan by proposing the following goals and strategies to improve CSE Fresno’s street, bicycle, pedestrian, transit, and truck circulation networks.

While CSE Fresno currently has sufficient infrastructure capacity to support development and growth, existing water, sewer, and stormwater systems are aging and in need of repair. An integrated and sustainable approach to developing the infrastructure network can reduce costs, mitigate the impacts of floods and droughts, enhance water quality, and increase energy efficiency, waste management, and transportation. Additionally, upgrading aging infrastructure systems below and above ground will foster future private investment in the community. The following goals and strategies are aimed at providing a high-functioning infrastructure system for CSE Fresno.

CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 105
Streets
T-1. Rebalance existing roadways to create a network of safe, connected, and accessible Complete Streets for all users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, transit vehicles, and motorists.

T-1.1. Implement major right-of-way retrofits and streetscape improvements along Cesar Chavez Boulevard, Orange Avenue, Cedar Avenue, and Butler Avenue.

Cesar Chavez Boulevard, Orange Avenue, Cedar Avenue, and Butler Avenue are the four priority corridors in the Plan Area that offer significant opportunity for meaningful change and should be prioritized for construction of public realm and street improvements to support their transformation. Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Orange Avenue are the two main commercial corridors in the Plan Area – Cesar Chavez Boulevard is the major regional shopping and transit corridor, while Orange Avenue serves as a smaller neighborhood “Main Street” with local serving uses. Cedar Avenue is a main north/south connection corridor and was identified by the community as a key schools route, as numerous educational institutions front Cedar Avenue from elementary schools in CSE Fresno to Fresno State in north Fresno. Butler Avenue is a central neighborhood corridor that connects important neighborhood-serving nodes and opportunity sites, such as Mosqueda Center and the IRS Processing Center, with adjacent neighborhoods, and has the potential to evolve into an active mixed-use corridor as future growth and development occur.

As areas with high pedestrian activity, these corridors present an opportunity for a more active and coherent mixed-use environment. The City should implement major right-of-way retrofits and streetscape improvements along these priority corridors to create a more comfortable, vibrant, and cohesive pedestrian environment. Major street improvements would entail significant reconfiguration of the right-of-way and improvements to public and private frontages, as shown in Figures 4-6 through 4-9. Excess right-of-way along these corridors can be reallocated for pedestrian and bicycle amenities such as wider sidewalks, curb extensions, street furnishings, bus shelters, bicycle lanes, and new and improved crossings. Some of these improvements could be made incrementally while others should be coordinated with other planned transportation and infrastructure capital improvement projects, such as repaving, to ensure efficiency and economy of funds. Specific recommendations for each street include the following:

High visibility crossing and decorate bulbout with rain gardens.

Photo credit: VMWP
Painted bike lane
106 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 4-6. Street and Streetscape Improvements
CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 107

1. Cesar Chavez Boulevard:

As described in Chapter 3, the intent for Cesar
Chavez Boulevard is to transform it from a
highway arterial into a multimodal boulevard
that connects a series of activity centers.

Further study should explore the interaction
and conflicts between bike lanes, bus stops,
and curbside parking. One possible solution
is to install bus boarding islands, allowing the
bike lane to move between a bus stop island
and the sidewalk. The Southern Blackstone
Smart Mobility Strategy should be utilized as
a resource in the development of the study
on potential roadway reconfigurations, which
includes the flexibility to allow for a potential
futureconversionofparkinglanestoadedicated
transit lane. Additional improvements to
support active ground-floor uses and a better
pedestrian and bicycle experience include the
following (see Figure 4-7):
• Narrowing the median/turning and traffic
lanes to accommodate buffered bike lanes
• Constructing in-street tree planters
between on-street parking
• Providing street trees, landscaping, street
furnishings, and signage
• Enhancing crosswalks with bulbouts, highvisibility markings, lighting, and signage Conflict between bus and bicycle travel on Ventura/Cesar Chavez Blvd, west of the Plan Area.

Possible resolution: bicyclists travel between a bus stop island and the sidewalk. Photo credit: Rhode Island Public Transit Authority Protected bike lane behind bus boarding island. Photo credit: NACTO 108 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 4-7. Existing and Proposed Street Design for Cesar Chavez Boulevard Cesar Chavez Boulevard Existing Condition
Cesar Chavez Boulevard is not currently an inviting environment for active transportation. It has narrow sidewalks without landscaping, wide travel lanes inducing high speed vehicular traffic, and a lack of traffic calming measures and pedestrian crossings.

The new BRT stops create conflict between cyclists and buses, as buses are required to pull into the cycle track and block it in order to pick up passengers on the narrow sidewalk. In places where bus stops bulb out, they block the bike lane entirely.

Cesar Chavez Boulevard Proposed Retrofit: Interim Option A This is a minor yet significant improvement to the existing condition, as travel lanes are reduced to 10’ to calm traffic and provide space for bike lane buffers and for bikes to pass a stopped bus without veering into other lanes.

There is still conflict as both the bus and parking cars must cross the bike lane.

This option requires the least amount of alterations to the existing ROW and BRT stations, allowing it to serve as a transition to the more refined multimodal Cesar Chavez Boulevard retrofit options B and C. *The bike lanes are highlighted in green for clarity in the proposed images. However, NACTO recommendations and City standards for actual bike lane painting should be followed.

CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 109
Figure 4-7. Existing and Proposed Street Design for Cesar Chavez Boulevard Cesar Chavez Boulevard Proposed Retrofit: Option B
A bus boarding island provides dedicated space for waiting passengers, rather than infringing on sidewalk space.

The bus no longer crosses the bike lane, although cars must still cross the bike lane in order to park.

An interim version of this option would involve only striping and no tree planters. This interim option could then transition easily to Option C.

Cesar Chavez Boulevard Proposed Retrofit: Option C
The bike lane is fully protected; neither cars nor buses cross it (other than at entry drives).

Street trees are closer to the center of the street, which further calms traffic and creates a sense of enclosure.

Street tree planters between parked cars are wider than in Option B, as they can use the width of both buffers, allowing the trees to mature more fully.
110 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 4-8. Rendering of Potential Street Improvements Along Orange Avenue

1. Orange Avenue:

Recommendations for Orange Avenue include adding buffered bike lanes, corner bulbouts, onstreet parking, street trees and furnishings, and improved intersections/crosswalks, as shown in Figure 4-8. Rendering of Potential Street Improvements Along Orange Avenue.

2. Cedar Avenue:

CedarAvenueisthesubjectofarecently-submittedgrantapplicationforsignalizationimprovements/ Transit Signal Priority. As a FAX-15 corridor and key schools route, recommendations for Cedar Avenue include the following:
• Removing lanes or reducing lane-widths to accommodate a Class IV cycle track; • Repairing/widening sidewalks
• Adding street trees, landscaping, street furnishings, and signage • Adding and enhancing crossings with signal improvements, bulbouts, high-visibility markings, lighting, and/or signage

3. Butler Avenue:

Key recommendations for Butler Avenue include reducing lane-widths to accommodate a Class IV cycle track, adding a center landscaped median, and repurposing frontage roads along some segments of the corridor (see Strategy T-1.3). Adding street trees, parkway landscaping, and repairing/widening sidewalks will further support a more comfortable pedestrian environment.

CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 111
T-1.2. Implement minor right-of way retrofits and streetscape improvements along Maple, Chestnut, and Lane Avenues.

Many smaller neighborhood collector streets within CSE Fresno were designed to support excess vehicle capacity, with wide intersections, travel lanes, and curb radii that make walking and biking difficult and unsafe. Opportunities exist to improve these corridors through minor street improvements such as restriping and enhanced landscaping, which can be done relatively easily and inexpensively. The City should implement minor right-of-way retrofits and streetscape improvements along Maple, Chestnut, and Lane Avenues to create more comfortable and safe connections between residential neighborhoods and schools, parks, and shopping areas.

Lane Avenue provides one such example as an important neighborhood street that connects residential neighborhoods with the Greenberg Elementary School and the IRS Processing Center, which is envisioned to evolve into a technology/education campus. Lane Avenue is currently scheduled for lane reductions, and the proposed retrofit maintains the existing curb-to-curb dimension while converting both of the exterior turning lanes into on-street parking and creating a middle turning lane (see Figure 4-9. Proposed Lane Avenue Street Improvements). Lane reductions will allow for the addition of buffered bike lanes or a Class IV cycle track to improve bicyclist safety.

If space and resources permit, it is recommended to construct a landscaped median in between turning locations (as shown in Figure 4-9. Proposed Lane Avenue Street Improvements).

Figure 4-9. Proposed Lane Avenue Street Improvements
Lane Ave Existing Condition
Lane Ave Proposed Retrofit
112 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
T-1.3. Repurpose unneeded frontage roads along Maple, Butler, and Chestnut Avenues into greenways with active transportation connections.

Several roadways in CSE Fresno, such as Maple, Butler and Chestnut Avenues, feature frontage roadsthatserveaslow-volumeneighborhoodaccessroads.Whiletheyprovideabuffer fromhigher volume and higher speed traffic, they expand the right-of-way significantly with imperceptible change in character and limited points of access to the neighborhoods. These unneeded frontage roads are opportunities for the City to creatively repurpose roadway rights-of-way into linear parks, or greenways, that provide active transportation connections and additional public open space for the community. These greenways should function as off-street multi-use paths (Class I Bike Path) that connect to other bicycle and pedestrian routes in the Plan Area and city and could include wide pathways, seating, lighting, shade, trees and landscaping, bus stops, bicycle racks, and wayfinding signage. The City should also ensure that these greenways have clear signage, striping, curb extensions, signalized controls, and/or flashing beacons where they intersect with streets or driveways in order to minimize the likelihood of collisions. As the building character along these streets evolve and opportunity sites are redeveloped, it is envisioned that these street modifications will support more varied and vibrant ground floor uses and private frontage conditions.

Figure 4-10. Chestnut Avenue Frontage Road Retrofit below depicts an example of a frontage lane retrofit along Chestnut Avenue to create a linear greenway. In this case, curb-to-curb dimensions of the avenue remain the same. Improvements include narrowing the automobile travel lanes in order to allow space for on-street parking and buffered or separated bike lanes. The center median is widened and landscaped, only stopping where necessary to accommodate a left turn lane.

Figure 4-10. Chestnut Avenue Frontage Road Retrofit
Buffered bike lane Multi-use path
CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 113
T-1.4. Prioritize Complete Streets over current measures for transportation performance.

Chestnut Ave Existing Condition
Chestnut Ave Proposed Retrofit
Note: Bus Stops along Chestnut Avenue should follow the standards created by the City of Fresno Public Works Department for the Maple Avenue complete streets project.
114 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
To help rebalance the roadway and facilitate economic development, the City should develop multi-modal Level of Service (LOS) standards, as identified in the General Plan. LOS measures traffic performance using letter grades, where an “A” means cars and trucks move in a free flow at or even above the speed limit while and “F” is gridlock. But this measure leaves out a whole segment of people walking, biking, and using transit – in fact, improving LOS can actively make streets more dangerous for non-automotive travel modes. A multi-modal LOS concept will consider mobility for all community members when evaluating traffic congestion and needed mitigation.

T-2. Improve connectivity between residential areas and local and regional destinations such as schools, parks, community centers, transit, retail, and employment centers.

T-2.1. Create new roadways to break up superblocks and improve vehicle, bicycling, and pedestrian connections in the Plan Area.

Many existing blocks along Cesar Chavez Boulevard, as well as in the less developed areas in the southern portion of the Plan Area are very large, and not generally walkable. As new development or redevelopment occurs, the City should work collaboratively with existing property owners, developers, and residents to subdivide large blocks and provide new direct pedestrian, bicycle, and in some cases vehicular connections from neighborhoods to schools, parks, transit, retail centers, and other community amenities. Conceptual locations to reconnect and create a more fine-grained street grid are shown in Figure 4-2. Proposed Street Network and include extending Willow Avenue along the western side of the former IRS Processing Facility, breaking up large strip shopping centers along Cesar Chavez Boulevard, and adding new connections in undeveloped/ rural areas south of California Avenue.

Paseo Complete street with median. Photo credit: CityLab CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 115
Bicycle and Pedestrian
T-1. Improve safety and reduce conflicts between pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers, particularly around centers of activity.

T-3.1. Implement traffic calming measures around parks and schools.

When asked what most would benefit their neighborhood, most residents cited improved pedestrian conditions so that kids can walk safely to neighborhood schools and parks. Installing traffic calming measures will encourage drivers to travel at slower speeds, call attention to pedestrians on sidewalks and crossings, and make streets feel more comfortable and inviting for pedestrians of all ages. The City of Fresno should work with community organizations, such as Every Neighborhood Partnership and Cultiva La Salud to conduct a study of streets and intersections near parks, schools, and other high-volume pedestrian areas to determine priority locations to install traffic calming measures. The study could include surveys and walk audits and should be coordinated with the Safe Routes to Schools program. Potential traffic calming mechanisms could include bulbouts, narrower travel lanes, traffic circles, stop signs, and traffic signals.

T-3.2. Install crossing enhancements at priority intersections.

The City can also improve pedestrian safety by providing more frequent and shorter crossing distances, and installing crossing enhancements such as bulb-outs, raised crosswalks, flashing beacons, signs, and other measures to increase the visibility and safety of unsignalized crossings.

Initial funding and improvements should be prioritized for the intersections identified in Figure 4-4. Proposed Pedestrian Network (Note: Intersections identified in this Plan represent the community’s priorities for the Plan Area, and were not established based on the Fresno ATP prioritization tool). This may include identifying locations where midblock crossings would provide importantlinks to the pedestrian network and reduce unsafe crossings between intersections. The City should also consider updating signal timing and including countdown signals at intersections to better accommodate pedestrians.

The intersection of Chestnut Avenue and Hamilton Avenue shown in Figure 4-11 is an example of a priority intersection. Potential crossing enhancements to slow traffic at this intersection could include bulbout corners and high visibility and/or decorative crosswalks. A landscaped median and green bike lanes with bike boxes at the approaches will beautify the street and improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety.
116 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Figure 4-11. Proposed Intersection Improvements at Chestnut and Hamilton Avenues Existing Intersection Conditions
Proposed Intersection Improvements
CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 117
T-3.3. Designate a traffic enforcement officer on rotation at CSE Fresno schools.

Throughout the planning process, the CSE community cited a need for better traffic enforcement in the area, particularly to address speeding in and around residential areas. The City could dedicate a traffic enforcement officer for CSE Fresno to enforce traffic and parking laws around parks, schools, and along routes to schools, parks, and other community facilities. Additional enforcement methods could include automated tickets, messaging, and speed feedback signs.

Consistent enforcement coupled with traffic calming measures and education will help encourage drivers to travel at slower speeds and create a safer walking environment.

T-3.4. Pursue Safe Routes to School funding to improve pedestrian crossings and create safe, clearly marked routes near schools.

Creating safe routes to schools was consistently rated a top priority by the community. The City should pursue funding for the Safe Routes to School program in the Plan Area. The Safe Routes to School program for CSE Fresno could include the following components:
• Community Task Force. TheCity shouldformanongoing committee of key stakeholders such as principals, parents, students, crossing guards, police, Department of Public Works, and others. This community task force should identify and address issues related to improving safety for students that walk or bicycle to school. The committee should be established for five years after adoption of the Plan, with the option of being continued or incorporated into the area’s Neighborhood Committees (refer to strategy CE-1.3.) at the end of this term. The primary mission of the committee should be to identify the main safety concerns of parents and students in CSE Fresno and work as a group to identify improvements and potential funding mechanisms for improvements.
• Pedestrian and bicycle improvements on school routes. The City should identify and construct street, sidewalk and intersection improvements that will enhance safety for students that walk or bicycle to school. (See also Strategy T-3.1) • Safety education and promotion program. Once funded, the City should encourage students to walk and bicycle to school with “walking school buses,” contests, events, and other campaigns. The City should partner with school districts in the Plan Area to establish a program to teach pedestrian and bicycle safety to students that walk or bicycle to school, and develop materials to educate parents, neighbors, and others about safety issues near schools. (See also Strategy T-3.4)
• Enforcement. The City should allocate additional resources to enforce traffic and parking laws around schools and along routes to schools. (See Strategy T-3.3) • Evaluation. Following implementation, the City should conduct regular surveys to determine the number of students walking and bicycling, compare before-and-after crash statistics, and conduct before-and-after speed surveys in front of schools. 118 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Vision Zero
Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate
all traffic fatalities and severe injuries,
by taking a proactive, preventative
approach that prioritizes traffic safety as
a public health issue and increases safe,
healthy, equitable mobility for all. If our
transportation system were designed
to accommodate human error, which is
inevitable, and to naturally encourage safe
driving, we could decrease traffic violence,
regardless of human behavior. Vision Zero
acknowledges that many factors contribute
to safe mobility – including roadway design,
speeds, behaviors, technology, and policies
– and sets clear goals to achieve the shared
goal of zero fatalities and severe injuries.

For more information, visit:
visionzeronetwork.org/about/what-is-vision-zero/
T-3.5. Educate residents on bicycle, pedestrian, and traffic safety and network improvements.

Better awareness about safe driving,
bicycling, yielding, and crossing are essential
to maintain safe neighborhood streets. The
City should develop a campaign to educate
CSE residents on bicycle, pedestrian, and
traffic safety. For example, the City could
hold bicycle rodeos at local schools and
introduce driving for bicycle safety into
the driver education curriculum at local
high schools. As part of this strategy, the
City should create and distribute public
informational materials, such as maps or
brochures, about safety (e.g.,the safe use of
shared bike lanes, wearing bicycle helmets),
transportation network improvements,
and information about new routes and
schedules. City websites and social media
accounts should be kept up to date to
inform the public about transportation
changes, improvement projects, safety,
and amended routes or schedules.

Photo credit: SFCTA
CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 119
T-3.6. Create a “Vision Zero” plan with goals and targets to reduce car crash deaths and collisions in CSE Fresno.

Pedestrian- and bicycle-involved collisions occur throughout CSE Fresno, but with particular frequency along Cesar Chavez Boulevard, which has the greatest concentration of pedestrian and bicycle collision incidents in the city (ATP, 2017). A Vision Zero Action Plan should be prepared that sets forth measurable goals and targets to reduce car crash deaths and collisions, including active transportation and street design strategies, safe routes to school, education, and multimodal transit initiatives (such as those listed previously in Strategies T-3.1 – T-3.4). The Plan should be an effort completed in partnership between the City’s Planning Department, Public Work Department, the County of Fresno, local school districts, and community organizations.

The Plan should include ongoing data collection to determine dangerous behaviors, evaluation to determine what is working and what is not, and frequent engagement with the CSE community to share findings and solicit input.

T-1. Provide a well-connected, comfortable, and inviting pedestrian environment that encourages residents to walk to and between key destinations.

T-4.1. Identify gaps and build sidewalks to complete the pedestrian network.

The CSE Plan Area should provide residents with ample and convenient opportunities to walk.

Unfortunately, some parts of the Central Southeast Area are missing sidewalks, impeding the ability of pedestrians to get to their destinations. The City should prioritize completing the sidewalk network in the Willow Avenue area (north of Cesar Chavez Boulevard), the Chestnut Avenue area (south of California Avenue), and the Maple Avenue area (from Butler Avenue to Cesar Chavez Boulevard), as shown in Figure 4-4. Proposed Pedestrian Network. The City should seek funding outside of standard conditions of development, which are commonly paid for by the developer. Refer to Chapter 8 for potential funding sources.

High-visibility crossing
Tree Fresno is a non-profit organization
whose mission is to transform the San
Joaquin Valley with trees, greenways, and
beautiful landscapes. Since their founding in
1985, they have planted over 42,000 trees.

For more information, visit: treefresno.org.

Crossing guard in CSE Fresno helps students cross an unmarked intersection
120 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
T-4.2. Prioritize street furnishings and other amenities along key corridors with high pedestrian activity to create a beautiful, vibrant, and comfortable pedestrian experience.

The public realm and streetscape can have a considerable impact on the appearance, usability, and function of the street and sidewalk. Most streets in the Plan Area are missing pedestrian amenities such as shade and street trees, benches, and refuse receptacles, among others.

The City should implement sidewalk and streetscape enhancements throughout CSE Fresno, prioritizing high pedestrian activity corridors where the need is greatest, including Cesar Chavez Boulevard, Orange, Butler, Maple, Chestnut, and Hamilton Avenues. Providing wider sidewalks, street furniture (benches, refuse receptacles, planters, bike racks), trees, pedestrian-scale lighting, and outdoor dining areas will help create a safe and enjoyable pedestrian environment and support local economic activity (see Strategy E-1.5 as an example of an implementation action).

Pedestrians should be buffered from traffic by well-landscaped planters, and on-street parking, where possible. As part of this strategy, the City should develop a coordinated Streetscape and Tree Planting Palette with Tree Fresno to help establish a cohesive character and more distinct identity for CSE Fresno. Additional streetscape recommendations for key corridors in the Plan Area are described in Chapter 3. Land Use and Urban Design.

T-1. Improve bicyclist safety and encourage biking between destinations.

T-5.1. Create a comprehensive and continuous bicycle network that provides safe and comfortable bicycle routes for users of all ages and abilities.

A continuous network of bicycle facilities allows each bike lane or path segment to function as part of a connected whole, linking destinations to key routes, and making trips by bicycle a more appealing and practical option for people of all ages and skill levels. In general, the Plan Area lacks safe bicycle routes, and particularly east-west bike connections. The City should identify funding to complete the bicycle network, filling gaps, identifying Bicycle Boulevards, and improving existing routes with high comfort, low stress bike facilities as shown in Figure 4-3. Proposed Bicycle Network. For instance, most of Cedar Avenue currently has bike lanes, but there are gaps and areas where bike lanes are narrow and lack a buffer between bikers and fast moving Wide sidewalk with street furnishings
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Cycletrack
traffic. The community noted that this should be a priority corridor for improvements given that the Boys and Girls Club and several neighborhood schools are located along it. Protected and/ or separated bikeways that minimize exposure to vehicle traffic should be constructed on highspeed, high-volume vehicle corridors, and especially those also designated as truck routes like Cedar Avenue. Priority corridors for new and improved bicycle facilities include Cesar Chavez Boulevard, Butler Avenue, Orange Avenue, Cedar Avenue, Lane Avenue, Maple Avenue, and Hamilton Avenue.

T-5.2. Construct a multi-use trail along California Avenue and the railroad tracks.

The Plan Area currently lacks off-street paths, trails and other safe areas for walking and bicycling.

Multi-use trails are the most comfortable type of bicycle facility for people of all skill levels because they provide the greatest degree of separation from vehicle traffic. They can improve public health, safety, and access by providing alternative transportation options and opportunities for physical activity. The California Avenue railroad right-of-way presents an opportunity to add a multi-use trail that would create a safe east-west connection through the community, particularly to parks and schools, and connect to the planned trail along East Ave to Downtown Fresno. The City should pursue funding for and construct a Class I multi-use trail along California Ave and the railroad line, as recommended in the City of Fresno Active Transportation Plan (ATP).

T-5.3. Provide bike and micro-mobility parking at destinations.

To further support biking as an alternative mode of transportation, the City should install bike parking at community activity hubs such as community centers and transit stops and work with property owners to provide bike parking in front of businesses, such as along Cesar Chavez Boulevard. Flexible docking/parking areas should be created that can be used for bicycles as well as other personal transportation devices such as scooters. 122 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Transit
T-1. Provide comfortable, frequent, and reliable transit service that meets community needs.

T-6.1. Improve connections to existing transit stops within Central Southeast Fresno, and evaluate potential service adjustments that would result in greater transit access to areas within the Plan Area and to regional destinations.

Residents need access to public transit services that connect to major destinations in the Plan Area, including Cesar Chavez Boulevard, educational institutions, community facilities, and parks, as well as to Downtown and other regional destinations outside the Plan Area. Throughout the planning process, community members noted a mismatch between existing bus routes and desired destinations, as well as a lack of safe access to existing transit stops. The City should arrange transit-specific workshops with FAX and the Department of Public Works to gather and analyze data (via community engagement and/or origin and destination data) to evaluate potential street improvements and/or service adjustments that could address user needs. FAX should continue to review and monitor bus schedules and routes for ways to improve or expand routes between places of work, residences, shops, and services. Finally, the City should explore funding opportunities to expand evening bus service beyond the existing night service on Routes 1 and 38 to address the needs of night shift employees in the area.

T-6.2. Provide protected, well-lit, and attractive bus stops and amenities along bus routes.

Without shelter and places to rest, bus stops can be uncomfortable and unwelcoming for connecting passengers – especially the elderly. To encourage transit use, bus stops should be well-lit and include benches, shelters and/or shade, refuse receptacles, system maps and information, and bicycle parking (where feasible). In particular, FAX should consider enhancing bus stop amenities near schools, parks, community centers, and shopping areas.

FAX Q rapid bus station. Photo credit: GWire
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Truck Network
T-1. Ensure the efficient movement of goods while protecting community health and safety.

T-7.1. Reroute truck traffic away from sensitive areas such as residential neighborhoods, parks, and schools.

While companies in and near the Plan Area rely on trucks to transport goods, truck traffic can have a negative effect on residents. Specifically, trucks can impact traffic speeds on neighborhood streets, wear down street pavement faster than passenger vehicles alone, and produce pollution and noise. To reduce the impacts of truck traffic on residents, the City should review current truck routes and eliminate or reroute as necessary to minimize truck traffic on predominantly residential streets. Routes recommended for removal are shown in Figure 4-5. Proposed Truck Route Network. The City should also review planned or potential streets for appropriateness for truck traffic, particularly between industrial uses and along main thoroughfares. For instance, truck traffic along parts of Cedar Avenue poses a safety threat to families and children given the presence of several schools and community facilities along the corridor.

T-7.2. Work with existing commercial and industrial businesses to limit the negative impacts of truck traffic on sensitive areas.

The City should work with existing industrial and heavy commercial businesses to identify appropriate or alternative truck routes and/or schedules that limit negative impacts on residential neighborhoods while maintaining efficient goods movement. Limiting truck traffic hours to very early in the morning or late in the evening could go a long way towards making CSE streets feel safer.

Parking
T-2. Improve parking availability for residents and visitors, particularly during special events.

T-8.1. T-8.1. Reduce parking spillover into adjacent residential neighborhoods during the Big Fresno Fair.

While the Big Fresno Fair attracts visitors and investment to CSE Fresno, it also contributes to nuisance issues for those residents living around the Fairgrounds. Many residents expressed frustration over Fair visitors parking in adjacent residential neighborhoods, where there are generally no restrictions on on-street parking. To reduce parking spillover into residential neighborhoods, the City should work with and encourage the Fresno Fairgrounds to create a long-term parking plan. This could include constructing a parking structure on the Fairgrounds property or in partnership with the owners of underutilized sites near the Fairgrounds, working with the City to allow joint use of public parking facilities during the Fair, providing shuttles from Downtown and other key areas of the City, and developing programs encouraging people to take FAX to the Fairgrounds.
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Infrastructure
Infrastructure upgrades and modifications may be required throughout implementation to achieve the Plan’s vision. Specific funding for infrastructure upgrades has not been identified in this Plan, but potential sources have been listed in Chapter 8 Next Steps and Funding. Funding for infrastructure modifications should be considered and identified early in the process to ensure all implementation measures are successful. Infrastructure modifications and upgrades may result from a variety of activities or recommendations in this Plan, from the proposed addition of bike lanes to changes in land use designation, among others.

T-1. Provide a network of high-functioning and sustainable infrastructure systems in CSE Fresno.

T-9.1. T-9.1. Proactively upgrade aging infrastructure around key opportunity sites to facilitate redevelopment.

As resources become available, the City should provide comprehensive mechanisms for funding and timely maintenance of crucial public facilities including, but not limited to, streets, sidewalks, drainage facilities (including curbs and gutters), sewer, and water facilities to facilitate redevelopment. Areas near key opportunity sites, such as the former UMC Hospital and IRS Processing Facility, should be prioritized to help create “shovel-ready” development sites, as further detailed in Strategy ED-1.3 in Chapter 6 Economic Development.

What is Green Infrastructure?
Greeninfrastructure is a cost-effective, resilient approachtomanagingwetweather impacts.Conventional piped drainage and water treatment systems (gray infrastructure) is designed to move urban stormwater away from the built environment, green infrastructure reduces and treats stormwater at its source while delivering environmental, social, and economic benefits.

Stormwater runoff is a major cause of water pollution in developed areas. Runoff carries trash, bacteria, heavy metals, and pollutants from the urban landscape into our water supplies.

With green infrastructure, the water is absorbed and filtered by soil and plants. Stormwater runoff is cleaner and less polluted. Green infrastructure elements include rain gardens, permeable pavements, green roofs, infiltration planters, trees, and rainwater harvesting systems that create more visually appealing streets, add green space to neighborhoods, and protect the environment.

SOURCE: US EPA. “What is Green Infrastructure?”
https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure CHAPTER 4: Transportation, Public Realm, Infrastructure 125
Rain garden in planter strip Permeable parking lot paving T-9.2. Incorporate water conservation measures into new development and public improvements to limit water use and stormwater runoff within the Plan Area.

Water conservation should be a key design consideration for new development and public improvements in the Plan Area to safeguard potable water sources, decrease energy costs, and reduce impacts on the environment. Green infrastructure and other Low-Impact Design (LID) treatments that manage, reduce, and reuse storm water runoff can decrease infrastructure upgrade costs, eliminate potential capacity deficiencies, and mitigate stormwater runoff pollution.

The City should continue to work with developers to promote, approve, and implement building and site designs that incorporate:
• Bioretention/bioswale areas, flow-through planter boxes, vegetated buffer strips, infiltration trenches, and other sustainable stormwater treatments;
• Water-efficient fixtures such as low-flow toilets and shower heads, and moisture-sensing irrigation);
• Native and drought-tolerant plant species;
• Graywater and rainwater harvesting and reuse;
• Green roofs; and
• Permeable surfaces that allow on-site infiltration.

For example, the City could provide incentives for incorporating water conservation measures, establish menus or checklists for developers and contractors to ensure water-efficient infrastructure and technology are used in new construction, and/or require development project approvals to include a finding that all feasible and cost-effective options for conservation and water reuse are incorporated into project design, including graywater systems.

The City should also incorporate green infrastructure into new parks and complete streets improvements, as outlined in Strategy E-1.2 in Chapter 7. 126 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
T-9.3. Complete construction of the City recycled water distribution system network and expand its use in the Plan Area.

Recycled water is not yet available or planned to be extended to the Plan Area. However, the City is working on the Fresno Metropolitan Water Resources Management Plan to identify future opportunities for the expansion and use of the recycled water system. Once the backbone infrastructure is in place, the City should require new development to connect to the system and work to convert as many potable water uses to recycled water, consistent with new state law requirements described in the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO). The City could also encourage developers to incorporate dual plumbing within buildings and on-site irrigation constructed to recycled water standards that can be temporarily served by a potable source and connected to the recycled water system once it is extended to the Plan Area.

T-9.4. Promote the use of sustainable design features and renewable energy sources in new public facilities, capital improvement projects, and private development.

Incorporating green technology and renewable energy into new and existing public facilities and private development is a key part of creating a more sustainable CSE Fresno. Sustainable design features such as photovoltaic generation, passive solar water heating, green and cool roofs can conserve natural resources, minimize impacts on existing infrastructure, and help residents and businesses save on utility costs while helping the environment.

The City should collaborate with partner agencies, utilities, and businesses to support a range of energy efficiency, conservation, and waste reduction measures in new private development and public improvement projects. This might include:
• Providing, where possible, grants, rebates, and other development incentives for renewable energy projects, such as increased height limits and/or flexibility in other standards for projects that incorporate energy efficient green building features; • Streamlining the City permitting process (or providing building permit fee waivers) for new residential and commercial developments that submit plans to use renewable energy and/or exceed City/State green building standards;
• Creating a tax exemption or tax neutral policy for developments that incorporate renewable energy systems;
• Collaborating with energy and water providers, like PG&E and FMFCD, to increase participation in their energy and water efficiency programs.

This strategy works in tandem with Strategy E-1.4. in Chapter 7 for providing financial assistance for low-income residents for solar installation.
parks & open ch.
5 space
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CHAPTER 5: Parks & Open Space
129
parks & open space

5.1 Introduction
Parks and open spaces play a critical role in the sustainability and health of the community by providing a focal point for community activities, recreation, and social interaction. Throughout the planning process, it became clear that access to quality parks, open spaces, and recreational amenities are a top priority for the CSE community. Residents consistently cited Mosqueda Community Center and park as one of its most valuable assets – a central hub for recreational activities, services, and social events. While existing parks in the Plan Area are well-used and cherished, they need additional upkeep and maintenance. In addition, new parks and open spaces should be created with a goal of ensuring that every resident is within easy walking distance of a park.

Looking forward, CSE Fresno will build on its strengths and assets, improving existing parks and adding new parks to ensure that all residents have access to high-quality, attractive, and well-maintained parks and open spaces. The Central Southeast of the future will feature a diverse range of parks, open spaces, and recreational facilities tailored to satisfy community needs, including public spaces that accommodate fixed and flexible programming for social gatherings, activities for people of all ages, as well as active and passive recreation. Active, community-led surveillance and maintenance activities will improve park safety and upkeep, and foster a sense of pride and ownership over shared public spaces.

5.2 Existing Conditions
The Fresno General Plan states that the City’s parkland standard is three acres per 1,000 residents for Pocket, Neighborhood, and Community parks, with an aspirational goal of five acres per 1,000 residents for all parks throughout the city, if additional funding for regional parks and trails is identified. There are currently 50.8 acres of parkland within the CSE Plan Area, with a ratio of 1.68 acres of park per 1,000 residents, above the current City average of 1.06 (pocket, neighborhood, and community parks) but below the General Plan goal of three acres per 1,000 residents. A majority of the Plan Area is within walking distance (a half mile) of a park or open space (see Figure 5-1), with the exception of the neighborhoods around the western and southeastern boundary of the Plan. Despite this, the Plan Area does not meet the park level of service goals of the General Plan.

Parks are distributed throughout the Plan Area in the form of two community parks (CALWA and Mosqueda), and several smaller neighborhood parks nestled amongst low-density residential areas.

Table 5-1 lists all of the parks within the Plan Area.
130 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Table 5-1. Parks in the Plan Area
Park Name Acreage Park
Classification Agency Condition Amenities
Mosqueda 10.02 Community City of Fresno
PARCS
Department
Fair Baseball/softball field,
basketball courts, playground,
BMX park, swimming pool,
recreation center
Pilibos 13.22 Community City of Fresno
PARCS
Department
Fair Picnic area, play structures,
soccer fields (lighted)
Trolley Creek 3.07 Neighborhood Fresno
Metropolitan
Flood Control
District
Good Picnic area, play structures,
amphitheater/stage.

Willow/Balch 1.14 Pocket City of Fresno
PARCS
Department
Fair Picnic area, play structures
Ponding
Basin Park Y

4.98 Neighborhood FMFCD
Ponding
Basin Parks
Fair Accessible path
Calwa Park 18.35 Community Calwa
Recreation
Park District
Unknown Soccer fields, baseball fields,
basketball courts, community
center, play structures, picnic
areas
Total: 50.79
Note: Sunnyside Park, a 4.27-acre neighborhood park is located just outside the CSESP area at Butler and Peach Ave.

Open spaces are limited to several ponding basins and the Fairgrounds (see Figure 5-1. Park Facilities within a Half Mile Radius), which is predominately hardscaped and inaccessible to the public for most of the year. Additional recreational facilities can be found at many of the twelve schools located within the Plan Area. Currently two schools, Elizabeth Terronez Middle School and Vang Pao Elementary, have joint use agreements with the City to enable public use of their facilities.

Prior to Measure P, most of the parks in the Plan Area were rated as being in “fair condition,” indicating some mechanical/equipment defects that require major repair or replacement. Additional park issues cited by the community during outreach for this plan included crime and safety, accessibility problems, poor maintenance, few shade structures, and lack of programming. Measure P has enabled the City to begin to address existing conditions and community-identified issues through the establishment of a Park Ranger program, investment in contracted security and landscape improvements, ADA improvements, regular tree maintenance, and the assignment of permanent staff ot programming at Mosqueda Community Center.

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Figure 5-1. Park Facilities within a Half Mile Radius
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5.3 Issues and Opportunities
The following is a brief summary of the issues and opportunities around parks and open spaces in Central Southeast Fresno.

Issues

1. Lack of parks and open spaces. The Plan Area needs approximately 40 additional acres of parks and open space to meet the General Plan goal of 3 acres per 1000 residents. Throughout the planning process, the community cited the need for additional parks, open spaces, and indoor recreational facilities. In addition, CSE Fresno’s demographics – with more children and larger household size than the City average – also highlight the high need and demand for additional parks.

2. Underserved areas. Residents around the western and southeastern boundaries of the Plan Area do not currently have a park or open space within a 5-minute walk of their homes. New parks and open spaces should be prioritized in these underserved areas.

3. Inadequate park and recreational amenities. Resident feedback suggests that current park amenities are not accommodating the broad range of user groups and activities sought by the community. In particular, there is a desire for indoor recreational facilities (e.g. gymnasiums or indoor sports courts), exercise equipment in parks, and multi-use trails which are not currently provided in the Plan Area. (Additional information on multi-use trails can be found in Chapter 4.

Transportation, Public Realm, and Infrastructure)

4. Poor park conditions and maintenance. As identified in the Parks Master Plan (2017) most of the existing parks in the area have aging facilities and equipment that are in dire need of replacement and/or better maintenance. Litter, debris, and general upkeep issues were consistently mentioned by residents.

5. Lack of park programming and opportunities to be physically active. CSE Fresno currently has a number of barriers to physical activity, such as lack of parks and recreational facilities, limited programming, and streets that are not safe for bicyclists and pedestrians. Throughout the planning process residents expressed a desire for new, improved, and low-cost recreational programming that supports wellness and exercise and provides opportunities for social interaction, such as after-school programs and fitness classes. (Additional information related to public health and youth programming can be found in Chapter 7. Quality of Life).

6. Public safety concerns. The community is particularly concerned with safety in and around existing parks in Central Southeast Fresno. Many community members said that they do not feel safe in parks because of loitering or illicit activities. Residents also felt unsafe walking to parks due to speeding vehicles and lack of safe walking paths and crossings.

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Opportunities

1. Vacant and underutilized land. Numerous vacant parcels in the southern portion of the Plan Area present opportunities to add new parks or open space, particularly in underserved areas. This may require creative use of vacant parcels in neighborhoods, as well as new parks as part of large-scale mixed-use development or along neighborhood corridors such as Orange Avenue.

2. Abundance of public facilities and publicly owned land. A large portion (almost 25%) of the Plan Area is publicly owned, which also present opportunities to add new parks, open space, and recreational facilities in the community.

3. Existing joint-use agreements with schools. Joint-use agreements have successfully been implemented at two schools in the Plan Area (Elizabeth Terronez Middle School and Vang Pao Elementary) setting a precedent to pursue agreements at additional schools.

4. Mosqueda Center. Located in the heart of the Plan Area, the Mosqueda Center was identified as a “flagship” park in the Parks Master Plan and already serves as a central hub for community gathering and activities. Expansion and improvements to Mosqueda Center could thus benefit the large cross-section of the community that is already making use of this public amenity.

5. Engaged community groups. CSE Fresno boasts a number of engaged community groups and organizations already serving the area. The City could tap into this existing network of dedicated individuals to help sponsor park improvements, build community amenities, and take on maintenance activities.

Table Mountain Rancheria Park at the Big Fresno Fair. Photo credit: Big Fresno Fair
Trolley Creek Park in CSE Fresno Mosqueda Center skate park 134 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN

5.4 Proposed Open Space Network
The vision for parks and open spaces is shown in Figure 5-2 Proposed Open Space Network, and includes improvements to existing parks as well as conceptual locations for new parks, open spaces, and/or recreational facilities. Key elements of the proposed open space network include:
• A multi-use trail along California Avenue
• An indoor recreational facility/gymnasium in the neighborhoods north of Cesar Chavez Boulevard (see site at intersection of Garden and Huntington Avenues on Figure 5-2 Proposed Open Space Network).
• New park spaces or recreational facilities in underserved areas and locations identified by the community include: the UMC Hospital site, the vacant lot along Huntington Avenue just north of Willow-Balch Park, on or in the vicinity of Hanoian Shopping Center and the Boys and Girls Club, the vacant parcel on the west side of Orange Avenue just north of Hamilton Avenue, and vacant parcels at the northeast corner of Cedar and California Avenues.

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Figure 5-2 Proposed Open Space Network
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5.5 Goals and Strategies
To address the community’s concerns, this plan builds on and goes beyond the Parks Master Plan recommendations to propose the following goals and strategies to improve access to parks and open spaces in Central Southeast Fresno.

P-1. Increase the amount of parkland in CSE Fresno to ensure that all residents are within a 5-minute walk of a park or open space.

P-1.1. Build new parks, open spaces, and recreational facilities, prioritizing underserved areas.

New parks and open spaces in CSE Fresno are both a communitywide and City-directed goal.

The Plan Area needs approximately 40 additional acres of parks and open space to meet the General Plan goal of 3 acres per 1000 residents. In addition, many residents expressed a desire for additional recreational facilities in CSE Fresno such as indoor gymnasiums, pools, and sports courts. Approximately 10 percent ofland in the Plan Area is currently vacant and over 100 acres are underutilized, providing an opportunity to add new parks and open spaces (see Figure 5-3. Vacant and Underutilized Land). The City should seek funding for and acquire vacant or underutilized sites for open space, new parks, and recreation centers. This could include applying for grant funding, such as State of California Prop 68 funding, Community Health grants from healthcare providers, and foundation grants aimed at improving the community’s access to parks and open space. Additionally, the City should identify partnering and funding opportunities for the use or development of private or semi-private parks and open spaces, such as parks and open spaces built by economic development corporations, access to open spaces and recreational amenities at Fresno Pacific University, and open spaces built at religious institutions. Priority locations for new parks and/or open spaces include areas where residents are not within a 5-minute walk of a park, and areas identified by the community, as shown in Figure 5-2 Proposed Open Space Network.

Vacant theater site across from the Fairgrounds Vacant lots surrounding Mosqueda Center CHAPTER 5: Parks & Open Space
137
Figure 5-3. Vacant and Underutilized Land
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Publicly-accessible park as part of a housing development Pocket park P-1.2. Encourage publicly accessible private open spaces.

The City should develop incentives and design guidelines for new parks and public spaces constructed as part of new, multifamily residential subdivisions. These guidelines should include specific criteria for park placement and design and criteria for when parks should be encouraged and/or required as part of new development. In creating these criteria, the City should consider the following:
• Locating pocket parks at the front of properties where they are visible to the wider community • Providing depth and size standards for the park so that visual permeability and access is maintained
• Including landscaping guidance and maintenance criteria • Creating closure, opening, and access stipulations so that parks are accessible to the general public
P-1.3. Convert flood control land to parks and open spaces.

The City should partner with the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District (FMFCD) to maximize recreational opportunities at ponding basins, such as Ponding Basin Park A (along Braley Canal between Maple and Chestnut Avenues), through expanded seasonal access, redesign, grading, and amenity development in keeping with the Fresno Parks Master Plan.

P-1.4. Pursue additional joint-use agreements with Fresno Unified School District.

The City had joint-use agreements with Fresno Unified School District that enable public use of the recreational facilities at Elizabeth Terronez Middle School and Vang Pao Elementary. The City should continue to pursue joint-use agreements with the school district to allow public access to additional schools in CSE Fresno, expand the hours school recreational facilities are open to the public (i.e. evenings, weekends) and include access to indoor facilities at schools (e.g. gyms).

Priority schools for new joint-use agreements, as identified by the community, are Sequoia Middle School and Lane Elementary School. This strategy works in tandem with Strategy P-3.1 to provide both the use and programing of joint-use facilities to provide CSE residents access to a range of opportunities to enhance their health and wellbeing.

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Vacant lot transformed into temporary park / event space. Photo credit: 880Cities P-1.5. Pursue joint-use agreements with the Fresno Fairgrounds.

At one time the City had a joint-use agreement with the Fresno Fairgrounds to use the vacant overflow parking lots next to Mosqueda Center for sports fields. The Fairgrounds covers approximately 70 acres of the Plan Area, most of which is only used for a short duration during the year, and is otherwise vacant or underutilized. The City should strive to reestablish a jointuse agreement with the Fairgrounds and the County of Fresno to use vacant and surface parking lots (such as those next to Mosqueda Center) for sports activities, community events, and other temporary uses when the Fair is not in session.
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P-2. Improve the quality and safety of parks in CSE Fresno.

P-2.1. Renovate and upgrade existing park facilities to support the recreational, physical, and social needs of residents.

Most of the parks in the Plan Area are in need of equipment repairs and upgrades. Providing better and more usable parks and open spaces will attract activity, improve safety, and foster a sense of stewardship. The City should work to renovate and upgrade existing park facilities and add new amenities over time. For example, the City could install new park fitness equipment and other amenities, including bilingual signage and running paths, that promote increased physical activity and overall use of park facilities. Frequent requests from the community include improved soccer fields, lighting and more senior programs. The City should pursue funding outside of the General Fund, such as State of California Prop 68 funding, Community Health grants from healthcare providers, and foundation grants aimed at improving the community’s access to parks and open space. Priority parks for new and improved amenities are Mosqueda Community Center and Park, and Pilibos Soccer Park. The City should prioritize park amenities that the community favors and that have the most potential to activate these spaces by drawing people in. The types of park amenities identified by the community as a priority include:
• Aquatic facilities (pool, splash pad)
• Fitness equipment/Gym
• Classrooms
• Commercial kitchens
• Restrooms and water fountains
• Shade structures
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Open space with shade structures Multi-use trail
P-2.2. Upgrade existing parks in a way that promotes natural surveillance or “eyes on the street” to deter illicit activities.

Well designed and maintained parks and public spaces feel inviting and foster increased activity, which in turn deters illicit activities. In designing new parks and improving existing streetscapes, parks, and open spaces in the Plan Area, the City should incorporate crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) principles based on a natural surveillance approach, including:
• Fixing and installing additional LED lighting in and around parks and community spaces to enhance visibility and safety
• Creating well-defined and visible points of ingress and egress • Establishing natural surveillance through “eyes” on the public space from adjacent buildings, streets, and from within the public space
• Encouraging programmed activities that increase use
• Implementing regular maintenance and timely repairs
• Designing landscape areas that consist of trees, low shrubs, groundcovers, and grasses to maintain visibility into and out of public spaces.

P-2.3. Increase patrolling and enforcement around parks and open spaces.

The police and community watch presence in public spaces should be expanded to ensure that CSE Fresno’s parks and open spaces remain as safe and free of crime as possible. The PARCS department should coordinate with the Fresno Police Department to focus and increase police patrolling and enforcement around parks and community spaces. In addition, the City could build on the recent Park Ranger program to monitor parks in the Plan Area and serve as a steward of the parks.
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P-2.4. Pursue creative solutions to fund and support improved and ongoing park maintenance.

Attractive and high quality parks, public spaces, and recreation facilities generate a sense of pride, encourage active use of facilities, and improve safety. Funding for the creation and ongoing maintenance of public open space is a challenge for all California communities, and Fresno is no exception. A creative and multi-faceted approach is needed. Future maintenance needs, including sufficient staffing, should be anticipated early in the design process and should consider the available maintenance budget. When renovating or building new parks and recreational facilities, the City should use durable materials and equipment and install low-maintenance, drought-resistant landscaping whenever possible to reduce maintenance time and costs. The PARCS Department should define park maintenance zones and ensure that every park over 10 acres in size includes a small maintenance yard to facilitate regular upkeep consistent with the Parks Master Plan recommendation.

In addition, the City should pursue outside funding and support for park maintenance. For instance, the City could partner with local community organizations and volunteers to help establish a “Friends of the Park” neighborhood group for each park that would pursue grants for park upkeep and organize community cleanup days.

P-1. Expand recreational programming and facilities to meet the needs of users of all ages and abilities.

P-3.1. Expand programming at parks and community facilities to provide diverse opportunities for physical activity, creativity, learning, and social interaction.

Throughoutthe planning process,the CSE community expressed the desire for new and improved recreational programming, particularly for children and seniors. Community events, afterschool programs, educational, arts and fitness classes, to name a few, can provide much-needed opportunities for social interaction, no or low-cost physical activity, and childcare alternatives for parents. Additionally, parks and open spaces that flexibly accommodate and support a broad range of activities and programming are more likely to be frequented by larger numbers of people who live in the neighborhood and as a result feel more engaging and safer due to the increased level of local ownership and natural surveillance. The City should work to improve and expand programming at parks to meet the physical and social needs of users of all ages and abilities. This could include partnering with schools and community-based organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, Reading and Beyond, and others to provide a range of programming and activities. The first step would be to evaluate existing community programs, assess needs, and develop more programming to fill gaps or shortcomings in content and scheduling. The types of park programs and activities identified by the community as a priority include:
• Aquatic activities (swim lessons)
• Gardening
• After-school programming
• Cooking
• Activities for seniors (e.g. art classes, fitness classes) • Fitness classes (e.g. Zumba)
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Splashpad. Photo credit: Greenville Parks & Recreation Outdoor fitness class. Photo credit: gothammag.com P-3.2. Increase awareness of existing community facilities and programs.

CSE Fresno is home to a number of community groups and organizations that provide valuable community services and recreational programming in addition to those offered by the City.

Through the planning and outreach process, it became clear that many residents may not be aware of these programs. To ensure that the community is taking full advantage of existing resources, the City should create a marketing and outreach campaign to better inform residents about existing community facilities, services, and programs. This could include:
• A directory of CSE community organizations and programs • Informational brochures, mailers, and web resources to highlight existing community facilities, services, and programs
• Community ambassadors
• Community kiosks to provide residents with easy access to neighborhood information and promote community activities and events
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6 economic
development
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economic development

6.1 Introduction
Economic development will be instrumental in driving economic activity and investment to transform CSE Fresno into a thriving and successful area. Throughout the planning process, CSE Fresno residents emphasized the need for accessible and affordable education, training, and career pathway programs that will expand and diversify employment opportunities for residents. In particular, youth programs that offer vocational training and access to apprenticeship and internship opportunities to foster early career development are needed. Proactive economic development initiatives have the potential to address these key community priorities by fostering job creation, supporting local business development and retention, developing a dynamic area with a strong sense of place, and boosting access to community benefits.

Though CSE Fresno has various physical and socioeconomic obstacles to overcome, this Plan presents an opportunity to implement a place-based economic development strategy centered on inclusive community benefits and improving prosperity and economic mobility for local residents and workers. To do so, this Chapter includes goals and strategies that focus on improving the appearance of CSE Fresno’s commercial areas, diversifying the economy, capitalizing on the area’s existing strong community of small independent businesses/entrepreneurs and rich cultural identity, and expanding access to education, technical assistance, and capital resources.

6.2 Existing Conditions
CSE Fresno, though adjacent to several high performing neighborhoods, struggles economically and is characterized by high rates of poverty and unemployment. With educational attainment levels and labor force participation rates well below City averages, the Plan Area’s median household income is just under $38,220, half that of Fresno overall (US Census 2016; US Census American Community Survey (ACS) 2016-2021).

Although the CSE Fresno populace is notably younger than the remainder of the City, its residents are more likely to report health concerns and limited access to healthcare. Overall, economic opportunities and achievements in the Plan Area appear more limited than in the City as a whole.

CSE Fresno’s employment base is also mismatched with the skills and capabilities of its population.

Commuters residing outside the Plan Area fill approximately 94 percent of all jobs in CSE Fresno, whose economy is focused in sectors such as health care and social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation and food services. Meanwhile, only 3 percent of employed CSE Fresno residents work within the neighborhood, opting instead for employment in manufacturing positions both in nearby industrial areas and other parts of the City (US Census LEHD OnTheMap, 2015).

Overall, CSE Fresno’s economy is constrained with limited potential for growth. The Plan Area’s single largest employer – the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax processing center at Willow and Butler Avenues – has recently shut down in 2021, resulting in the loss of around 3,000 jobs. Most other economic activity is focused primarily around a few major retail nodes along the Cesar Chavez Boulevard corridor – an area that has also absorbed much of the newer construction. However, nationwide trends relative to the decline of brick and mortar retail, coupled with indications of a weakening real estate sector, highlight the need to diversify commercial offerings and economic opportunities in CSE Fresno. 148 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN

6.3 Issues and Opportunities
In order to transform the CSE Fresno area, the City and the community must work with existing impediments and issues to help actualize the potential opportunities. Below is a brief summary of the existing economic issues and opportunities in CSE Fresno.

Issues

1. Socioeconomic obstacles. Incomes in CSE Fresno are well below that of the City, with over 60 percent of households earning less than $39,000 per year. Over half of CSE Fresno households fall below the poverty line and average unemployment rates for CSE Fresno are higher than the City overall. Combined with lower levels of educational attainment, CSE Fresno residents face significant barriers to attaining higher-wage jobs, upward mobility, and improved quality of life.

2. Limited economic development opportunities. Economic growth potential is currently constrained due to both socioeconomic and market-related factors. With the closure of the IRS Tax Processing Center, most economic activity in the area is focused around a few major retail nodes along the Cesar Chavez Boulevard corridor, which may experience steady declines based on changing market dynamics. Moreover, though CSE Fresno is home to many small businesses, low levels of educational attainment and professional training may limit the potential for entrepreneurial behavior.

3. Labor force / jobs mismatch. Most employed residents in CSE Fresno are not equipped with the skills and experiences that employers in the area demand. This dynamic causes an over-reliance on out-of-area workers, which reinforces unsustainable commuting patterns.

4. Sluggish real estate market. Home and rental values in the Plan Area are well below City averages.

Residential real estate transaction sales activity is also light due in large part to low population and household growth, low homeownership rates, and significant housing cost burdens in the area.

Retail and office inventories have remained flat and vacancy continues to increase, while lease rates are declining.

Opportunities

1. Vacant and underutilized land. Vacant and underutilized parcels in the Plan Area offer the opportunity for reuse and revitalization and the development of new employment-generating uses.

2. Robust home-based and small business community. CSE Fresno is an entrepreneurial community with many small and home-based businesses. Many local merchants are looking for opportunities to scale up operations or establish a brick and mortar storefront.

3. Specialized retail markets. Cesar Chavez Boulevard is a major retail corridor and the focus of much of the newer construction and economic activity in the Plan Area. With stronger branding and promotion, there is potential to build and expand on the area’s strong retail presence, particularly for specialized ethnic offerings, to turn CSE Fresno into a unique cultural, arts, and shopping destination.

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Downtown Fresno. Photo credit: Fresno Bee IRS Processing Center - a key opportunity site

1. Existing economic development programs and resources. Existing economic development service providers such as Fresno Economic Development Corporation, Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board, Fresno Pacific University’s Center for Community Transformation, and Fresno State SmallBusinessDevelopmentCenterprovide anarrayof resources tosupport smallbusinesses, including assistance with developing a business plan, securing financing, and maneuvering permits and licensing. In addition, CSE Fresno residents have access to post-high school education and job training/support through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Year-Round Youth Services, Fresno Unified School District-Fresno Adult School, and Central Unified School District – Central Learning Adult School, among others. However, these services have not been publicized to every sector of the community, offering opportunities to offer better coordinated service provision and awareness in the neighborhood.

2. Engaged community groups. CSE Fresno boasts a number of engaged community groups and organizations already serving the area. Many organizations and nonprofits are working to improve social and economic outcomes in CSE Fresno. Improving the capacity and networks of these existing organizations will improve their ability to serve the community.

3. Target Industries. Bolstering and creating opportunities in target growth industries such as health care and personal services; educational services; data processing and call centers; and manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution uses offer opportunities for diversification, revitalization, and improved economic opportunities for CSE Fresno residents.

4. Nearby employment centers. Nearby expanding industrial nodes such a South Industrial Priority Area, coupled with other major employment centers throughout the Fresno region, can offer dynamic new job opportunities for CSE Fresno residents. Expanding and improving access to workforce training will be critical to ensure that the resident workforce is better prepared with the skills to acquire these higher-paying jobs.
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6.4 Targeted Industry Sectors
Economic diversification in CSE Fresno can offer much needed opportunities for revitalization and improved economic outcomes for residents. Sectors that can spur positive growth in the Plan Area include health care and personal services; educational services; data processing and call centers; and manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution. These targeted industry sectors are described further below.
• Health care and personal services. Health care and personal services are in significant demand throughout the nation from the aging Baby Boomer generation to the growing Generation “Z.” While the future of the Affordable Care Act is uncertain, it and the associated Medicaid expansion have had the effect of further increasing demand for health services. Employment in health care and personal services has demonstrated growth in the Plan Area and is expected to continue.

The location of medical clinics, skilled nursing facilities, adult daycare, and other healthcare and personal services proximate to all of the medically needy populations should be a focus of CSE Fresno planning efforts.
• Educational services.Educational services provide important institutional uses that can contribute to improvements in the built environment and offer critical opportunities for workforce development.

Attracting educational service providers to CSE Fresno should be a cornerstone of future economic development efforts. Trade schools and smaller-scale certificate programs focused on the medical, construction, energy, information technology, and other industries offer critical workforce development opportunities that will improve CSE Fresno and the City’s ability to attract businesses reliant on these skills. For example, Fresno State’s planned First Responders Center (just south of the Plan Area) will include academies for police, fire and emergency services that could provide valuable job training opportunities for CSE residents. With the availability of bus rapid transit along the Cesar Chavez Boulevard corridor, this area is well-positioned to accommodate in-commuting students.
• Data processing and call centers. Data processing and call center activities are a primary focus of ongoing economic development efforts in the City. Reliant upon adequate fiber optic and broadband service as well as a seismically stable environment, these industries are a natural fit for the City of Fresno and its workforce. CSE Fresno may be able to attract some of these uses, and the IRS tax return processing site may be appropriately repositioned for these uses. • Manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution. Manufacturing, processing, warehouse distribution, and fulfillment centers are primary sources of employment for CSE Fresno residents.

Sites appropriate for expansion of these uses are limited as they generally need to be in excess of 100 acres with easy access to major freeways and other modes of transportation. However, to the extent that sites suitable for a subset of low-impact industrial uses are identified (with consideration to appropriate site adjacencies and impacts on surrounding neighborhoods), the City should continue efforts to attract these users to CSE Fresno, as they provide critical employment opportunities aligned with current workforce characteristics.

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Light industrial / makerspaces

6.5 Goals and Strategies
This section details the goals and strategies that will help jumpstart an inclusive economic development program for CSE Fresno. These recommendations focus specifically on rehabilitating the public realm to attract renewed private investment, providing targeted support to small- and medium-sized local businesses, and strengthening job training and education initiatives to allow residents to better compete in the marketplace.

ED-1. Improve the appearance and cleanliness of CSE Fresno to attract new businesses, customers, and investment.

ED-1.1. Identify targeted opportunity sites and areas with economic development potential.

Planning and revitalization efforts should focus on identifying and positioning vacant and underutilized sites for new desired uses, paying particular attention to access, land use adjacencies, infrastructure needs, and site configuration. The City should evaluate underutilized and vacant opportunity sites that may satisfy the space demands of key industry targets mentioned above. Along with these efforts, City staff will need to work assertively to identify potential reuse opportunities for the IRS facility, overcoming challenges associated with the site’s location well away from major transportation corridors and within a predominantly residential neighborhood. The City should pursue additional Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Grant Funding to identify sites that have contamination that may inhibit potential development. These funds can also be used to conduct market studies and develop strategic development road maps. These grants can be pursued in coalition with groups such as Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC), the County of Fresno, and community development corporations.
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ED-1.2. Encourage and facilitate the reuse and revitalization of existing development.

Entrepreneurs and small businesses need flexible, affordable commercial space to expand and scale up their operations. Residents and businesses specifically expressed interest in flexible makerspaces and a community commercial kitchen to support caterers and mobile vendors. The Plan Area is characterized by underperforming and dated strip retail that could be strategically repurposed for better, more valuable uses. To accommodate local entrepreneurs, City staff should work to identify existing reuse opportunities for small/flexible retail spaces, commercial kitchens, makerspaces, and other types of uses desired by the community. The City should develop design and resource guides regarding adaptive reuse and rehabilitation and convey them clearly to property owners. Efforts to reuse and revitalize existing commercial spaces can be further advanced by developing incentives for landlords to update older structures, creating streamlined and clear permitting and inspection processes, and partnering with the commercial brokerage community to connect local merchants and entrepreneurs to local real estate opportunities.

This strategy works in tandem with Strategy ED-1.6 to provide both indoor and outdoor/ temporary spaces in the community where mobile vendors and small local businesses can showcase culturally-themed merchandise, including arts and crafts and ethnic food reflective of CSE Fresno’s entrepreneurial spirit and diversity.

Adaptive reuse opportunities will continue to expand in the future as existing structures outgrow their original programming purposes and become increasingly underutilized. At present, the City has identified Orange Avenue as one such as area with properties ripe for adaptive reuse (See Strategy LU-3.2).

ED-1.3. Invest in needed public infrastructure (e.g., water, sewer, stormwater) at key opportunity sites to provide “shovel-ready” development opportunities.

A complete analysis of opportunity sites should consider deficiencies in terms of access and infrastructure and identify critical improvements to address them. Based on a comprehensive inventory of infrastructure needs, the City should prioritize improvements that present the greatest opportunity to spur redevelopment and investment, seeking to reduce private sector uncertainty, development risk, and costs. The prioritized list of infrastructure improvements should be coordinated with improvements to the public realm (see Chapters 3 and 4). As part of this strategy, the City, in coordination with the appropriate City Councilmember’s office, should develop an infrastructure funding and financing strategy to effect critical improvements that will create “shovel-ready” development sites.

ED-1.4. Establish a consistent corridor maintenance program.

For potential investors and shoppers, first impressions are crucial. Poor maintenance of public and private property suggests that the City and community does not care about the neighborhood. Establishing more frequent trash pick-up, street sweeping, and other appropriate maintenance schedules will noticeably improve the appearance and image of CSE Fresno and help attract new businesses and customers. To the extent possible, maintenance efforts should be coordinated with other public streetscape improvements along the area’s priority corridors - Cesar Chavez Boulevard, Orange Avenue, and Butler Avenue (see Chapters 3 and 4 for additional information on recommended street and streetscape improvements).

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Public infrastructure project. Photo credit: City of San Rafael Community cleanup and beautification Effective corridor maintenance is dependent upon a stable source of revenue and communitybased organized leadership. A Business Improvement Area (BIA) or a Property-Based Improvement District (PBID) may be one avenue the City could explore to generate revenue for enhanced maintenance of streets, sidewalks, plazas, and other publicly spaces. With limited public resources, it will also be important for the City to help organize and coordinate local community and faith-based organizations, businesses, and resident volunteers to conduct clean ups and other beautification efforts. These types of efforts can instill a sense of pride and community ownership, while providing consistent corridor maintenance that businesses can embrace and strengthen over time.

ED-1.5. Expand code enforcement efforts targeting blighted and underutilized sites.

Resolving existing issues related to blight and disinvestment will be critical to creating a clean and attractive environment that invites new investment and business activity. Efforts to remove existingblight shouldrelyupona“carrotandstick”approachthatincludes incentives for landlords to improve their properties coupled with enforcement of existing codes and policies. The City should inventory chronic code enforcement issues and develop a proactive code enforcement strategy, targeting blighted and vacant sites along key commercial corridors and near highactivity areas such as parks and schools. The City should also work to educate merchants and residents regarding code enforcement policies and how to report code enforcement issues in their community.

This Strategy works in tandem with Strategy PS-2.1, as it provides the added benefits of reducing public health hazards within buildings and increasing a sense of safety for community members navigating the public realm.
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ED-1.6. Allow and encourage temporary uses (e.g., food trucks, pop-up retail, farmer’s markets) to activate vacant spaces and attract new businesses and development.

Activation of vacant spaces in the Plan Area through temporary commercial uses will not only mitigate blighted conditions and create a more vibrant public realm, but also contribute to community and business development efforts. Temporary uses such as food trucks, pop-up retail, farmer’s markets, and street bazaars offer an opportunity for local business owners to market and sell their goods and services with the added benefit of offering a community gathering space where residents and employees can congregate. These also provide an opportunity to contribute to networking and capacity-building efforts.

In order to ensure that opportunities associated with activation of public spaces through temporary uses are maximized, the City should review existing regulations and permitting processes to ensure the process for the desired uses (e.g. street vendors, live music) is not too burdensome, costly, or time consuming. There should be a particular emphasis on ensuring that the hours of allowed operations are calibrated to the community’s needs and consumer demand.

While there is vacant and underutilized land suitable for such uses throughout the Plan Area, the overflow parking lots at the Fresno Fairgrounds represent ideal sites given their strategic location and sizable area (See Strategy LU-4.3).

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Distinctive and artistic streetscape elements Gateway feature. Photo credit: thebolditalic.com ED-1.7. Develop a distinctive brand for the area as a unique cultural, art, entertainment, and retail destination.

CSE Fresno’s culturalofferings shouldbehighlightedandemphasizedtodistinguishandpromote it as unique destination for art, entertainment, and ethnic retail establishments. Unfortunately, CSE Fresno’s rich cultural identity and assets are not always reflected in the area’s overall built environment or reputation. Developing a distinctive, authentic, and unique brand for CSE Fresno will cultivate a stronger sense of identity and allow the community to market its social and commercial assets to attract new residents, employers, visitors, and investors.

As a first step, the City should work with neighborhood groups, the arts community, and merchant networks to develop a distinctive and grassroots vision for the Central Southeast community that identifies signature elements of the community, with consideration to the Plan Area’s history, architecture, people, merchants, and institutions. Based on that vision, the City should develop and execute a comprehensive community branding and promotional strategy thatimplements the community’s vision and that plays to the area’s history, cultural heritage, and other strengths. For instance, incorporating culturally-themed gateway elements, wayfinding signage, public art, and streetscape amenities could create a cohesive and recognizable identity for CSE Fresno. This strategy should also include creating eye-catching promotional materials, establishing a better social media presence, and creating a website with an online business directory and calendar of events.

Branding efforts should be undertaken for both CSE Fresno as a whole and individual subareas, as appropriate (see Strategy CE-1.3). Strategy LU-1.3 provides an example of how the Cesar Chavez Boulevard Corridor could benefit from a well-coordinated and targeted branding effort. 156 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Facade improvement through artistic murals Well-maintained streetscape amenities and storefronts ED-1.8. Establish a Facade Improvement and Beautification Program.

Revitalizing storefronts through simple improvements such as repairs, new paint, and attractive signage can create positive visual change in the neighborhood and improve economic vitality as consumer traffic increases and neighboring businesses and property owners are encouraged to implement similar improvements. Studies have demonstrated that improvements to the visual character of buildings can have real effects on business economics, generating sustained increases in sales activity.

The City should develop a Facade Improvement and Beautification Program to encourage property owners and businesses to improve building facades and rehabilitate the interior and exterior of aged and neglected buildings. This could include incentives such as matching grants or loan programs, tax incentives, or design and other technical assistance. For example, Cesar Chavez Boulevard is once such area that could benefit greatly from such a program’s implementation (see Strategy LU-1.4).

Funding for such a program will likely require aggressive pursuit of federal and state grants as well as the potential dedication of public funds. The City, the applicable district Councilmember’s office, and community-based business associations should work with businesses and property owners, financial institutions, and foundations to pursue a variety of potential funding sources, such as loans and grants. The City could also opt to dedicate a portion of increased sales or property tax receipts to sustain the program.

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ED-1. Foster the creation, retention, expansion, and attraction of local and small businesses.

ED-2.1. Consider supporting a Community Development Working Group to develop a neighborhood-based development strategy.

A neighborhood-based development strategy would position Central Southeast to compete and connectto surrounding institutions and employers while also addressing place-specific quality of life factors, local labor resources, and employment and business opportunities. The community could convene a Development Working Group of merchants, property owners, educational institutions, and local service providers to create a neighborhood-based development strategy for CSE Fresno focused on placemaking, cultivation of the entrepreneur community, expansion and retention of local small businesses, and capacity building. The Working Group could provide a forum to evaluate and address community-specific issues and build organizational capacity at a grassroots, neighborhood level. The City could participate in a supporting role. These Working Group efforts should be coordinated and integrated with the neighborhood branding efforts, business liaison role, and other economic development efforts described in this chapter. The working group should ensure that all businesses are served and materials should be developed in multiple languages.

Implementation of local development initiatives can be resource-intensive, and the Working Group will likely need to evaluate and pursue a variety of funding resources such as federal and state grants, emerging tax increment financing mechanisms, business improvement districts, and other revenue sources.

Neighborhood-Based Development
Neighborhood-based development strategies focus on neighborhood-level interventions and actions to foster improved economic outcomes, opportunities, and community vitality.

Neighborhood-based economic development focuses on smaller-scale local interventions and a “bottom-up” approach that involves community members in the process and emphasizes strategies to increase local economic opportunities, promote citizen control and selfdetermination over economic outcomes, and improve equity. 158 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
ED-2.2. Provide incentives and financial assistance to support small businesses in CSE Fresno.

Small business development is a major driving force behind job creation and cultivating small business opportunities is a cornerstone of neighborhood-based economic development strategies. The City should evaluate and expand existing support programs and incentives to help small businesses start, grow, and expand. This could include financing assistance, permitting assistance, and a partnership with Fresno Pacific University’s Center for Community Transformation to provide technical assistance programs that offer services such as business development strategies, business planning services, management training, and a wide variety of related services.

Often, access to capital is the primary determinant of whether a business will grow and survive over the long-term. By collaborating with community organizations and non-profit credit unions to provide financial literacy education (e.g., how to navigate the lending process and apply for the appropriate loan product), offering workshops on improving credit scores, and establishing a microloan program, the City could improve access to capital for CSE small businesses.

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ED-2.3. Hire a business liaison focused on assisting small and local businesses.

A number of existing economic development service providers and programs exist to facilitate the development and growth of small business enterprises. For example, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development offers a number of small business incentive programs through the Office of Small Business Advocate (OSBA). Local Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and other providers offer financing and business assistance for small and developing businesses. Local service providers such as Fresno Economic Development Corporation, Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board, Fresno Pacific University Center for Community Transformation, and Fresno State Small Business Development Center provide an array of resources to support small business, including assistance with developing a business plan, securing financing, and maneuvering permits and licensing.

Unfortunately, many residents and businesses may not be aware of or able to access these services. The City can play a key role in facilitating and coordinating access to existing and new programs by hiring a local small business liaison to help connect small businesses and entrepreneurs with various nonprofit providers, financial institutions, and local, state and federal government programs, offering both education regarding available resources as well as technical application assistance. The business liaison could also help small and local businesses navigate permitting and other regulatory compliance processes. The person hired for this position should be bilingual and understand the business community in CSE Fresno.

ED-1. Expand availability of and access to worker and student education, job training, and placement programs.

ED-3.1. Conduct a study to identify and document workforce skills and labor resources of CSE residents.

Many residents in CSE Fresno are not equipped with the skills and experiences that employers in the area demand. In coordination with the neighborhood-based economic development strategy described previously, the City should undertake a concerted effort to better understand current labor market dynamics and trends in CSE Fresno. As a first step towards understanding and addressing this skills mismatch, the City should commission a study to document the existing workforce skills and labor resources present in CSE Fresno, taking into consideration the commute patterns and socioeconomic characteristics of the population. This study will provide important information regarding the types of opportunities for which CSE residents are qualified and will help to identify key skills gaps and workforce training needs. The study should also evaluate the role that new and emerging businesses play in the local economy, seeking to understand home-based business and sole proprietor business dynamics. 160 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
ED-3.2. Work with educational institutions and workforce development providers to expand and create new education and training programs based on employer/industry needs.

Trends in employment opportunities throughout the Fresno region should be evaluated to understand the likely characteristics, education, and training requirements of job opportunities for CSE residents. The City should work with its various job training partners, such as the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board, as well as educational institutions such as the Fresno Adult School and Fresno City College to expand job training opportunities for CSE residents, customizing training to meet employer/industry needs and address the skills gaps identified by the workforce study (see Strategy ED-3.1). Adult education initiatives should focus not only on current employment needs and trends, but also look forward ensuring that skill development and labor resources evolve with changing technological and employment requirements. Job training programs and workshops should use a holistic approach to accessing employment opportunities by incorporating foundational and soft skills such as English-language speaking, resume writing, and interviewing. Increasing the education level, English language skills, and vocational credentials of the adult workforce is central to growing the CSE Fresno economy and reducing economic disparities.

CSE Fresno residents may also face barriers to accessing available workforce development and career pathway resources, such as cost, hours, and proximity to home. To improve access, economic development service providers should have an on the ground presence in the community, offering local classes, workshops, and activities at convenient times and locations and attending local events such as swap meets, festivals, farmers’ markets, and other local community gatherings.

ED-3.3. Partner with private industry to bring recruitment, job training, and apprenticeship programs to the neighborhood.

Many applied manufacturing and industrial technology applications require extremely specialized training and many companies are turning to apprenticeship and onsite job training programs to cultivate needed labor resources. These efforts can be costly, requiring intensive up-front investment in employee development. The City should coordinate with trade unions, the San Joaquin Valley Manufacturing Alliance, and local employers, particularly those located proximate to the Plan Area to identify employment and labor resource needs and develop strategies and incentives to bring job training and apprenticeship opportunities to the neighborhood. Such an approach can benefit both the community and employers by training residents for and connecting them to local employment opportunities and ensuring that local industry has access to a more robust pipeline of qualified workers. Incentives for employers to participate may also include grant or matching funds, tax benefits, or other economic development incentives offered by the City.

ED-3.4. Integrate economic development, workforce training, and placement programs with social service and youth development programs.

Barriers to economic mobility in CSE Fresno are not limited to difficulties accessing employment opportunities. Social issues such as substance abuse, behavioral health, and mental health are also key factors in socioeconomic struggles throughout the community. Furthermore, access to employment and job training resources can be difficult for those families without access to reliable childcare. These dynamics can lead to inter-generational struggles with poverty that need to be addressed through holistic economic development, social service, and youth development strategies.

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Job training. Photo credit: Fresno Adult School Fresno Adult School. Photo credit: fas.edu The City should work with social service providers to ensure the provision of integrated social and economic development services, combining addiction and mental health services with job training and placement programs. Economic development and job training workshops should include resources for parents – onsite childcare, information regarding school transportation options, after school programs and activities, and other resources. These programs should similarly be coordinated with youth development programs that seek to develop the next generation of workers and business owners and offer resources such as tutoring, internship and apprenticeship opportunities, college admissions and preparatory courses, scholarship information, financial literacy, and other skills that will prepare youth to enter the workforce.

ED-3.5. Work with local schools and employers to advertise and expand career development opportunities for youth.

To help youth achieve professional success, robust educational, career, and job skills offerings must be provided. Local schools can help educate students regarding college preparatory programs, local post-secondary training, and post-college career paths, and connect students to employment opportunities. For example, community colleges often offer valuable applied manufacturing and technology training programs, which should be promoted to high school students as part of a comprehensive list of post-secondary education options. Continuing support for existing organizations that offer youth programs (particularly those focused on career exploration and job readiness) and increasing the number of counselors in schools will ensure that youth have the information and resources necessary to pursue college and vocational training, such as how to navigate the application process and financial aid options.

The City should also work with local high schools, universities (i.e. Fresno Pacific University and California State University, Fresno), and employers to expand training and career development opportunities for youth. This might include creating vocational, internship, and mentorship programs for youth to develop skill sets and increase experience levels. Supporting youth with valuable skills and resources will set them up to acquire well-paying employment in the future. 162 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
ED-3.6. Consider first-source hiring programs that encourage businesses locating around CSE Fresno and Southwest Fresno to hire and train local residents.

Incentives for hiring and training local residents can complement local economic development efforts. The City should consider creating a first-source hiring program for CSE Fresno, taking care to devise incentives for local hiring policies without dampening private sector interest in the CSE Fresno community. These efforts must also be coordinated with job training and other workforce development programs to ensure that the available labor resources meet the needs of targeted employers.

ED-3.7. Develop a coordinated marketing campaign to increase awareness of education, job training, and placement programs.

While many education and workforce development resources exist, residents may not be aware of available workforce development and career pathway resources. In coordination with other economic development initiatives, the City and other economic development service providers should develop a coordinated marketing campaign to better inform residents of available education, training, and job placement resources and programs. Promotion of workforce resources through partnerships with local community organizations, schools, churches, libraries, and other educational institutions will inform more residents about services including information on how to apply and pay for certification and degree programs. For example, the City and its partners could staff information booths at local events that provide merchants, employees, and residents information regarding economic development, social services, youth development, workforce training and employment programs, as well as other communitybased activities and opportunities. ch.
7 quality of life
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quality of life

7.1 Introduction
Neighborhoods represent the largest single land use in CSE Fresno and are the backbone of the community. Throughout the planning process, residents consistently stressed the need to improve the quality of life in CSE neighborhoods by providing safe and attractive places for residents to live and recreate, inclusive engagement, and meeting basic needs, including shelter and access to healthy food and medical services (see Figure 7-1. Examples of Healthy Communities Components). Residents envision a safe and healthy CSE Fresno that has well-lit and well-used streets and parks, welcoming public spaces to socialize, recreate, and celebrate community, farmers markets and community gardens to access and grow healthy produce, and culturally-competent mental and medical services. Promoting communitybased health and safety programs can bring many benefits to CSE Fresno, including better health and well-being, equity, economic opportunity, and community resilience.

This chapter focuses on improving quality of life in CSE Fresno by addressing the following topics:
• Public health – promoting healthy lifestyles and improving access to active spaces, healthy foods, and medical services.
• Public safety – providing safe, clean, and well-lit public spaces and improving police-community relations.
• Environment and environmental justice – improving the quality of the physical environment, promoting sustainability, and addressing pollution and other hazards that affect this community. • Community empowerment – building resident capacity to take ownership of their neighborhood.

Figure 7-1: Example of Healthy Communities Components
Figure 7-1 shows examples of key elements that contribute to a healthy community. 166 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN

7.2 Existing Conditions
Health
A community’s overall health depends on many factors. Eating well, staying active, and seeing a doctor all influence health. In addition, there are various socioeconomic and environmental factors that determine an individual’s well-being. These include access to social and economic opportunities, the quality of education, neighborhood conditions, a sense of public safety, and the cleanliness of water and air, among others. These conditions can explain why some people are healthier than others and why the locations where people live and work matter for community health.

Overall Health and Healthcare Access
Generally, adults and children within Central Southeast Fresno experience poorer health conditions than residents both in the City of Fresno and State of California. Adults have significantly higher rates of asthma, fair to poor health conditions, and obesity. Approximately 28 percent of CSE residents are in fair or poor health as compared to 23 percent for the City overall and 19 percent across California. Data also suggests the rate asthma emergency room visits and percentage of babies with low birth weight are higher in CSE Fresno than the State (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2017).

Access to medical facilities and services is essential for obtaining preventive health care and improving overall health outcomes. CSE Fresno is considered a Health Resources and Services Shortage Area, a Federal designation given to areas that demonstrate a shortage of healthcare professionals, including primary care, dentist, and mental health providers, within certain geographic areas, population groups, or facilities (US Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), 2016). Since the closure of the County hospital at Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Cedar Ave, there are no public or private hospitals in the Plan Area, and few health clinics. In addition, one in four residents lack basic health insurance. Many of the residents and households in CSE Fresno are linguistically isolated, which poses another barrier to obtaining quality health care. A lack of health insurance is often related to delayed medical care and emergency room visits.

Food Access
Poor health outcomes are often linked to the inability to afford or access healthy food. Residents who have access to a full-service grocery store tend to eat more fruits and vegetables, have lower body weights, and lower rates of chronic diseases. Supporting local food production can also reduce the distance food is shipped, lowering the environmental footprint of food production and distribution. “Food access” is based on physical access to a food store (e.g., supermarket, large grocery store, etc.).

While CSE Fresno is not considered a “food desert,” there are a limited number of healthy food retailers.

There are no nearby farmers markets that service the area, and few community gardens. In addition, residents have cited a preponderance of beer, wine, liquor, and convenience stores and smoke shops in the area that are less likely to sell healthy food. Approximately 25 to 50 percent of households in the area receive food assistance (SNAP benefits), suggesting that food insecurity is also an issue (US Census American Community Survey (ACS), 2013-17).

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Education and Income
Higher levels of education and income have been
associated with better nutrition and physical
fitness, quality medical care, and better overall
health. In CSE Fresno, 47 percent of residents
aged 25 and older have not completed high
school as compared to 15 percent for the City of
Fresno. Lower educational levels contribute to
lower incomes in CSE Fresno, where household
median income is $38,220 per year – almost half
that of the City of Fresno – and more than one
in two residents live in poverty (US Census 2016;
US Census American Community Survey (ACS) 2016-
2021). Taking measures to improve education and
economic prosperity in CSE Fresno could lead to
improved health outcomes for residents.

Environment and Disadvantaged
Communities
Environmental conditions are clearly linked to a
community’s health and well-being. This includes
the levels of air pollution, water pollutants,
hazardous wastes, pesticides released, waste
disposal sites, and other sources of pollution.

Living near high volume roadways and freeways
increases exposure to a mixture of air pollutants,
including diesel exhaust. Fine particulate matter
can cause asthma attacks in children, in addition
to impaired lung function, premature death
and death from cardiovascular diseases, and
cardiovascular morbidity.

While children, youth, and the elderly are among
the most vulnerable, all community members
are at risk. All census tracts in the Plan Area
experience a high percentage of days over
national air quality standards for fine particulate
matter. This area is designated a “disadvantaged
community” by CalEPA and ranks as one of the
most polluted areas in California, scoring in the 70-
95th percentile statewide for communities that are
disproportionately burdened by multiple sources
of pollution and with population characteristics
that make them more sensitive to pollution, such
as lower income levels, higher rates of poverty and
Environmental Justice and
Disadvantaged Communities
California recently adopted Senate Bill 1000
(SB 1000), which requires cities to develop
environmental justice goals and policies to
reduce the unique or compounded health
risks in “disadvantaged communities.”
Policies may address the reduction of
pollution exposure, the improvement of
air quality, and the promotion of public
facilities, food access, safe and sanitary
homes, park and open space access,
and physical activity in disadvantaged
communities.

A disadvantaged population or community
may mean many different things. The
California Environmental Protection
Agency (CalEPA) defines an “environmental
justice” or “disadvantaged community”
as an area that is a low-income area
and disproportionately affected by
environmental pollution. The Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
(OEHHA), on behalf of the California
Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA),
created the CalEnviroScreen tool – an
index aggregating multiple data sources
on pollution exposure, sensitive receptors,
and vulnerable populations. This tool is
designed to help identify communities
disproportionately burdened by
environmental pollution.

While SB1000 requirements do not apply
to Specific Plans, but only to General Plans
when amending two are more elements,
it is important to address these issues
in CSE Fresno given its designation as a
disadvantaged community. Therefore, this
chapter provides goals and strategies related
to health, safety, equity, environment, and
community empowerment.
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unemployment, lower educational attainment, and linguistic isolation (CalEnviroScreen, 2021). Nearby industrial uses combined with heavy traffic on SR 99, SR 180, SR 41, as well as truck routes through the neighborhood contribute to poor air quality days, which can result in respiratory illness, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cancer. In addition, there are several contaminated sites within and just outside of the Plan Area that have the potential to harm human health and/or the environment.

Public Safety
A variety of factors can impact community safety, including underemployment, the presence of gangs, racism, and lack of youth and family activities. In conversations with CSE Fresno residents, crime and drug-related activities were cited as key concerns, despite a decline in both violent and property crime rates in the City of Fresno and the Southeast policing district over the last few years (City of Fresno Police Department 2023 Annual Report). However, the perception of crime in the area may be just as much of an issue as crime itself, impacting individual health, businesses, and social cohesion, and deterring growth and investment. Vacant and deteriorating properties, litter, stray animals, and vandalism further contribute to negative perceptions and detract from quality of life.

CSE residents also expressed concerns regarding the safety of streets and public spaces. Community members noted the presence of gangs and drug-related activities in parks, as well as poor maintenance and inadequate lighting. In addition, many residents feel unsafe walking and bicycling in and around the neighborhood, and particularly to/from schools and parks, due to high vehicle speeds, unsafe crossings, poor walking conditions, and a lack of safe and continuous bicycle facilities (additional information on walking and bicycling conditions can be found in Chapter 4. Transportation, Public Realm, and Infrastructure).

Tactical urbanism can allow communities to test low-cost, short-term pedestrian and bicycle improvements.

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Abandoned alley in CSE Fresno littered with debris and graffiti.

Photo credit: ABC30 Fresno
Recycling center on Orange Avenue adjacent to residential neighborhoods

7.3 Issues and Opportunities
This section provides a brief summary of the issues and opportunities around health, safety, and the environment in Central Southeast Fresno.

Issues

1. Safety concerns in public spaces. Safety in and around parks and other public spaces was consistently ranked as a top concern for the CSE Fresno community. Many residents said that they do not feel safe in parks because of loitering or illicit activities. A major contributor to negative perceptions of safety in CSE Fresno is the lack of well-lit and active public spaces, especially at night.

2. Blight, litter, and vandalism. Many of street and public spaces in CSE Fresno are dirty and littered with trash and graffiti. Blight, illegal dumping, and litter can invite unwanted and illicit activities and detract from investment. Stray dogs are also prevalent throughout the community, further contributing to negative perceptions of the area.

3. Lack of access to healthy foods. Residents identified a lack of access to healthy foods as a major concern in the community. There are many liquor and convenience stores in CSE Fresno that provide few, if any, healthy food options. Promoting culturally relevant and locally sourced food can improve health outcomes while also reducing the environmental footprint of food distribution.

4. Inadequate health care. CSE Fresno has been identified as an area with a shortage of health care providers and facilities. This is compounded by a lack of health care coverage. The lack of health care professionals can have a particularly negative impact on the elderly, and non-English speaking, low-income communities of color.

5. Incompatible land uses. Just outside the southwestern portion of the Plan Area, industrial uses often sit directly adjacent to residential neighborhoods. These uses are often associated with increased air pollution, noise, and heavy truck traffic that can negatively impact the health and safety of nearby residents.
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Opportunities

1. Vacant, underutilized, and publicly-owned land. Numerous vacant, underutilized, and publiclyowned parcels, particularly in the southern portion of the Plan Area, present opportunities to add new parks, open spaces, gardens, recreational amenities, and community health facilities, particularly in under-served areas.

2. Strong and close-knit community. Central Southeast Fresno has some of the most unique, diverse, and close-knit neighborhoods in the City. There is an opportunity to harness and build on the existing strength of CSE’s neighborhoods, empowering residents to make decisions for their community and work to together to improve health, safety, and overall quality of life.

3. Diverse food resources. There are wonderful diverse restaurants and culturally relevant grocery stores in CSE Fresno. The San Joaquin Valley and Fresno are one of the richest agricultural regions in the world, often referred to as the “breadbasket” of California. With a strong local agricultural industry, diverse restaurant scene, and community interest in food entrepreneurship, CSE Fresno has the potential to become a multicultural shopping and food destination in the City, which could serve both to bolster the local economy and increase healthy local food options.

4. Engaged community groups and community-based organizations. Central Southeast boasts a number of active and engaged community groups and organizations already serving the area. The City should tap into this existing network of dedicated individuals to provide much-needed social and health-related services and empower residents to implement innovative and community-led health and safety initiatives.

Hmong New Year celebration. Photo credit: NYTimes
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Fresh fruits and vegetables Farmer’s market

7.4 Goals and Strategies
To address the community’s concerns, the goals and strategies in this chapter focus on collaborating with and empowering residents to take ownership of their neighborhoods, strengthening public safety and community relations, improving environmental conditions, and increasing access to healthy food and affordable culturally appropriate healthcare to improve health and safety for all.

Public Health
PH-1. Improve access to healthy, affordable, and culturally-relevant food and beverages.

PH-1.1. Establish farmer’s markets in CSE Fresno.

Throughout the planning process, community members said that they would like greater variety and better access to healthy foods, including a farmer’s market in CSE Fresno. Farmers’ markets improve access to locally grown fresh produce by bringing local farmers and their produce directly to communities. Shopping at a farmers’ market provides a way for consumers to purchase regional and cultural specialties directly from the source, minimize the energy consumption involved with food transportation and storage, and support local farms and community gardens. The City should partner with the other agencies, community organizations, and the California Farmer’s Markets Association (CFMA) to establish weekly or monthly farmer’s markets in CSE Fresno. Potential locations include the Fairgrounds overflow parking lots, former UMC hospital parking lot along Cesar Chavez Boulevard, Fresno Pacific University campus, the Butler Church campus, the Fresno Barrios Unidos office parking lot, and the median park strip along Huntington Boulevard. This could include analyzing existing regulations and definitions to ensure that the process for securing farmers’ market permits is not too burdensome, costly, or time consuming. The City could also provide technical assistance and support to help market operators accept EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards and vouchers to allow residents to pay using food stamps.
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Community garden at Butler Church in CSE Fresno Edible schoolyard. Photo credit: ediblebrooklyn.com PH-1.2. Create educational programs for residents about healthy eating and living.

Raising awareness around the importance of healthy food, including creating educational materials, healthy food incentives and campaigns can expand residents’ access and consumption. The City should work with members of the Fresno Community Health Improvement Partnership (FCHIP) on focused efforts in CSE Fresno. The City could assist with the creation and implementation of educational programs for residents about healthy eating, such as edible school yards, healthy cooking classes, nutrition pamphlets, and step-by-step guides on planting, growing, and harvesting home-grown fruits and vegetables. For example, the City could seek out opportunities to partner with non-profits, culinary schools, and local restaurants to host free classes and cooking class demonstrations that would educate residents about cooking healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant food.

PH-1.3. Transform vacant and underutilized properties into community gardens and street tree nurseries.

Numerous vacant, underutilized, and publicly-owned parcels, particularly in the southern portion of the Plan Area, present opportunities for urban agricultural use either long term or as an interim use before redevelopment. While several community gardens exist in southeast Fresno, there are still areas of the community that are under-served. The City should first identify specific vacant or underutilized properties in the community that could be transformed into tree nurseries or community gardens. Community gardens can provide ornamental vegetation, produce locally grown food, and create community gathering spaces, while plant and tree nurseries could supply some of the landscaping and streetscape improvements recommended in this Plan. Local residents can be employed to water and maintain the trees.

The next step would be to seek funding and partner with community organizations and volunteers to construct and maintain gardens and nurseries on vacant lots. For instance, Fresno Metro Ministry is a local non-profit that already partners with the Fresno PARCS department to manage two community gardens in southeast Fresno. Metro Ministries also provides gardeners with gardening education (e.g. a free Community Garden Toolkit), resource acquisition, and general coordination.

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PH-1.4. Encourage and attract healthy food outlets and mobile vendors to CSE Fresno.

Encouraging healthy mobile food vendors is another way to provide healthy food options in under-served areas while bolstering local entrepreneurs. Mobile food retailers are comprised of a variety of vendors who sell food out of a movable vehicle, such as a truck, cart, trailer, kiosk, or stand. The City should analyze current regulations and procedures and find ways to facilitate and incentivize healthy mobile food retailers through streamlined vehicle licensing and registration processes, and subsidies or reduced fees to help defray start-up and/or ongoing costs for mobile vendors. Additionally, the City should work with organizations such as Cultiva La Salud to support their Vendors 4 Health: Shamelessly Pedaling Produce program. This could include providing small business training, start-up loans or grants, or access to government-sponsored community events for free or at reduced cost are additional ways to both encourage healthy food retailers and support local entrepreneurs.

PH-1.5. Provide healthy, fresh, local food to schools in the area.

Providing healthy locally-sourced food to schools empowers children and their families to make informed food choices while strengthening the local economy and contributing to vibrant communities. The City should continue to partner with the Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) and the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC) to advance efforts to procure, serve, and promote healthy local foods in school cafeterias. The City and FUSD could also consider joining the National Farm to School Network, a nonprofit advocacy group that provides support to state, regional, and national levels of government for developing school gardens and implementing agricultural education (e.g. school gardens, cooking lessons and farm field trips) and locally sourced foods.

Healthy mobile vendor in CSE Fresno
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Urban livestock. Photo credit: Charlotte Sun
PH-1.6. Encourage edible landscaping and consider permitting backyard chickens and small livestock (chickens, goats, bees) on their properties.

Urban agriculture can provide multiple benefits including healthy eating, sustainability, increased food security, reduced stormwater runoff, providing green space, and promoting community engagement. Urban agriculture can take the form of backyard gardens and community gardens – places on public or private property where neighbors gather to cultivate vegetables and fruits, and even keep bees or raise poultry and small livestock. The City should partner with Fresno Metro Ministry to encourage edible landscaping in home gardens, building on and expanding distribution of their Gardening Toolkit to educate homeowners on methods for planting fruit trees, growing vegetables, fertilization, harvesting, species and seasonal recommendations, and other instructions. As part of this strategy, the City should consider revising the Development Code to allow residents to raise small livestock (chickens, goats, bees) in backyards.

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PH-1. Expand access to culturally-competent medical and mental health services.

PH-2.1. Conduct a community health and social services needs assessment for CSE Fresno.

A community’s ability to access comprehensive, quality health care and social services is vital to promoting health, preventing disease, and improving overall quality of life. Current barriers in the Plan Area include limited health care providers, lack of health insurance, chronic and mental health issues, lack of bilingual services, inadequate transportation to health and social services, unfamiliarity with providers and programs, and cost of services. The City should support the County and The Fresno Center to conduct a community health and social services needs assessment for CSE Fresno and collect and track health data to better understand health issues in the area.

PH-2.2. Encourage healthcare providers and doctor’s offices to locate and/or provide affordable services in CSE Fresno.

Access to a wide variety of health care professionals is especially critical for low-income individuals and families, who comprise a large percentage of CSE Fresno’s population. The Plan Area currently lacks health care providers and facilities, particularly since the closure of the UMC hospital on Cesar Chavez Boulevard. There are a number of ways this could be addressed including:
• Creating regulatory and financial incentives to encourage low-cost medical providers and doctor’s offices to locate in CSE Fresno.
• Providing clear guidance and instruction to facilitate the permitting process for new health care businesses.
• Working with mixed-use and affordable housing developers to include clinic space in projects. • Encouraging local health providers to establish a program that allows medical and mental health professionals to fulfill practicum or training requirements by practicing in the area. • Facilitating mobile health service providers through identification and free use of public facilities or parking spaces in the area, online promotion, and streamlined approval processes. • Working with FUSD to expand health clinics at CSE Fresno campuses. • Partnering with FPU and other local educational institutions to encourage and recruit medical students to practice in the area. For example, some institutions help finance student education or provide loan forgiveness for medical professionals that practice in under-served areas.

Community health center. Photo credit. FCI Constructors Mobile health clinic. Photo credit: Fresno State 176 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
PH-2.3. Educate residents on free and low-cost health care providers, services, and programs.

One of the barriers to accessing health and social services may just be unfamiliarity in the community about services and programs that are already being offered. For instance,the Fresno EOC provides education, counseling, and medical treatment services to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured adults and adolescents such as family planning, STI testing, and prenatal care. The Fresno Center provides mental health services such as a holistic gardening and support groups, conducts educational programs, and assists community members in gaining health care coverage. In partnership with the County Health Department and local communitybased organizations such as Fresno EOC and The Fresno Center, the City should support in the development of an education and awareness campaign to inform residents of free and lowcost health care providers in the area as well as existing programs for dental health (e.g. youth Denti-Cal program), prenatal care, physical fitness, healthy eating, mental health, substance abuse treatment, and other social services (especially those in multiple languages). This should include creating a directory of local providers and programs.

PH-2.4. Support the transition of the former UMC County hospital site that could provide wellness related services.

The community has voiced a desire for increased access to culturally-competent whole person care. As outlined in Chapter 3. Land Use and Urban Design (see Strategy LU-1.1), the former UMC Hospital site provides an opportunity to create a centralized “one-stop shop” that integrates health, behavioral, and social services for CSE residents. The City should support the County and pursue funding to build a facility that includes holistic health and wellness campus on the former UMC hospital site at Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Cedar Avenue. Developing part of the site for senior and/or transitional housing could complement onsite healthcare and social service uses.

PH-2.5. Provide community-based health services at neighborhood hubs such as schools and community centers.

Allowing and promoting the flexible use of community centers, libraries, and schools is another way to provide accessible and low-cost health services to CSE Fresno residents. The City should partner with private providers, community organizations, FUSD, and the County Health Department to increase free and low-cost health services at publicly-owned facilities such as Mosqueda Center and local schools. Community and school-based health services could include mobile clinics and pop-up screenings (e.g., flu vaccinations, prenatal care), mental health consultations, and health fairs.

PH-2.6. Conduct trainings on how to provide culturally-sensitive health care services (e.g., multilingual services).

Cultural awareness, responsiveness, and understanding are essential to increasing access and improving the standard of health care for the CSE Fresno community. There are already a number of capable and experienced organizations in the community dedicated to this effort.

One such organization is The Fresno Center, which provides culturally linguistic mental health services to members of the Southeast Asian community and conducts bicultural and bilingual training for Southeast Asian mental health clinicians. The City and County should continue to partner with and provide funding for community organizations to expand culturally-sensitive health care services and training.

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PH-1. Provide a variety of affordable community childcare and youth services.

PH-3.1. Facilitate, support, and incentivize the development of a wide range of childcare facilities and services including family day cares and public and private childcare centers.

Expanding availability and access to quality childcare is critical to allow parents in the community to earn an income outside the home and can heavily influence health, economic, and social outcomes for families. Some of the ways the City could facilitate, support, and incentivize a wide range of childcare facilities and services in the community include:
• Creating financial incentives and development standards to encourage the construction of childcare facilities and services in public facilities, new development, and residential areas. • Reviewing and revising zoning regulations for new childcare providers to make them less burdensome and/or expensive.
• Identifying opportunities to support applicants in obtaining state licensing, such as training and materials to assist potential childcare providers with understanding and complying with state regulatory processes.
• Connecting childcare operators with business and financial support and education. • Encouraging childcare operators to provide extended hours. • Developing and distributing a map of licensed childcare providers and centers in CSE Fresno that is updated annually. Posting online and distributing paper copies at parks, community centers, churches, and schools.
• Coordinating and integrating childcare programs with housing and social programs, wherever feasible.
• Incorporating childcare into City-sponsored recreation, workshops and community engagement activities, wherever feasible.
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PH-3.2. Provide low-cost, safe, and accessible youth programming.

While CSE Fresno is home to a number of wonderful organizations and spaces that support youth and families, residents suggested a need for additional programming, particularly afterschool activities for youth. The community could benefit from additional support of this work, in addition to new and improved parks and recreational facilities. The City should expand existing partnerships with the PARCS Department as well as faith and community-based to organizations (e.g. Every Neighborhood Partnership, Fresno Pacific University, Boys and Girls Club) to provide a range of affordable year-round sports, after-school programs (mentorship, tutoring, dance and art classes), and recreational activities at parks, community centers, libraries, and schools to keep youth active and busy. As part of this strategy, the City should apply for funding and ensure consistent provision of programs and services.

This strategy complements Strategies P-2.1 and LU-2.2 to expand Mosqueda Center with a youth facility that would provide a resource hub for youth mentoring, employment training, and career opportunity exploration.

PH-1. Promote compatible uses and protections for residential neighborhoods.

PH-4.1. Install landscaping and other barriers to separate existing homes from rail, industrial uses, and other sources of noise and air pollution.

Throughout the planning process, the community expressed strong concerns regarding incompatible industrial and heavy commercial land uses located outside the southwestern portion of the Plan Area and their negative health and environmental impacts on nearby residential neighborhoods. The City should work with property owners on the installation of landscaping and other barriers to separate existing homes from rail, industrial uses, heavy arterials, and other sources of noise and air pollution to protect resident health and safety.

The City Council District Office could seek to identify grants and loans and assist businesses or residents in applying for funding to add landscaping and improve fencing, walls, and other barriers between industrial properties and residential areas.

PH-4.2. Apply existing codes and regulations to minimize the negative impacts of industrial uses on adjacent residential areas.

For industrial uses located near residential areas, the City should identify the appropriate local, State, and/or federal agencies to apply industrial performance standards and evaluate related air quality, odor, and noise impacts on adjacent neighborhoods in accordance with approved land use entitlements. The community and industrial businesses should work together to identify and limit particularly harmful or noxious industrial operations and limit truck traffic hours or activities that produce significant levels of air pollution to very early in the morning or late in the evening.

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Artistic public space lighting Fresno PD and Bringing Broken Neighborhoods Back to Life community outreach event in Fresno
Public Safety
PS-1. Reduce crime and improve police-community relations.

PS-1.1. Increase regular police patrolling in CSE neighborhoods, particularly in and around parks and schools.

A top priority for the community is improving public safety, particularly in and around parks and schools, ensuring that families, youth, and seniors feel safe on streets and in public spaces.

The City should work with the Fresno Police Department to increase regular police patrolling throughout CSE Fresno neighborhoods. Regular foot patrol has been shown to improve crime prevention and facilitate relationship-building and trust between officers and the community.

This might involve opening a neighborhood service center in the area and extended evening hours with a mix of police and civilian personnel. This strategy works in conjunction with Strategy PS-1.4 and P-2.3 in Chapter 5. Parks and Open Space which recommends hiring a fulltime parks ranger to patrol CSE Fresno parks. The parks ranger could be a Fresno Police Officer or a Civilian Community Service Officer.

PS-1.2. Promote and support neighborhood watch groups.

CSE Fresno can advance community-based safety efforts by leveraging existing community resources, neighborhood groups, and volunteers. The City and Police Department should work with residents to support and expand neighborhood watch groups by conducting additional outreach, working with active community members to mobilize additional residents, and providing tools and resources. For instance, the Police Department could develop a neighborhood watch toolkit that provides resources and training on volunteer management, conducting effective group meetings, observation skills, and reporting suspicious activities. 180FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
PS-1.3. Fix broken lighting and add new LED lighting, particularly around schools and parks, and transit stops.

A major contributor to negative perceptions of safety in CSE Fresno is the lack of well-lit and safe public spaces, especially at night. Streets, alleys, public spaces, and parks are often dark and inactive at night, which invites unwanted activities and prevents community members from feeling safe in these areas. The City should conduct a mapping survey to identify broken or missing lights and locations with a severe lack of lighting and poor visibility. Based on the results of the survey, the City should fix broken lighting and add new LED lighting, prioritizing public gathering spaces and other high-need areas to enhance visibility and safety. Part of this strategy should include actively promoting use of the FresGO site and app to report missing and broken lighting.

PS-1.4. Work to strengthen relationships between residents and the Fresno Police Department.

Successful police-community relationships involve on-going efforts to work together in meaningful ways to address public safety problems facing a neighborhood. Continued dialogue, collaboration, transparency, and accountability around public safety policies and procedures are key to fostering positive, peaceful, and mutually supporting relationships between CSE Fresno residents and public safety officers. The Fresno Police Department regularly meets with community members, has a Community Advisory Board in CSE Fresno, and partners with a number of faith-based and other community groups to engage with the public through outreach events. The Fresno Police Department should look to further promote the positive engagement officers are currently conducting in the community. These efforts should focus on relationship building. The first step might be to develop and implement a Community Safety and Outreach Plan. The plan should include continuing to meet with community members on a regular basis and expanding community connections to identify concerns, develop effective crime prevention activities, and coordinate a collaborative response. Additional recommendations include partnering with local organizations (e.g. Youth Leadership Institute, Cultiva La Salud, Every Neighborhood Partnership, Bringing Broken Neighborhoods Back to Life) to provide racial equity training and increase direct interaction between police and community members, particularly youth, through coffee conversations, Saturday Sports, safety workshops, and National Night Out block parties.

PS-1.5. Improve emergency service delivery and response times for CSE residents.

The Police Department, in coordination with other City Departments, should work to track, analyze, and improve emergency service delivery and response times for CSE residents. An effective multipronged approach could include:
• Improving response times for non-emergency calls by hiring additional Community Service Officers.
• Assigning additional Crisis Teams to the CSE area.
• Increasing training for officers in behavioral and mental health, to help when responding to conflicts/incidents involving residents dealing with these issues. • Encouraging the Department to train officers in cultural sensitivity and support efforts to recruit more bilingual officers.

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PS-1. Ensure that neighborhoods are clean and attractive.

PS-2.1. Increase maintenance and code enforcement activities in CSE Fresno to ensure that homes, yards, and public spaces are safe and free from trash and debris.

Community members consistently cited the presence of trash, litter, graffiti, stray dogs, and illegal dumping as issues contributing towards CSE Fresno’s negative image. The remediation of blight and unsafe conditions is critical to not only create a more pleasant and livable environment, but also to revamp CSE Fresno’s public image and attract renewed private investment that can stimulate economic development (see Strategy ED-1.5). The City should work with the Police, Fire and Code Enforcement, to increase code enforcement activities in CSE Fresno, ensuring that homes, yards, businesses, and public spaces are safe and free from trash and debris.

Efforts should focus on the most dangerous properties and ongoing offenders. In addition, the City should continue to expand and promote use of the FresGO site and app for reporting code violations, potholes, graffiti, illegal dumping, and a variety of other issues. Incentivize use of the app. For instance, the City could consider providing the app in English, Spanish, and Hmong.

PS-2.2. Organize community clean-up days.

The community also has a role to play in neighborhood clean-up and beautification. The City should continue to partner with local youth organizations, volunteer groups, schools, and churches to organize community clean-up days on a regular and on-going schedule as it does through Beautify Fresno. The City and County can support these efforts by providing staffing, organizational support, paint and tools, and free trash collection.

PS-2.3. PS-2.3. Improve the process for responding to animal welfare issues such as stray or loose dogs.

The City should work to improve the method and process for responding to animal welfare complaints and issues such as stray or loose dogs in the community. This strategy includes working collaboratively with other agencies, community partners and departments to respond in a timely, safe, and humane manner and educating the public about secure confinement of pets.
2019 Fresno Serve Day. Photo credit:

Every Neighborhood Partnership
182 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Solar roof Green street with bioswale
Environment
E-1. Create a more livable, resilient, and sustainable community.

E-1.1. Develop an educational campaign to increase awareness of environmental sustainability practices and resources.

Promoting environmental sustainability practices can produce multiple benefits, including reducing energy and water use, helping the City meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets, creating a healthier environment, and increasing community resilience. There are a variety of sustainability incentives, programs, and resources that are currently available, but many businesses and homeowners may not be aware of them. For example, the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs are currently available to property owners to help finance energy and water efficiency upgrades. The City should support community organizations to develop a comprehensive education and engagement program to make residents and property owners aware of environmental sustainability best practices and resources. This could include:
• Continuing to develop easy-to-read materials on how to conserve water and energy, reduce waste, and protect natural resources.
• Reaching out to and providing technical assistance to business and property owners on PACE, PG&E, and other programs, rebates, and incentives to improve energy efficiency and make upgrades to existing buildings.
• Supporting FUSD to promoting environmental literacy classes or urban ecology programs for youth.
• Supporting the County Health Department in distributing information on climate change, including actions they can take to prepare for and increase resilience around hazardous events.
• Promoting sustainable transportation choices such as walking, biking, and taking transit.

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E-1.2. Install green infrastructure (e.g. permeable paving, bio-retention areas) to improve stormwater quality and reduce run-off.

The street and public space improvements envisioned for the Plan Area provide a unique opportunity for the application of sustainable stormwater management and landscaping practices. The City should work with Public Works and the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District to install green infrastructure treatments when renovating or building new parks, roadways, and sidewalks. Landscape-based stormwater management design elements – often referred to as “green infrastructure” – include stormwater planters, bioswales, rain gardens, stormwater curb extensions, tree wells, and permeable pavement. Green infrastructure reduces localized flooding, expands green space, improves streetscape aesthetics and landscape health, provides cleaner and cooler air, enhances the pedestrian experience, and can increase economic vitality.

E-1.3. Plant drought tolerant and low maintenance landscaping in parks and public spaces.

Whenever possible, the City should plant drought-tolerant, native, durable landscaping in parks and public spaces to reduce water use, maintenance needs, and costs.

E-1.4. Provide financial assistance for low-income residents for solar installation.

Energy efficiency and solar programs are effective sustainability and economic development programs that reduce energy use, help the City meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets, and reduce household utility costs. The City should support energy agency’s programs to educate and assist low-income residents with attaining State provided solar funding and discounts through the Single-Family Solar Homes (DAC-SASH), and Green Tariff (DAC-Green Tariff).

E-1.5. Plant additional street trees along key corridors and preserve existing or potential scenic corridors in the plan area.

Tree coverage offers shade, green infrastructure, a sense of enclosure on pedestrian streets, provide a separation between people and moving vehicles, and support placemaking. The greening of residential and commercial streets will contribute to a more walkable, safe, and comfortable environment while helping to capture and filter rainwater and cleanse the air.

Because expanding the urban tree canopy serves the dual-purpose of improving environmental sustainability and contributing to a strong pedestrian experience, this effort represents a detailed action that helps to implement Strategy T-4.2.

To expand the tree canopy in CSE Fresno, the City should create and implement a tree planting and landscape program for the Plan Area. The goal of the program would be to identify streets and public spaces most in need of improvement and install additional street trees and landscaping in those areas. Funding for new street trees should focus on the priority corridors identified in Chapters 3 and 4 (Cesar Chavez Boulevard, Orange Avenue, Butler Avenue and Maple Avenue). The program could be for public and private land and could be funded by nonprofit organizations such as Tree Fresno, and/or public agencies. In addition, the designated scenic corridors within the plan area shall be maintained pursuant to the Fresno General Plan, the Roosevelt Community Plan and the Butler-Willow Specific Plan. 184 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
CenCalVia event in Fresno. Photo credit: Central Daily Times Community Empowerment
CE-1. Empower the community take action and improve quality of life for CSE Fresno.

CE-1.1. Actively engage all residents in the decision-making process for plans and projects throughout the community.

Communities are safer and healthier when residents are empowered to take action to address quality of life issues, be it formally working with the City or informally through neighborhood groups, community organizations and educational institutions. This means providing community members with the access, tools, education, and resources that increase their ability to make decisions about and work collaboratively as neighborhoods to change the health of their social and physical environment. The City should continue to identify and remove barriers to civic participation for CSE residents, including cost, location of events and meetings, childcare, language barriers, and lack of access. The City should also work to adopt youth-specific and culturally effective engagement methods, including local print and electronic media, community discussions and dialogue, and school-based strategies, incorporating lessons learned from different engagement activities that worked or did not work for this community. Existing communication strategies can be improved to promote greater dialogue between the City and the community, supporting a better sense of transparency in governance.

CE-1.2. Identify and fund a neighborhood planning liaison to work closely with the community on projects.

The City should consider hiring or identifying staff to work on community organizing by serving as a neighborhood planning liaison. The liaison should work with the community on projects, train residents in community organizing, strengthen ties between existing organizations and assist them in applying for grants, and develop youth programs that foster advocacy, leadership, and engagement. Giving residents, particularly youth, an opportunity to be directly involved in projects and take charge of their own neighborhoods will build resident capacity and a more inclusive CSE Fresno. This could be coordinated through Fresno Unified Parent University and Fresno City College Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs which empower and support parents and youth with learning courses, resources, and career development.

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CE-1.3. Work with local groups to host community events that bring the community together.

Community-oriented events can celebrate local cultural attractions, enhance social connectivity, recognize local arts and artists, and increase local business revenues, all of which serve to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood. While CSE Fresno hosts several annual events, such as CenCalVia and the Big Fresno Fair, there is interest in hosting additional events in the area, both smaller community-centric events and larger events that would draw regional patrons. The City should work with local community groups and businesses to organize and host multicultural events that increase opportunities for intercultural interaction, and celebrate and promote CSE Fresno. One way to support and facilitate local events is by reducing fees and streamlining the event permitting process. This might also include collaborating with CSE Fresno businesses and residents for identification, participation, and sponsoring events. Lastly, creating a more intentional promotion and social media marketing strategy can increase awareness of arts and cultural programming and events in CSE Fresno.

CE-1.4. Foster neighborhood identity within the CSE area.

With few exceptions, Fresno does not have a tradition of defined neighborhoods. Instead, the name of a major intersection or a nearby school or shopping center is used by residents to identify where they live and work. The Plan Area includes few identified neighborhoods. A defined neighborhood can be a strong feature of individual and group identity. With its spatial delineation, it can also develop a sense of history, place, and pride. Establishing neighborhood boundaries can provide a foundation for community and civic efforts, including the ability to measure key indicators over time, which can enable a more enriched understanding of how community resources can be leveraged. The City could partner with Fresno State, Fresno Pacific University, and the CSESP Steering Committee members to identify distinct neighborhoods in the Plan Area. This could be completed through research of the Plan Area’s history, identifying natural features, amenities and landmarks, and collection of empirical data. 186 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
ch.
8 next steps &
funding
Photo credit: SUTP
188 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
CHAPTER 8: Next Steps & Funding
189
next steps & funding

8.1 Introduction
This Plan articulates the community’s vision and creates an action-driven framework to transform CSE Fresno into a safe, livable, and prosperous community over the next 20 to 30 years. To realize this vision, the City, community, and partners must be creative and proactive in leveraging existing resources and collaborators and establishing new funding sources, mechanisms, and innovative partnerships. This chapter outlines the community’s priorities, next steps, and potential funding and financing strategies to implement the Plan’s recommended improvements and programs.

8.2 Community Priorities
This Plan articulates a broad range of goals and strategies that serve as tools for implementing the community’s vision. All of the goals and strategies within the Plan are important in order to create a thriving CSE Fresno, yet many fall beyond the authority, discretion, or fiscal abilities of the City alone.

To ensure that implementation efforts are focused on those issues most important to the community, the Steering Committee ranked all of the Plan goals in order of priority. Table 8-1 outlines the top goals defined by the Steering Committee, organized by level of priority – high, medium, and low. The community, Steering Committee, City Staff, and City Council should revisit these priority goals annually and make adjustments as needed.
190FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Table 8-1. Community Priorities
Topic Area Goal
Tier 1
Parks + Open Space P-1. Increase the amount of parkland in CSE Fresno to ensure that all residents are within a 5-minute walk of a park or open space.

Land Use + Urban Design LU-1. Transform Cesar Chavez Boulevard into a walkable and lively corridor with a diverse mix of retail, service, residential, cultural, and institutional uses that will attract both local residents and regional visitors.

Land Use + Urban Design LU-9. Expand housing supply to accommodate households of all sizes, stages of life, and income levels.

Transportation, Public
Realm, and Infrastructure
T-1. Rebalance existing roadways to create a network of safe, connected, and accessible Complete Streets for all users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, transit vehicles, and motorists.

Transportation, Public
Realm, and Infrastructure
T-3. Improve safety and reduce conflicts between pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers, particularly around centers of activity.

Economic Development ED-1. Improve the appearance and cleanliness of CSE Fresno to attract new businesses, customers, and investment.

Quality of Life PS-1. Reduce crime and improve police-community relations.

Quality of Life PH-2. Expand access to culturally-competent medical and mental health services.

Quality of Life CE-1. Empower the community take action and improve quality of life for CSE Fresno.

Tier 2
Parks + Open Space P-3. Expand recreational programming and facilities to meet the needs of users of all ages and abilities.

Land Use + Urban Design LU-2. Build on existing institutions and opportunity sites along Butler Avenue, particularly near Maple Avenue, to create a series of central neighborhood-supporting hubs for daily retail and service needs, cultural activities, education, and recreation.

Land Use + Urban Design LU-3. Intensify, activate, and beautify Orange Avenue, building on its existing character to strengthen its identity and appeal.

Land Use + Urban Design LU-5. Redevelop the former IRS facility site as a technology-centered employment and education campus that can provide training, jobs, and residences for workers and students.

Land Use + Urban Design LU-8. Improve the safety, quality, and condition of housing structures and the neighborhoods they inhabit.

Transportation, Public
Realm, and Infrastructure
T-4. Provide a well-connected, comfortable, and inviting pedestrian environment that encourages residents to walk to and between key destinations.

Transportation, Public
Realm, and Infrastructure
T-5. Improve bicyclist safety and encourage biking between destinations.

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Topic Area Goal
Economic Development ED-3. Expand availability of and access to worker and student education, job training, and placement programs.

Quality of Life PS-2. Ensure that neighborhoods are clean and attractive.

Quality of Life PH-1. Improve access to healthy, affordable, and culturally-relevant food and beverages.

Quality of Life E-1. Create a more livable, resilient, and sustainable community.

Tier 3
Parks + Open Space P-2. Improve the quality and safety of parks in CSE Fresno.

Land Use + Urban Design LU-4. Activate and integrate the Fairgrounds into the existing fabric of the community.

Land Use + Urban Design LU-6. Promote office and clean/non-nuisance employment uses while ensuring compatibility and protections for residential neighborhoods.

Land Use + Urban Design LU-7. Pursue policies and programs that support housing stability and mitigate displacement.

Transportation, Public
Realm, and Infrastructure
T-2. Improve connectivity between residential areas and local and regional destinations such as schools, parks, community centers, transit, retail, and employment centers.

Transportation, Public
Realm, and Infrastructure
T-6. Provide comfortable, frequent, and reliable transit service that meets community needs.

Transportation, Public
Realm, and Infrastructure
T-7. Ensure the efficient movement of goods while protecting community health and safety.

Transportation, Public
Realm, and Infrastructure
T-8. Improve parking availability for residents and visitors, particularly during special events.

Transportation, Public
Realm, and Infrastructure
T-9. Provide a network of high-functioning and sustainable infrastructure systems in CSE Fresno.

Economic Development ED-2. Foster the creation, retention, expansion, and attraction of local and small businesses.

Quality of Life PH-3. Provide a variety of affordable community childcare and youth services.

Quality of Life PH-4. Promote compatible uses and protections for residential neighborhoods.
192 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN

8.3 Next Steps and Plan Tracking
The City’s next step should be to align the community priorities with existing opportunities and resources to effectively implement, or make significant progress on, related projects. This should include incorporating recommendations into the City’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), establishing priority programs, applying for grant funding, and partnering with residents and local organizations to initiate community-led programs or activities. The City recognizes its lead role, but it will take strong partnerships to fully implement the Plan. City, County, other local government agency staff, residents, and other stakeholders should use this Plan daily to guide their projects, funding applications, and other improvements in alignment with the community’s vision.

Given the importance, urgency, and complexity of some of the recommended projects and programs, and unknown changes that will occur over the next 20+ years in funding, laws and technological innovation, the Plan must be considered a “living document.” It should be monitored and updated on a regular basis to reflect progress, new lessons learned, changing circumstances, new opportunities, and community priorities over time. Highlights of specific plan implementation can be included in the City’s General Plan Annual Progress Report, completed every calendar year and submitted to the State Department of Land Use and Climate Innovation and the Department of Housing and Community Development. Public input on specific plan implementation can be received by the appropriate Council District Project Review Committee and could be formally scheduled for certain meeting dates at the discretion of the council member.

8.4 Funding and Financing Strategy
Successful implementation of the CSESP requires funding of parks and infrastructure projects, affordable housing, street upgrades, as well as new and existing programming. The City may choose to proactively fund and construct public realm (e.g. streetscape, bike lanes, lighting, etc.) and infrastructure (e.g. water supply, stormwater, wastewater systems, etc.) improvements as a means of shifting perceptions of the area and encouraging private investment. However, no local government can fund all of these initiatives on its own and Fresno needs contributions from its partners to realize the Plan’s vision. With these limitations in mind this section identifies some of the primary government funding opportunities and mechanisms that could be used for Plan activities and recommendations. In many cases, multiple funding and financing sources will need to be combined in order to pay for specific projects or programs.

Although the terms “funding” and “financing” are often used interchangeably, there is an important distinction between the two terms. “Funding” typically refers to a revenue source such as a tax, fee, or grant that is used to pay for an improvement. Some funding sources, such as impact fees, are one-time payments, while others, such as assessments, are ongoing payments. “Financing” involves borrowing against future revenues by issuing bonds or other debt instruments that are paid back over time through taxes or fee payments, enabling agencies to pay for infrastructure before the revenue to cover the full cost of the infrastructure is available.

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Photo credit: ashwoodco.com
Funding and Financing Sources and Mechanisms
The funding sources and financing tools described below have been evaluated relative to their purpose, process of adoption, and implementation. Funding and financing mechanisms are organized under four broad categories:

1. Federal, State, and regional funding sources

2. Tax increment financing

3. Developer, property owner, and user funding, financing and incentives

4. Existing City resources
As Table 8-2 below illustrates, the categories differ in terms of the scope and scale of their targeted improvements.

Table 8-2. Funding Source Categories, Examples, and Timing of Availability Source Description Estimated Project
Timing
Federal, State, and Regional Funding Programs
Loan Programs
Federal and state loans and incentive programs offer
sources of gap financing and funding for local infrastructure and economic development projects. The following loan
programs are some of the most widely used sources:
• State Infrastructure Bank: Industrial Development
Bonds
• State Infrastructure Bank Revolving Loan Program
• Statewide Community Infrastructure Program
• Clean Water State Revolving Fund
• Section 108 Loans
One-time, as sources are
typically competitive and
timing of availability is
uncertain until secured.
194 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Source Description Estimated Project
Timing
Federal, State, and Regional Funding Programs
Grants (Sample)
The following provides a sample of applicable grant
programs that could be used to support improvements in
the Plan Area.
• Regional Sustainable Infrastructure Planning Grant.

Administered by the Fresno Council of Governments
(COG) to encourage coordinated multimodal
transportation and land use planning to support
reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• Cap and Trade Funds – AHSC Program (Affordable
Housing & Sustainable Communities). Administered
by the Strategic Growth Council and implemented
through HCD to incentivize the development of
compact, transit-oriented affordable housing,
transportation improvements, and related programs
that reduce GHGs.
• InfillInfrastructureGrantProgram(IIG). Administered
by HCD with a primary goal to promote infill
affordable and mixed-income housing development
by funding infrastructure improvements.
• Active Transportation Program (ATP). Administered
by Caltrans to encourage increased use of active
modes of transportation, biking & walking.
• Senate Bill 2 (SB 2): California’s Building Homes and Jobs Fund. California’s Building Homes and Jobs
Fund (created by SB 2) provides funding to support
housing development.
• Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Grant.

Provides technical assistance to communities, states,
tribes and others to assess, safely clean up and
sustainably reuse contaminated properties.
• Measure C TOD Fund. A sales tax fund aimed at
improving the overall quality of Fresno County’s
transportation system.
• The San Joaquin Valley Air District Bike Paths Grant.

Provides funding to assist with the development or
expansion of a comprehensive bicycle-transportation
network.

One-time, as sources are
typically competitive and
timing of availability is
uncertain until secured.

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195
Source Description Estimated Project
Timing
District-Based Tools
Assessment
District
Benefit Assessment Districts allow cities to finance the costs of needed services by assessing area property owners based on benefits received by funded improvements or
facilities. Improvements must confer “special benefits” upon affected property owners and assessments must
be assigned in direct proportion to the benefits received.

Facilities or services funded by a special assessment district could include streets, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, water, sewer, gas electric, lighting, drainage or flood control facilities and improvements. Benefit assessments require a greater than 50 percent ballot approval that is weighted based on the financial obligation of each property owner.

Ongoing, and grows over
time. Some sources allow
for up-front revenue via
bond financing.

Community
Facilities District
(CFD) or MelloRoos
Community Facilities Districts (or Mello-Roos Districts) allow local agencies to create assessment districts and raise funds through special property taxes. They provide financing for public capital investment and operating
improvements within the district through tax-exempt
bonds sponsored by a public agency. Examples of eligible improvements include streets and public right of way
improvements, park, recreation, and open-space facilities, school, library, and childcare facilities, water, wastewater, flooding, and other infrastructure. Community Facilities Districts require a two-thirds majority approval by residents (or land owners, if fewer than 12 registered voters reside in the district).

Unlike Benefit Assessment Districts, no findings of special benefit are required for CFDs.

Ongoing, and grows over
time. Some sources allow
for up-front revenue via
bond financing.

Infrastructure
Finance Districts
(IFDs, EIFDs,
IRFDs, and CRIAs)
Following the dissolution of Redevelopment Agencies in
2012, the State has bolstered alternative means of tax
increment finance, through the approval of legislation that permits the creation of “Enhanced Infrastructure Finance Districts” (EIFDs), Infrastructure and Revitalization Districts (IRFDs) and Community Revitalization and Investment
Authorities (CRIAs). CRIAs, in particular, are intended to provide a source of funding for infrastructure and housing in disadvantaged communities. Once established, these
districts are authorized to receive tax increment revenues from a defined area with the consent of affected taxing entities, excluding school districts. Tax increment revenues may be used to fund a variety of capital facilities and housing. The financing capacity of the districts is driven by the portion of the base 1% tax levy that is dedicated to the district. It can be an effective tool when either a sponsoring city receives a large share of the 1% property tax levy or if counties agree to contribute a portion of the county increment to the district.

Ongoing, and grows over
time. Some sources allow
for up-front revenue via
bond financing.
196 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Source Description Estimated Project
Timing
Developer, Property Owners, and Users
Linkage Fees
A fee rate could be established for all new residential development in the Plan Area that would be specifically targeted to support affordable housing development. Such fees link the production of market rate real estate to that of affordable housing. The fee would require a nexus study and adoption by the City Council.

One-time, as development
activity occurs
Development
Impact Fees
Pursuant to the Mitigation Fee Act, local agencies may
assess impact fees to mitigate for new development’s
impact on the need for infrastructure and other capital facilities. Impact fees may fund capital facilities required to serve new development only – they may not be used to fund ongoing operations and maintenance, other services, or existing infrastructure and facility deficiencies. Fees are typically paid at the time of building permit issuance or recording the final subdivision map and are placed into a separate impact fee fund for specific improvements.

Parking or traffic mitigation fees are examples of
development impact fees.

One-time, as development
activity occurs
Property and
Business Based
Improvement
District (PBID)
A Property and Business Based Improvement District
(PBID) places a special assessment on properties within the district boundaries to fund specific services and
improvements within the district. Funds collected by the local government are then directed to the PBID, which is operated by a nonprofit entity formed by district property owners. Revenues are commonly used to augment district
services (e.g. sanitation, security, marketing and economic development initiatives) but can also be used to fund smalland large-scale capital improvements. Improvements may also be financed via issuance of bond debt supported by benefit assessments.

Potentially ongoing
Multifamily
Improvement
Districts (MID)
Multifamily Improvement Districts are similar to PBIDs
but focus on providing services to benefit apartments,
condominiums, mobile home parks, and other high-density residentialuses. These typesofdistricts aremost commonly used in disadvantaged communities to augment existing
services and promote activities beneficial to the district.

MID assessments may pay for a variety of activities and improvements, including supplemental security services
and improvements, parking, sidewalks, street lighting, and landscaping. Improvements may also be financed via
issuance of bond debt supported by benefit assessments.

Potentially ongoing
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197
Source Description Estimated Project
Timing
Development
Agreements
with Enhanced
Entitlements
It is common for local agencies to enter into a development agreement when conferring long-term entitlements
for a major project. As part of the negotiation process, developers may agree to provide extraordinary benefits, including infrastructure and other public facilities. These commitments are agreed upon at the discretion of
negotiating parties and as such are not subject to the
Mitigation Fee Act. The nature and magnitude of benefits provided will depend on local market conditions, the
entitlements, and the development economics of the
project. Providing favorable entitlements can be an
effective means for funding infrastructure and public
facilities. Examples include: reducingparking requirements, increasing permitted floor to area ratios, etc. By increasing the value of the private development, additional “value” is created, a portion of which can be directed towards
infrastructure improvements.

One-time, as development
activity occurs
Economic
Incentive
Agreements
Economic incentive agreements can provide the private
sector with public funding in situations where a commercial project may not be financially feasible but has the potential to deliver measurable community benefits. Strict legal
limits apply to the type and scope of such public funding agreements, especially in the wake of the loss of local redevelopment authority in California. Moreover, any such public funding provided to the private sector will trigger Davis Bacon prevailing wage requirements which may
offset any benefits to project economics. Under current legal authority and defined circumstances one example
is where a city or county enters into an agreement
pledging to rebate a portion of sales taxes generated by new businesses locating to an area that designate the
jurisdiction as the “point of sale”. Offering to rebate a portion of transient occupancy tax revenue generated
by lodging development provides another example of an
economic incentive agreement. Developers can use such
public funding commitments to directly fund project costs or as a pledge to equity partners or commercial lenders, thus improving project feasibility.

One-time, as development
activity occurs
Fee Credits/
Reimbursement
Agreements
Many local agencies permit developers to construct areaserving infrastructure such as streets, utilities, parks and open space in lieu of paying certain impact fees. Local agencies may also enter into agreements to reimburse
developers for investments in area-serving infrastructure in cases where the value of the investment exceeds fees otherwise owed by the project.

One-time, as development
activity occurs
198 FRESNO CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SPECIFIC PLAN
Source Description Estimated Project
Timing
Developer, Property Owners, and Users (continued)
CEQA Mitigations
As a requirement of approval, developers may be required to undertake a number of mitigation measures as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Environmental Assessment for the Plan will identify the CEQA mitigations that will be required of new development within the Specific Plan Area.

One-time, as development
activity occurs
Opportunity
Zone
Investments in a federally designated Opportunity Zone
are subject to certain tax advantages that can improve
the attractiveness of certain investment opportunities.

Opportunity Zones are intended to spur economic
development by providing tax incentives for investors to invest new capital in businesses operating in a Qualified Opportunity Zone.

Potentially ongoing
New Market Tax
Credits (NMTC)
The NMTC program incentivizes community development
and economic growth through the use of federal income
tax credits that attract private investment to distressed communities. Tax credits are sold to private investors
and used to make debt or equity investments in entities located in qualified low income communities through
a local financial intermediary known as a Community
Development Entity (CDE). Access to funding from the
NMTC program is highly competitive. Successful projects are those that can demonstrate significant positive
community impacts, usually in the form of permanent job creation, new goods and services, access to healthy food options, and environmental sustainability.

One-time, as development
activity occurs
City Resources
General Fund While not a primary funding source, the City’s General Fund may be a useful source for short-term funding prior to the identification of longer-term sources of capital.

Ongoing, and potentially
available if prioritized by
the community
Capital
Improvement
Program
Infrastructure projects identified in the Specific Plan – including the major capital improvement projects – are
candidates for inclusion in the City’s Capital Improvement Program, which is updated annually and includes a
projection of five years of future infrastructure projects.

Ongoing, and potentially
available if prioritized by
the community
Measure P
Measure P was approved by a majority of voters in 2018, and became effective in 2021, creating a new funding
source to help ensure Fresno’s neighborhoods receive
funding to improve and maintain parks and facilities, create new parks and trails, and fund recreation, community, and arts programs
Ongoing until 2051

Attachment 1
Ca lifornia Ave
Willow Ave
Ha ze lwood Blvd
Ora ng e Ave
Ma ple Ave
Pe a ch Ave
Ch e stnu t Ave
Pu llm a n Ave
Hu nting ton Blvd
La ne Ave
Bu tle r Ave
Ce da r Ave
Be lm ont Ave
Tu la re St
Je nse n
Ch u rch Ave
Su nla nd Ave
Proposed Zoning Map
Central Southeast Area Specific Plan
K:\GIS 2025\CSESP\CSESP_PLUch a ng e s.m xd
0 0.15 0.3 0.6
Mile s
Pre pa re d b y th e Pla nning a nd De ve lopm e nt De pa rtm e nt Discla im e r:Th is m a p is b e lie ve d to b e a n a ccu ra te re pre se nta tion of th e City of Fre sno GIS da ta , h owe ve r we m a ke no wa rra ntie s e ith e r e xpre sse d or im plie d for corre ctne ss of th is da ta .

Legend
Proposed Land Use Changes
Com m e rcia l – Com m u nity
Corridor - Ce nte r Mixe d Use
Re side ntia l - Me diu m De nsity
Re side ntia l - Me diu m Hig h De nsity
Urb a n Ne ig h b orh ood
General Plan - Planned Land Use

RESIDENTIAL
Low De nsity (1-3.5 D.U./a cre )
Me diu m Low De nsity (3.5-6 D.U./a cre )
Me diu m De nsity (5.0-12 D.U./a cre )
Me diu m Hig h De nsity (12-16 D.U./a cre )

COMMERCIAL
Com m u nity
Ge ne ra l

EMPLOYMENT
Office
Lig h t Indu stria l
He a vy Indu stria l

MIXED USE
Ne ig h b orh ood Mixe d Use
Corridor/Ce nte r Mixe d Use

OPEN SPACE
Com m u nity Pa rk
Ne ig h b orh ood Pa rk
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Fresno City CouncilMarch 19, 2026

Fresno City Council
March 19, 2026