fresno elections 2008

Incentives are a great start to encouraging high-density development in Fresno. If a developer wants to build in downtown, City Hall needs to streamline the process if the project conforms to the General Plan. When single-family housing is built in another section of town, a portion of the developer’s fees should go into a fund dedicated to upgrading infrastructure and improving maintenance in areas with infill housing, such as Downtown. Until we are able to increase the density in our metropolitan area, we will be unable to support an efficient public transportation system.

Again, we’ve had consultants on this issue. The housing symposium took place in Fresno. The urban planning, building the core, and building “green” are all concepts that will prevent sprawl. Jerry Duncan has informed that I am incorrect in blaming urban sprawl on rezoning, because, he claims, the City Council is 100% in alignment with the 2025 General Plan for zoning. If this is true, then this means that one of two things must happen. Either the General Plan must be rewritten, again, or, planning should only continue when necessary. In other words, maybe we will need another large River Park development in Southeast Fresno in the year 2020. Instead of allowing this development to go forward now, and lead to the demise of other established malls and blithe in those areas, the City Council would put the brakes on this development until there is a genuine need.
Let’s put the cart back where it belongs, behind the horse.

Absolutely the city should give forest city a break. Additionally, we should everything we possibly can to get Donald Trump back in town. However, on the back end there would be some major commitments from these developers to improve our national status and once again a Destination Location...in the form of tourist attractions, educational touring events, etc.

From a simple economic point of view, simply reducing the production of new homes will greatly diminish future sprawl. A no growth policy would solve one problem but exacerbate other problems. We currently have an affordable housing problem in Fresno. The price of existing homes will rise substantially if we discontinue building new homes. I It would also dramatically increase rental housing prices because no new multifamily units would be built. We also have a growing population, primarily by new births, that will need future housing. The other negative outcome would be a loss of thousands of construction related jobs tied directly to the housing industry.

The best way to prevent sprawl is to follow the 2025 General Plan. This blueprint for the future redirected growth from a continued outward expansion to “in and up”. It also moved growth to the Southeast and Southwest. The 2025 General Plan and LAFCO have set the future growth area for Fresno. It has been too easy in the past to simply expand outward into agricultural areas and neglect infill. I would like to see an agricultural green belt established around the perimeter of Fresno. The San Joaquin River sets a natural barrier to the North and the industrial area to the South serves as a buffer. The Western and Eastern boundaries (below Clovis) would be best suited to an agricultural green belt. There will have to come a time where we simply draw a line in the sand, via an agricultural green belt, and provide a firm outward expansion boundary.

Market forces drive the real estate market. Simply put, most people want to live in the suburbs because of perceived amenities and lifestyle. Why do people want to buy in the suburbs? They want a quality school system that both Clovis Unified and Central Unified offer. They want drug stores, super markets, fast food outlets and other conveniences close to where they live. They also want to be close to entertainment venues like Edwards Cinema and Save Mart Center. Finally, they want to feel that their neighborhood is safe and that the city is properly maintaining their neighborhood. There are two ways to encourage people to buy in infill projects. First, the overall project must be appealing to a prospective buyer. The city can enhance the housing tract by improving the surrounding area and developing supporting retail and commercial development in the area. Improving the image of Fresno Unified will be essential to attract families with school age children. An underperforming school district alone will dissuade many buyers from purchasing a home. The second method of encouraging people moving into infill areas is to offer incentives to both developers and buyers. Offering developers financial incentives such as expedited processing of tract maps, high density bonus, and reduced fees will enable the developer to produce a less expensive home. Buyers can be offered incentives too including special financing or tax credits for solar power.

I would prevent sprawl by having the political will to support organized growth and by working with the Council to draw a line on development and not go beyond it or provide city services and amenities to any new developments outside the line. Other cities have done it successfully via “urban service boundaries” and “green lines” and they also have required job triggers before a development outside the line can be built. For instance, to encourage developers to build housing near jobs, some cities require a certain number of jobs to be in place in a nearby industrial area before a development can proceed. This is worth considering here.

We prevent sprawl by embracing and committing to the underlying principals of the City of Fresno General 2025 Plan that require growth to go up in density and in by way of infill. Furthermore, I have effectively advocated for “smart growth” wherein we encourage developments that are move livable and encourage walking. I am responsible for hiring the premier “new urbanism” planner in Peter Calthorpe for the South East Growth Area (SEGA). The SEGA plan currently being developed has the opportunity to be a world class smart growth plan demonstrating high density livable communities.

As a Fresno County Supervisor with a completely urban district I was one of the first members of the Fresno 2020 Committee. Preventing urban sprawl was a priority of the 2025 General Plan then and remains so. In-fill development is a major component in reducing urban sprawl and is the right course to maintain. Preservation of farmland, air quality and livable communities are all dependent on sound planning. Urban sprawl is contrary to sound planning.

We have a General Plan that was written for 2025 that will prevent sprawl. We need to follow the plan and begin its implementation now. It calls for more transit oriented development; higher density housing and better use of land. We also need an urban development program that will provide assistance and incentives for the development of areas that need improvement.

As a city, we cannot tolerate the subsidizing of peripheral development projects. The biggest problem with Fresno's growth issues is that it has always been conducted on a piece-meal basis. South West Fresno is designed to align with the railroad tracks, when new leadership came in, someone came along and said let's change everything to go on a North/South grid. That's how long this has been going on. There's no rhyme or reason to how this city has evolved. I have always been frustrated with this approach and I strongly advocate a comprehensive plan that complies with environmental laws, accounts for projected transportation growth issues and incorporates an integrated vision for a healthy and economically diverse city.

By following the General Plan. I will improve the relationship between the city of Clovis and the county of Fresno and protect vital agricultural land. I believe our current General Plan is working and is steering development appropriately. I am proponent of higher density incorporating where people can live, work, shop and play within walking distance.