fresno elections 2008

While I may not support some of Mayor Autry’s proposals, I believe the basic ingredients for an enhanced and successful “downtown living” environment are being put into place, and will be increasingly utilized by private investors and creative entrepreneurs. With a sizeable downtown core area surrounded by three major freeways, significant job influx created by new courthouses and other new construction and committed redevelopment projects, plus the budding residential and commercial successes already being demonstrated, I believe city funds would be best utilized by supporting fiscally sound policies that encourage and attract complementary enterprises.

I have met with representatives of Forest City and am impressed with their history and broad perspective on large development and redevelopment projects nationwide. I also understand they are making a significant investment in an environmental study that will form the basis for future plans and negotiations. Without the completed study and resulting proposal on the table, I believe it would be premature to speculate how the City’s funds can be best utilized. Again, based on what I have been told by their representatives and what I have learned from my own inquiries, I view Forest City as a positive ingredient in Fresno’s current and future plans.

I have long heard concerns about neighborhood conditions. Supposed reasons for blight and ill maintenance can often be attributed to inadequate city services, community involvement, financial resources, or property owner neglect. While solutions are sometimes evasive or seem financially prohibitive, successful examples in other forward thinking cities exist. Talking about problems is the easy part. Emulating workable solutions requires just that…work!

The 2025 Fresno City General Plan offers criteria for accommodating population growth, expanding green belt development and protecting precious prime agricultural lands that remain at the heart of our historic economy. With that, greater focus on regional planning and cooperative efforts between Fresno City and County and our neighboring valley counties and cities requires added outreach and pressure on the state and federal agencies who control policies and the economic purse strings that are a must for comprehensive transportation, water and other regional public necessities as we deal with future growth.

Master-planning is a visionary tool for projecting and guiding future growth and economic development. However it is not a “magic wand.” Fresno’s success, as the hub of the world’s most productive agricultural area and because of its seasonal employment flux, has also generated unemployment, housing, educational, social and health care issues that continue to test the viability and limitations of our economy. On the positive side, I am encouraged by our history of creative entrepreneurship and major efforts by CSU Fresno, the Chamber of Commerce, local business incubators, the Regional Jobs Initiative and other entities, both public and private, that are making strides in the recruitment and development of new businesses and job opportunities, along with utilizing strategies to retain local talent and attract new talent through a business environment that promises sustainable economic opportunities.

The City Council can, and must, play a major role by actively encouraging these efforts, promoting pro-economic development policies, expanding grant-writing expertise, and by emulating activities proven successful in other forward thinking cities.

In preparation for my candidacy, I have met with city and county public safety officials and associations and found a unity of purpose while recognizing that budgetary and jurisdictional issues can, and do, place hurdles before the agencies and their policy makers. While concerted efforts to “quash” gangs have had positive results, they have also exposed the necessity for increased communication, integration, and cooperation among all of our regional law enforcement entities. In my view, this only reiterates my position that improved relationships among decision making bodies must be a priority and it is the major reason I am committed to treat my service on the City Council as a full-time job.

While the “method” has been the subject of extensive and ongoing debate, the need for transparency of law enforcement policies and individual performance is recognized by all, regardless of rank or responsibility. I have listened to conflicting arguments regarding the need for an “independent police auditor” and, if elected, will make every effort to remedy the current perceived shortcomings by improving the existing oversight mechanisms. I believe based on my discussions with parties holding multiple views that a rational conclusion is attainable.

Like law enforcement, parks and recreation issues are complex and often divisive. Some potential solutions that demands greater study are the cooperative use of existing school facilities and planning integrated green space. Also, as higher density projects takes place in our downtown and other redevelopment plans, special emphasis must be placed on parks and other recreation facilities. As a council member, I would be open to exploring all viable suggestions and alternatives to expanding our recreational environment.

I believe we must practice fiscal responsibility, avoid deficit spending, and establish “financial reserve” policies to minimize negative economic cycles. Promoting workforce development, creating quality jobs, and diversifying our economy are also integral to accomplishing these goals, and will help generate needed revenue and reduce Fresno’s poverty and unemployment rates.

As to Mayor Autry’s proposal, I will reserve judgment until all of the facts are before me, and the benefits can be weighed against identified negative impacts. If there are demonstrable ways to improve overall services and financial benefits to the city, changes should be considered.

There is not a magic pill for our economy. A well rounded, long term plan must be created and continuously revisited and adjusted to accommodate the changes in our landscape. First, Fresno should nurture local business. The Fresno Business Incubator is a creative idea that will generate businesses in the city that, when expanded, will provide revenue for the city that will not be sent out of town. Second, cleaning up the air quality will encourage more jobs and retain professionals that have left the area because they or their child has asthma. Third, a successful downtown with a creative flavor will give a dimension to Fresno that is currently missing.

Fourth, Fresno has sun and water; we need to capitalize on these resources by both using hydroelectricity and solar power, and by making Fresno “Electric Vehicle” friendly. If we focus on utilizing our strengths, we can make Fresno a Green Destination.

Fifth, we need to actively pursue large companies to Fresno. We have available land, beautiful sunny days, and we are less expensive then San Jose. I, myself, will actively pursue businesses that are searching for a place to set up their business or manufacturing plant. For example, Zapp Electic Automobiles, is based in Northern California, but has a manufacturing plant oversees, and wants to build one her in California. San Jose was expensive, so they’ve been looking for an alternative. We need to bring these companies to the area with Tax Incentives and a business friendly negotiation process.

Lastly, we need to capitalize on the location. We are in between three National Parks, and yet we do almost nothing to attract tourism. Another consultant hired to assess tourism, made some very insightful recommendations. I believe they should be instituted.

Like most families, when you are short on money you must tighten your belts. I support cuts in the budget and consider more efficiencies to balance our budget. We must first look at cutting programs outside of our core services like public safety and street maintenance. I am not a supporter of raising taxes and would only consider fee increases for service when there is true competition and our fee structure is similar to other cities of our size. Expanding our tax base with more businesses and jobs are the best way to increase revenues.

Housing is the key to unlocking a rejuvenated downtown. For rejuvenated downtowns across the country living and playing downtown has been the cornerstone. Housing is my number one priority for downtown. While there have been a number of projects proposed for the downtown, I have and will continue to support those with significant housing. While water features can be nice, I have not supported such “extras” when we are missing the “basic” housing required.

Forest City project for the South of Stadium Project intends to house 2000 people downtown and would be largest investment in downtown housing in a generation. As a result, the city should work closely with Forest City and consider providing the necessary City infrastructure to make the project happen. Currently, the City is in discussion and analysis with Forest City to determine how much the City infrastructure will cost and what the City’s contribution may be.

My staff and I have taken a “hands on” approach in our neighborhoods in District Four. Each area has special needs. Currently, we are addressing the needs of El Dorado park area with a Specific Plan that will be a blue print for other neighborhoods around the City. For some neighborhoods, it is simply addressing the needs street by street and house by house. For areas by-passed by development, a large plan may be necessary but allowing for smaller projects within that plan to give smaller builders a chance to get financing and thus a greater chance for success. There are no fast and easy answers to rejuvenate our older neighborhoods. Each takes steady and solid leadership the kind of which I have given of the last three years and will continue in the next term.

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.

Fresno does need additional park space for families. Our current General Plan does address some of those needs and I will continue to fully support them. I supported the first ever Parks Impact fee for new development. This will ensure that new areas of Fresno will grow with parks. I do believe however we must have adequate financing to take care of the parks we currently have in our community. When pools are closing in the summer and there is no general maintenance for repairing and upgrading because of a lack of funds, we have a problem that needs to be addressed. I have fought to make sure our budget contains the necessary funds to meet the needs of our existing parks.

This is the greatest problem facing our City. I fully support Police Chief Jerry Dyer ’s program to help eradicate gangs in our community. I will continue to support him and look for ways to help him and the officers on the streets. My new Anti-Slum landlord has the additional side-effect of helping eradicate gangs in neighborhoods. Gangs are a multi-issue problem that needs to be approached not only by strong policing but also by community and faith based organizations.

Oppose. As a former Deputy District Attorney, I have some insight into the police policy, procedure and operations. While I keep an open mind and ear to the ground, I have not seen the need for an independent policy auditor at this time. I believe Chief Dyer has done an outstanding job and kept a watchful eye for any indicators that as an organization the police department is acting illegally or inappropriately. Additionally, I do not think we need another level of bureaucracy and our department is addressing the issues well on a case by case basis.

This is a proposal that must go to the voters for an up-or-down vote on a ballot. Before it can go the voters the City Council must approve it and send it to the LAFCO for further consideration and approval. If approved by all the necessary agencies it will go on the ballot. This proposal came to the Council last year, at that time it was half-baked. There were still big questions that needed real answers. As a result, I opposed it and sent it back to staff to get more answers. When it comes back to Council I will make my decision based upon the facts presented and what is in the best interest of District Four and the City.

The City needs to be run like a business: and that means it has a balanced budget every year as required by law and it schedules an adequate reserve for use in leaner years. By the same token, the City needs to involve its citizens and stakeholders in setting budget priorities just like many successful businesses involve their management, directors and employees annually. What is missing in our budget process, with our Strong Mayor form of government, is the meaningful input and involvement of our citizenry. I propose beginning the budget process with a joint public meeting with the Mayor and the Council where all citizens and stakeholders have a voice in setting the priorities for government spending, revenues and cuts. I believe that the best solutions to our budget concerns in any given year are very possibly with our citizenry. And, I also believe that an informed and involved citizenry is one that makes for the best government. In specific answer to your question, and without such public involvement, I believe that we need to first review all fees and charges and make sure we are getting full cost recovery, then we should look at reducing costs that don’t affect city services, such as those spent on consultants and on duplicative departments such as our film, education or economic development departments. Next, we could move to cuts in services that are the least essential, then—and only then, as a last resort, should we look at raising fees/charges/taxes.

I appreciate Mayor Autry’s willingness to put forth ideas on downtown Fresno and the Fulton Mall. His ideas have generated more discussion and the formation of several interest groups such as the Cultural Arts District Committee and the Downtown Coalition. We are now not devoid of ideas or of studies and plans to implement those ideas. What we are lacking is bold leadership. We need a summit where the City Council, the Mayor, all interest groups and stakeholders come together, dust off all of the reports and studies that have been done over the years and, together, negotiate an action plan for downtown and the Fulton Mall that very day. I plan on pushing for such a summit. I believe we can move forward on downtown issues just as we did when the City and County committed to a 10 year plan to end homelessness last fall. I support Mayor Autry’s ideas for a river and a fountain district, but I believe they can be funded by private enterprise, not the City. We can make downtown more than an 8 to 5 government center by increasing housing downtown, by having homes above retail shops like other urban centers and by giving incentives to property and business owners one by one. I am skeptical about Fresno’s current model to grant exclusive rights on large blocks of property to specific developers and, at the least, believe we need to hold such exclusive rights developers to strict timelines or forfeit their agreements. Regarding what we can do for the Fulton Mall: the Fulton Mall is already more than an 8 to 5 government center. It is a bustling retail area on weekends and can be further enhanced with event tie-ins with the arts and Chinatown districts, with more homes above retail shops, with guided walking and bicycle paths and increased attention to maintenance and façade development via the PBID once again being discussed. Further, we need to bring the Mayor, Council, all stakeholders, restaurant and nightclub owners and potential owners together to see how we can restructure our debt, keep downtown evening facilities open and provide free parking to patrons after 6 pm like we have everywhere else in the City.

The question I ask is why are we discussing this now? When the City granted Forest City the exclusive rights to develop the designated property instead of the proposals of any other developers or of any individual property owners, surely they should have done so with all the facts before them about what Forest City was willing to invest and what the City was willing to invest. I believe we need to completely change the way we do business at City Hall. And, a good place to start is to reopen all exclusive rights developer agreements and to, together, discuss costs, investments of all parties, timelines, etc. and, of course, to do so with maximum community and stakeholder input. Barring that, the City could help defray parts of costs in public use areas, but most certainly should not be willing to invest solely in that redevelopment project over all others, current or future.

There are a lot of separate efforts underway in our community to generate jobs via the Regional Jobs Initiative, the City’s economic development department, the EDC, etc. In fact, we have as many efforts underway on this as we have downtown revitalization plans sitting on shelves. It is time for the Mayor and the Council to take more action and provide a strike force to recruit emerging technologies to our area such as solar, alternative energy industries that convert waste to power and industries that prepare us for the future such as a high speed rail engine, rail car manufacturing and maintenance yard. We need to refocus our attention on the completion of undeveloped industrial parks such as Roeding and streamline the way the City does business so we are set up to do tomorrow’s thinking. I continue to be told by investors who have attempted to do business in Fresno that it takes too long, cooperation is lacking between the Mayor and the Council, electeds interfere with professional staff decision making and specifications in the General Plan aren’t meshed with existing rules. All this causes unneeded delay. I propose putting a stop to this by enacting the “Good Reforms For A More Open and Transparent Government” #22 which prohibits Council member interference with City staff as they carry out their professional duties and places the Council back it its role to be sure their decisions—such as General Plan streamlining—are carried out.

The City needs to do all it can to rejuvenate its aging—and ailing—neighborhoods, many of which are in District 4. It is unconscionable that some neighborhoods have more access to City services and amenities than others and that we have not been committed to providing the additional services, amenities, maintenance and attention our aging neighborhoods deserve. To rejuvenate these neighborhoods, we need to reallocate our “rejuvenation” resources to the neighborhoods with the greatest needs, place all of our neighborhoods on a regular maintenance schedule, make sure we are diligent with code enforcement in all areas and that our amenities—parks, libraries, schools, public transportation, retail, access to City government, etc.—are similar throughout the City. I support both large-scale projects and smaller-scale projects as long as no individuals have their property taken away from them for the benefit of a private developer. However, in District 4 and in many parts of our City, we don’t need “projects” as much as we need re-attention to providing the City services and amenities we promised to our residents when their homes were first built.

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.

Our City is in dire need of more park and open space areas in the City. This is especially true in District 4. I am disappointed with the closure of Palm Lakes and also with the lost dreams of building Granite Park into a premier sports facility in District 4. To turn this trend around in District 4 specifically, I believe we should expand the number of schools participating in the agreement between the City and Fresno Unified School District to share green space with the surrounding community. We should require minimum landscape guidelines for new commercial strip malls and we should work with existing strip mall owners to set realistic timelines for adding neighborhood buffers and landscaping improvements to their properties over time. We should also work with entities such as the Metropolitan Flood Control District, the Fresno District Fair and the Fresno Irrigation District to enhance open spaces and the seasonal public use of facilities under their purview. Park impact fees on developments, authorized in 2005, have provided a revenue stream for parks in newer areas of the City, the PARCS division has put together an impressive growth plan and we need to make sure it is carried out and it is funded. Regarding funding: we need to continue to get our share of State/Federal monies, we need to continue to forge partnerships for cost savings and we need to be steadfast on our continued collection of equitable park impact fees from developers.

I support the City’s current approach to quash gangs and I support the City’s involvement in regional efforts as promoted by the State’s CALGRIP program. We need to continue our 3 prong effort of intervention, prevention and suppression. Unlike the incumbent, I’m willing to spend additional tax dollars to quash gangs because I know that when a City has crime and gang problems, it is much harder to attract new industry, to create new jobs and to attract the best employees for our existing employers. Nothing exists in a vacuum.

I oppose an independent police auditor because I haven’t yet seen the IPA model do what it was intended to do in any City. First, they are not truly independent. It isn’t long before one side or the other, depending on who they report to, deems the auditor as being too political and as being unfair and biased. Second, they start small and soon have an insatiable appetite. There isn’t one City I’ve researched that hasn’t had to increase their IPA costs annually by as much as 100 percent. How are we going to fund this new expenditure with such an escalating price tag? Lastly, if the police chief isn’t doing his job, the Mayor and Council must be willing to hold the police chief accountable. Before we see a whole new bureaucracy set up in haste, I want to set up a policy that requires the police chief to sit down regularly with the Council in closed session to thoroughly review all complaints that have been received.

I am skeptical of this proposal. I haven’t been told a good reason why we need to create a new bureaucracy—a new administration, a new executive manager, a new board, a new set of attorneys and other professional staff-- when we already have all of those things in place with the Council and the City now. The Council just voted themselves a 44% raise and now they want to reduce their responsibilities? They are seeking to reduce their workload, and, in reality, are removing themselves from having to make unpopular political choices. Moreover, they have proposed this without having all stakeholders at the table.

Any incoming office holders will face serious fiscal challenges over the next four years. The subprime loan meltdown and looming recession will adversely affect property tax, sales tax and other revenue sources for local government. Preliminary estimates for the FY 2008-09 budget are showing a deficit of $14 million to $20 million. The city has about a $16 million surplus that will cushion most of the deficit the first year. Ensuing years will become more problematic.

There will be three ways to balance the city budget: decrease costs, raise taxes or fees and increase revenues. I will advocate a zero based budgeting where each year the entire city budget and all departments must examine their costs and justify each line item expense starting from a zero base. It is too easy to go on year to year without seriously examining the operation of each city department. A careful, analytical analysis of the city budget should reveal some duplications, inefficiencies, and waste. With a $1 billion budget a 1% savings would be $10 million. The general fund portion of the budget has steadily escalated over the years to about $250 million. Although I would want to protect as many city jobs as possible we may have to seriously evaluate outsourcing certain city services that can be done at a substantial savings while delivering the same level of service. In the event certain city services would have to be cut my priority would be to maintain public safety services.

I will never say never but I would see tax increases as the last answer to solving budget problems. The city has already embarked on a mission to increase fees and fines. The fire department now charges all rental property owners annual inspection fees whether or not there are any problems at the property. A large amount of police department resources are now devoted to traffic enforcement to increase fees from traffic citations. There are other examples and these types of fees balance the budget on the backs of small business and tax payers. The fee increase I do agree with is the recent increases to development fees that had been unchanged for many years.

The planning department operates on the enterprise status where the revenues generated from permit fees, plan check fees and development fees pay for department expenses. Although there is an inherent potential conflict of interest in enterprise status it can be successful if properly run. Expanding enterprise status to other city services could be a way to generate more revenues to offset rising costs of government.

The city can aggressively try to raise their revenue sources through successfully promoting business. My detailed description of developing a 500 plus acre industrial park in the economic development questions would generate millions of dollars in new revenues for the city.

I can offer the same example from my answer to the economic development question of improving city revenues through filling vacant hotel rooms and generating more revenues. Once elected, I will have time to fully understand the entire city budget and operations and be in a position to find other potential solutions to the budget problem.

Mayor Autry has a good heart and the best of intentions to make Fresno a better city. Grand visions and dreams do not make a better city. You need well defined, achievable goals, a specific long term plan to achieve those goals and a confirmed financing source. Mayor Autry’s idea of a downtown lake or a trolley car system between the Tower District and downtown are grand visions but they are premature. First of all, we do not have the financial resources to pay for these types of costly items. A second issue to consider is the water shortage we have. The revitalization of downtown will follow a pattern with building blocks put together in sequence. There will be a proper time for a downtown waterway when the right building blocks of commercial, retail, and residential development are in place.

The current makeup of Fulton Mall will never succeed. Small Ma and Pa business and some government buildings is not enough to regenerate interest in downtown and the mall. The current property owners do not take care of their property. The recently discussed Fulton Mall Improvement District where the city loans money to property owners is a potential solution to improving the appearance of the Fulton Mall. Each owner would repay the loan through assessments against their properties. The improvement district concept could also be expanded to include the entire downtown area. This is, however, not enough for the Fulton Mall. To attract people downtown you need a regional attraction like a major retailer or factory outlet store. I do not believe in destroying historic buildings. We need to maintain an historic image of downtown preserving the original architecture.

As I mentioned earlier, the right building blocks of commercial, retail and residential components must be developed to insure the success of downtown. The residential component is critical to make downtown a vibrant 24 hour part of our city and not an abandoned area after 5:00 PM.

Forest City’s proposed south stadium project would have a profound impact on the resurrection of downtown. I have met with Forest City officials and I am familiar with their proposed project and the overall plan for the area. The fact that Forest City, one of the largest retail developers in the country, is showing an interest in our downtown area should provide an incentive for both the private and public sectors to offer their support. Their mixed use development offers over 650 residential units including rentals and single family homes for sale. This is the missing component in downtown today. I have heard estimates of up to $99 million to cover the cost of the infrastructure improvements to make this project go forward. In a time when government revenues are declining this will be a challenge. It will be no easy sale to the taxpayers of Fresno. We have a legacy of failed projects. We cannot, however, retreat from taking future risks is there are substantial rewards. As a businessman I know that you have to make investments and there is never a certainty of the outcome. What is needed is a careful analytical study of this project and its fiscal impact on both downtown and the entire city. Ultimately, the potential return on investment must be sufficient to justify the costs and risks. We cannot borrow ourselves into a sea of debt with an uncertain revenue stream. I believe the solution will be a combination of State and Federal assistance and local bond financing to cover the anticipated costs.

Since the demise of Roeding Industrial Park there have been no concerted efforts to develop a major, 500 plus acre industrial park in Fresno. If you compare completed industrial parks in Southern and Northern California to Fresno we are not competitive. These other parts of the state offer completed, landscaped, and paved parks with direct access to freeways and railroad spurs. You are offered a turnkey business opportunity. When you come to Fresno you are shown a vacant lot filled with weeds and the promise that one day the freeway will be extended there and the park will be built. Developing a first class 500 acre plus industrial will be one of my top priorities when I am elected. This will require a major commitment from the city to help assemble the land and find the financing for the infrastructure. A completed, successful park would provide an enormous economic benefit to the community in both jobs and creating new revenues for the city.

Tourism is the second leading industry in Fresno County behind agriculture producing $990 million per years. This is an underdeveloped industry with a lot of potential. We have three major national parks at our back door. The Convention Visitors Bureau or CVB has been ineffective in the past. The city, the county and the EDC have not cooperated in developing a cohesive plan and promotion. Recent changes in leadership at both EDC and CVB have given me confidence that the right team is in place and we can make substantial improvements in our promotion of CVB in Fresno. Let me offer you an example of how much additional revenue could be generated from hotel taxes alone. If you could fill half of the vacant hotel rooms in Fresno it would generate an additional $10 million per year in new revenues.

For years, I have heard talk of making Fresno more business friendly and improving the permit and plan check process. I know firsthand from being a businessman that these improvements have never materialized. Nothing is easy to do in Fresno. A simple tenant improvement project can take weeks to navigate the plan check process and get a permit. There is poor coordination between departments. Our primary source of jobs is existing business. We need to offer the incentives and means for existing business to be successful. One idea I would like to promote is to pre-zone certain parcels. This would be an enormous benefit to assembling the land for an industrial park or finding solutions for affordable housing. Processing a tract map and entitlements can take one to two years and this is simply not going to work.

The Redevelopment Agency or RDA is the primary vehicle for rejuvenating downtown and older neighborhoods. The RDA is a state mandated agency that is an adjunct to the city council. City council members are the board members who direct this agency. Other methods to improve older neighborhoods include the “no neighborhood left behind” program started a few years. I do believe it is important to maintain our older neighborhoods not only for the residents who live there but also to encourage more infill development. In the next four years, it will be difficult to fund many worthwhile projects in Fresno. I do believe, however, that we need to keep maintenance of older neighborhoods high on our priority list.

Running Horse offered a promise of a PGA golf course and a large, upscale residential development in West Fresno. From my many years of experience in real estate, I knew that the success of Running Horse was problematic at best. In the best real estate market in the past 100 years the luxury homes could not be sold. I believe we need to be more realistic in future developments trying to restore neglected areas like West Fresno. We need smaller, first time buyer home tracts in areas like West Fresno that will offer residents the dream of home ownership at affordable prices.

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.

We currently have a ratio of about 2.8 acres per 1,000 people. The 2025 General Plan expands that ratio a little to 3.0 to 1,000 people. The national average is closer to 5.0 acres per 1,000 people. When I was a member of the Fresno Planning Commission we reviewed several tract map applications in the Roosevelt/Sunnyside area. This particular area of Fresno required that all new developments earmark 5% for parks or green space or mitigate the cost. Through the efforts of all commissioners we were able to move forward a plan text amendment to the general plan to require that all future developments citywide have the same 5% requirement. This requirement encourages developers to develop more green space in their subdivisions including linear parks.

Fresno has grown to the point where we could use another regional park such as Woodward Park. Frankly speaking, I think it will be very difficult to achieve in the next four years with major budget shortfalls. In fact, any new park will be hard to finance. We need a long term strategy to solve this problem. We also need to be more creative in the development of parks and green space. A good example of innovative planning for green space is the new Francher Creek development in Southeast Fresno. Using the natural feature of Francher Creek, this development was built around that natural feature with connecting trails to the mixed use community.

Developing new parks will have to be financed primarily through developer fees. We need to seriously assess the fee structure to insure that enough revenues are generated for new parks. Grant monies can also be used to augment developer fees and should be seriously explored. The remaining problem is finding the money to maintain parks once we build them. The city is having a major problem now maintaining median islands, parks, and our streets. Special assessment districts may be one solution to providing an ongoing revenue stream to cover the cost of maintenance.