NOTICE OF EXEMPTION
FROM: City of Fresno
Department of Capital Projects
747 R St., 2nd Floor
Fresno, California 93721-4016
TO: Fresno County Clerk
2220 Tulare Street
Fresno, California 93721
Office of Planning & Research SCH NO.: N/A
P.O. Box 3044, Room 113
Sacramento, California 95812-3044
Project Title: Cesar Chavez Project
Project Location: Cesar Chavez Boulevard between Fruit Avenue and Mayor Avenue Project Location – City: City of Fresno Project Location – County: County of Fresno Description of Nature, Purpose and Beneficiaries of Project : The Cesar Chavez Project ( Project) includes the construction of roadway improvements to improve street infrastructure and enhance the complete streets corridor along an approximately 1.17-mile-long segment of the newly renamed Cesar Chavez Boulevard (formerly known as California Avenue) between Fruit Avenue and Mayor Avenue.
The purpose of the Project is to improve roadway amenities and provide better and safer options for pedestrians and cyclists.
Name of Public Agency Approving Project: City of Fresno Department of Capital Projects Name of Person or Agency Carrying Out Project: City of Fresno Department of Capital Projects Exempt Status: (check one)
Ministerial: PRC §21080(b)(1); CEQA Guidelines §15268
Declared Emergency: PRC §21080(b)(3); CEQA Guidelines §15269(a) Emergency Project: PRC §21080(b)(4); CEQA Guidelines §15269(b) and (c) Categorical Exemption: CEQA Guidelines §15301/Class 1; Common Sense Exemption Statutory Exemption: PRC §_____________
Reasons why project is exempt: The proposed Project would be consistent with the provisions of a Class 1 Categorical Exemption because it would be limited to the partial acquisition of right -of-way (ROW) for the installation of Class II and Class IV bicycle facilities, reconfiguration of intersections to better control traffic, and installation of traffic signals and high-intensity activated crosswalk to improve roadway amenities and provide better and safer options for pedestrians and cyclists. The Project would be consistent with the scale of the Project site and the surrounding area, would be limited to the existing ROW and partial acquisition of the ROW, and would not result in the construction of new use or substantially increase capacity of use. The Project would be necessary to improve roadway amenities and provide better and safer options for pedestrians and cyclists. Therefore, the Project would not result in a new or expansion of use.
Rev 04.25
Te lephone No.: (559) 621-8657
Date: ___May 27, 2025___
S igned by applicant
PW01006 and PW01074
CEQA Notice of Exemption
May 27, 2025
Lead Agency Contact Person: Isaac Campos
Signature: ________________________________ _
Printed Name and Title:
Isaac Campos, Project Manager
City of Fresno Department of Capital Projects
Signed by L ead Agency
Attachments: Categorical E xemption Determination
ATTACHMENT 1
Supporting Memorandum for Categorical Exemption and
Detailed Project Description
CITY OF FRESNO
CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT NO. PW01006 AND PW01074
THE PROJECT DESCRIBED HEREIN IS DETERMINED TO BE CATEGORICALLY
EXEMPT FROM THE PREPARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS
PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 19 OF THE STATE CEQA GUIDELINES.
APPLICANT: Capital Projects Department
City of Fresno
747 R Street, 2nd Floor
Fresno, CA 93721
Attn: Isaac Campos
PROJECT LOCATION: The Project site extends along an approximately
1.17-mile-long segment of the newly renamed
Cesar Chavez Boulevard (formerly known as
California Avenue) between Fruit Avenue and Mayor Avenue in the City of Fresno, California
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Cesar Chavez Project (Project) includes the construction of roadway improvements to improve street infrastructure and enhance the complete streets corridor along an approximately 1.17-mile-long segment of the newly renamed Cesar Chavez Boulevard (formerly known as California Avenue) between Fruit Avenue and Mayor Avenue (Project site). The Project site is surrounded by residences, public service building(s), a religious institution, and undeveloped land to the north and undeveloped land, commercial retail development, public service building(s), Edison High School, and residences to the south. Cesar Chavez Boulevard is within the City’s right-of-way (ROW) and is immediately surrounded by land within the Residential Single-Family, Medium Density (RS-5), Commercial General (CG), Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMX), Parks and Recreation (PR), the Corridor/Center Mixed Use (CMX), and Public and Institutional (PI) zoning designations.
The purpose of the Project is to improve roadway amenities and provide better and safer options for pedestrians and cyclists. The proposed roadway improvements would be constructed in the following two phases:
• Phase 1: Cesar Chavez Complete Streets Improvements
o Installation of Class II and Class IV bicycle facilities along both directions of travel on Cesar Chavez Boulevard
o Reconfiguration of the Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Pottle Avenue intersection to better control vehicular traffic
o Implementation of traffic calming measures
o Creation of safer spaces for pedestrians and cyclists o Installation of a new high-intensity activated crosswalk (HAWK) pedestrian signal at the existing mid-block crosswalk in front of Edison High School, between Tulare Street and Kern Street
o Additional improvements would include street lighting installations, sidewalk gap closures, and new striping and signage, such as green conflict-zone paint in bike lanes where necessary
• Phase 2: Cesar Chavez Enhancement Improvements
o Installation of a new traffic signal at the intersection of Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Fruit Avenue
o Modification of the existing traffic signal at Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Thorne Avenue
o Installation of intersection improvements at Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Tulare Avenue, Fresno Avenue, and Plumas Avenue to realign the intersections, ultimately improving driver sightlines, shortening crosswalks, enhancing pedestrian facilities, and upgrading street lighting • Installation of additional enhancements along the corridor, including pavement upgrades, a new HAWK pedestrian signal near Maud Avenue, and the construction of a Class I trail that would connect to the future Fanning Ditch trail, extending from Thorne Avenue to Walnut Avenue
In addition to the construction of proposed roadway improvements, the Project would require partial ROW acquisition from seven parcels during Phase 1 and nine parcels during Phase 2.
The proposed improvements align with City’s Active Transportation Plan (ATP) and the Southwest Fresno Specific Plan. The Project would be funded by Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant funds and Local Measure C Tier 1 funds.
Construction activities would occur in two phases. Phase 1 would occur over a period of approximately 6 months and is expected to begin in February 2027 and end in July 2027. Construction activities for Phase 1 would result in approximately 1.6 acres of ground disturbance with a maximum depth of excavation of 12 feet for installation of traffic signal pole foundations. Phase 2 would occur over a period of approximately 7 months and is expected to begin in August 2027 and end in February 2028.
Construction activities for Phase 2 would result in approximately 1.6 acres of ground disturbance with a maximum depth of excavation of 12 feet for installation of traffic signal pole foundations. Construction activities for both phases would not require the removal of any trees.
This project is exempt under Section 15301/Class 1 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
Staff has performed a preliminary environmental assessment of this Project and determined that it falls within the Categorical Exemption set forth in State CEQA Guidelines Section 15301/Class 1, which exempts existing facilities under certain conditions. Staff found that the conditions are met.
Section 15301/Class 1 consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency's determination. The types of “existing facilities” itemized below are not intended to be all-inclusive of the types of projects that might fall within Class 1. The key consideration is whether the project involves negligible or no expansion of an existing use.
Examples include but are not limited to:
(d) Existing highways and streets, sidewalks, gutters, bicycle and pedestrian trails, and similar facilities (this includes road grading for the purpose of public safety), and other alterations such as the addition of bicycle facilities, including but not limited to bicycle parking, bicycle-share facilities and bicycle lanes, transit improvements such as bus lanes, pedestrian crossings, street trees, and other similar alterations that do not create additional automobile lanes); The proposed Project would be consistent with the provisions of a Class 1 Categorical Exemption because it would be limited to the installation of Class II and Class IV bicycle facilities, reconfiguration of intersections to better control traffic, and installation of traffic signals and high-intensity activated crosswalks to improve roadway amenities and provide better and safer options for pedestrians and cyclists. The Project also includes partial ROW acquisition of surrounding parcels; however, proposed ROW acquisition would not require the demolition of any existing buildings or structures. Project activities would be limited to the construction of improvements to an existing roadway and would not result in the creation of new automobile lanes or other capacity-increasing improvements; therefore, the Project would not result in the construction of new use or substantially increase capacity of use.
This project does not meet the exceptions for a categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15300.2 of the State CEQA Guidelines.
Staff has performed a preliminary environmental assessment of this project and determined that it does not meet the exceptions for a categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15300.2 of the State CEQA Guidelines. Staff found that the conditions are met.
Section 15300.2 identifies exceptions that would disqualify a project from being exempt under the State CEQA Guidelines. According to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2, a project that would be located within an environmentally sensitive area, result in significant cumulative impacts, result in a significant effect on the environment, damage scenic resources within the viewshed of a state scenic highway, be located on a hazardous waste site compiled pursuant to California Government Code Section 65962.5, or cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource would not qualify for an exemption under State CEQA Guidelines.
The Project site consists of an approximately 1.17-mile-long segment of the newly renamed Cesar Chavez Boulevard (formerly known as California Avenue) between Fruit Avenue and Mayor Avenue in the central portion of the City. The Project includes the construction of roadway improvements to improve street infrastructure and enhance the complete streets corridor along existing roadways. The purpose of the Project is to improve roadway amenities and provide better and safer options for pedestrians and cyclists with the installation of Class II and Class IV bicycle facilities, reconfiguration of intersections to better control traffic, and installation of traffic signals and high-intensity activated crosswalks. The Project also includes partial ROW acquisition of surrounding parcels; however, proposed ROW acquisition would not require the demolition of any existing buildings or structures that could adversely affect historic resources. Proposed improvements would be limited to developed roadways and the acquisition of ROW within the Project site and would not extend into any natural, scenic, or otherwise environmentally sensitive areas. The Project would not result in the creation of new
automobile lanes or other capacity-increasing improvements at the Project site that could increase vehicle travel in the area or otherwise increase air or greenhouse gas emissions, fuel consumption, vehicle noise, or other cumulative impacts. Further, the Project site is not located on a listed hazardous waste site. Therefore, the Project would not result in significant effect that could constitute an exemption to a Categorical Exemption pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 Date: May 27, 2025
Prepared by:
Annika Kiemm
Project Environmental Planner
SWCA Environmental Consultants
(805) 243-9389
Submitted by:
Isaac Campos
City of Fresno
Transportation Project Management
Capital Projects Department
(559) 621-8657
PROJECT DESCRIPTION FOR THE
CESAR CHAVEZ PROJECT,
FRESNO, FRESNO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Prepared for
City of Fresno Capital Projects Department
747 R Street, 2nd Floor
Fresno, CA 93721
Attn: Isaac Campos
Prepared by
SWCA Environmental Consultants
4111 Broad Street, Suite 210
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 543-7095
www.swca.com
SWCA Project No. 73586-036
May 2025
Cesar Chavez Project
Project Description
1 PROJECT LOCATION
The Cesar Chavez Project (Project) site extends along an approximately 1.17-mile-long segment of the newly renamed Cesar Chavez Boulevard (formerly known as California Avenue) between Fruit Avenue and Mayor Avenue in the City of Fresno, Fresno County, California (Figure 1).
ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
The Project site consists of an approximately 1.17-mile-long segment of the newly renamed Cesar Chavez Boulevard (formerly known as California Avenue) between Fruit Avenue and Mayor Avenue in the central portion of the City. The Project site is surrounded by residences, public service building(s), a religious institution, and undeveloped land to the north and residences, public service building(s), commercial retail development, Edison High School, and undeveloped land to the south. Cesar Chavez Boulevard is within the City’s right-of-way (ROW) and is immediately surrounded by land within the Residential Single-Family, Medium Density (RS-5), Commercial General (CG), Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMX), Parks and Recreation (PR), the Corridor/Center Mixed Use (CMX), and Public and Institutional (PI) zoning designations.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The City of Fresno (City) is proposing the construction of roadway improvements to improve street infrastructure and enhance the complete streets corridor along an approximately 1.17-mile-long segment of the newly renamed Cesar Chavez Boulevard (formerly known as California Avenue) between Fruit Avenue and Mayor Avenue (see Figure 1). The purpose of the Project is to improve roadway amenities and provide better and safer options for pedestrians and cyclists. The proposed roadway improvements would be constructed in the following two phases:
• Phase 1: Cesar Chavez Complete Streets Improvements
o Installation of Class II and Class IV bicycle facilities along both directions of travel on Cesar Chavez Boulevard
o Reconfiguration of the Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Pottle Avenue intersection to better control vehicular traffic
o Implementation of traffic calming measures
o Creation of safer spaces for pedestrians and cyclists o Installation of a new high-intensity activated crosswalk (HAWK) pedestrian signal at the existing mid-block crosswalk in front of Edison High School, between Tulare Street and Kern Street
o Additional improvements would include street lighting installations, sidewalk gap closures, and new striping and signage, such as green conflict-zone paint in bike lanes where necessary
• Phase 2: Cesar Chavez Enhancement Improvements
o Installation of a new traffic signal at the intersection of Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Fruit Avenue
o Modification of the existing traffic signal at Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Thorne Avenue o Installation of intersection improvements at Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Tulare Avenue, Fresno Avenue, and Plumas Avenue to realign the intersections, ultimately improving driver sightlines, shortening crosswalks, enhancing pedestrian facilities, and upgrading street lighting
Cesar Chavez Project
Project Description
2 o Installation of additional enhancements along the corridor, including pavement upgrades, a new HAWK pedestrian signal near Maud Avenue, and the construction of a Class I trail that would connect to the future Fanning Ditch trail, extending from Thorne Avenue to Walnut Avenue
In addition to the construction of proposed roadway improvements, the Project would require partial ROW acquisition from the following parcels, listed by Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN), during Phase 1 and Phase 2:
• Phase 1
o APN 477-111-09: partial take
o APN 477-111-10: partial take
o APN 467-262-03: partial take
o APN 467-245-08: partial take
o APN 467-245-07: partial take
o APN 467-246-01: partial take
o APN 467-243-16: partial take
• Phase 2
o APN 477-111-09: partial take
o APN 477-111-10: partial take
o APN 464-211-22: partial take
o APN 464-200-30: partial take
o APN 464-211-20: partial take
o APN 464-212-23: partial take
o APN 467-291-08: partial take
o APN 467-292-05: partial take
o APN 467-261-03: partial take
The proposed improvements align with City’s Active Transportation Plan (ATP) and the Southwest Fresno Specific Plan. The project would be funded by Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant funds and Local Measure C Tier 1 funds.
Construction Activities
Construction activities would occur in two phases. Phase 1 would occur over a period of approximately 6 months, beginning in February 2027 and ending in July 2027. Phase 1 is expected to require a crew of 15 workers and the use of one skid-steer, one backhoe loader, one dump truck, one road roller, one concrete mix truck, one paver, and one cold planer. Construction activities for Phase 1 would result in approximately 1.6 acres of ground disturbance with a maximum depth of excavation of 12 feet for installation of traffic signal pole foundations. Phase 2 would occur over a period of approximately 7 months, beginning in August 2027 and ending in February 2028. Phase 2 is expected to require a crew of 25 workers and the use of one skid-steer, one backhoe loader, one dump truck, one road roller, one concrete mix truck, one paver, and one cold planer. Construction activities for Phase 2 would result in approximately 1.6 acres of ground disturbance with a maximum depth of excavation of 12 feet for installation of traffic signal pole foundations. Construction activities for both phases would not require the removal of any trees. Construction activities for both phases would be conducted during daytime hours (7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.). The construction staging areas for both phases would be located within the Project site or other previously disturbed area. Construction workers for both phases are expected to be sourced from the local workforce.
Cesar Chavez Project
Project Description
3 Figure 1. Project location map.