Fresno Council Rezones Northwest Corner for 'Parc West' Housing Development — AI-generated illustration
Fresno Council Rezones Northwest Corner for ‘Parc West’ Housing Development
The Fresno City Council approved a land-use change on December 9, 2021, clearing the way for a residential development called “Parc West” on approximately 7.33 acres at the northwest corner of North Grantland and West Ashlan Avenues in Council District 1.
The council’s vote changed the city’s General Plan designation for the site from Community Commercial to Medium Density Residential and rezoned the property from Commercial-Community to Single Family Residential, Medium Density. The approval followed the council’s adoption of an environmental review addendum dated September 28, 2021.
The project was identified in city records as Plan Amendment and Rezone Application No. P19-00417. The staff report was prepared by Chris Lang, a planner in the Development Services Division, under the supervision of Israel Trejo and department director Jennifer Clark.
The Breakdown
- The council changed the General Plan land-use designation from Community Commercial to Medium Density Residential for the 7.33-acre site.
- The zoning was changed from CC/UGM/cz (Commercial-Community/Urban Growth Management/conditions of zoning) to RS-5/UGM/cz (Single Family Residential, Medium Density/Urban Growth Management/conditions of zoning).
- The council adopted an environmental review addendum under the California Environmental Quality Act, dated September 28, 2021, with State Clearinghouse Number 2020039061.
- The property sits at the northwest corner of North Grantland and West Ashlan Avenues in Council District 1.
What This Means for You
A commercial corner became a residential site through this vote. The council’s decision to rezone this site is the kind of land-use authority voters delegate when they elect a council member.
What to Watch
The material gives no detail on who is developing Parc West, what the project will cost, how many homes it will include, or what the homes will sell for.
The environmental review was handled through an “addendum” rather than a full new assessment. What was the original environmental impact report for, and what changed between that review and this one? The material does not say.
A rezoning that turns commercial land into residential land is not inherently good or bad, but it is a choice with consequences. Does the area need more housing more than it needs the jobs and services a commercial corner might bring? The material offers no answer, and no record of anyone asking the question before the council voted.
