Revised SEDA Development Plan Heads to Planning Commission After Months of Revisions

The Fresno City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on August 19 to consider recommending approval of the revised Southeast Development Area Specific Plan and its environmental impact report. The hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. at City Hall.

The proposal, known as SEDA, would expand the city’s borders by rezoning 9,000 acres of mostly farmland to the east and south to make room for up to 45,000 homes. Mayor Jerry Dyer has championed the plan, stating it would eventually yield millions of dollars in additional local property tax revenue, facilitate economic growth in the region and keep Fresno competitive in the housing market.

If a majority of commissioners vote to recommend the plan, it could receive final approval as soon as the next scheduled City Council meeting on August 27. The revisions are not yet available to the public but will be published ahead of the hearing, according to the city’s communications coordinator, Carmen Flores.

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The Fresno City Council was originally scheduled to approve the development in December. Instead, Dyer asked for direction from the council for a section of the plan he calls South SEDA, which consists of about 1,963 acres. At that meeting, Dyer proposed requiring at least 70% of the residential land in South SEDA be built out before allowing development to expand into additional areas within the sphere to address concerns about sprawl. He also floated the possibility of a voter referendum and additional environmental studies before moving outside of South SEDA.

In a 5-2 vote, the council sent the plan back to the Dyer administration with a long list of revisions, including new studies on SEDA’s financial viability and environmental impact. The Planning Commission had previously voted 4-3 in November to recommend SEDA to the council before it was sent back.

The plan has drawn intense scrutiny from a coalition of around 20 organizations, politicians, residents and neighborhood groups. Opponents say the mega-development would drain resources from existing neighborhoods, force school closures in Fresno Unified, destroy prime farmland and continue the harmful environmental impacts of Fresno’s history of urban sprawl.

The Fresno Unified and Central Unified school boards each voted to formally oppose SEDA, reasoning that the project could pull away students and funding from the districts. Neighboring Clovis Unified and Sanger Unified would also feel the impacts of SEDA, though neither have taken official stances.

Dillon Savory, executive director of the Fresno Madera Tulare and Kings Central Labor Council, told KVPR that the mayor has not released information about how the plan would be financed or how it would pay for itself. He said the city should instead focus more on redevelopment within the city’s current limits, especially downtown.

Veva Islas, a Fresno Unified School District trustee, told KVPR that the proposal to build homes on the city’s eastern edge could take families and resources away from schools that are already facing challenges. Fresno Unified is already struggling with a large decline in enrollment and a budget shortfall.

Dyer told KVPR he is focusing efforts on South SEDA, an initial first phase bordered by Jensen and North, Temperance and Minnewawa, which consists of 1,547 acres that would be fully dedicated to research and development with a focus on manufacturing jobs. Another 467 acres between Jensen and Hamilton, just east of Temperance bordered by the Briggs Canal, would be set aside for residential use, with 4,800 total units anticipated — a third dedicated to multi-family housing and two-thirds for single family homes.

Dyer told KVPR that much of the middle bulk of SEDA may never get developed, contending upfront costs to put in city infrastructure was too high for all 9,000 acres, totaling an estimated $267 million for water and sewer mains. However, he said the environmental impact report must consider the entirety of the project to avoid what he called the unlawful practice of piecemealing.

Dyer pushed back on criticism that the project would place financial burden on taxpayers, stating the infrastructure costs tied to the development project would be paid by developers instead of city residents.

The Breakdown

• The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on August 19 at 6 p.m. to consider the revised SEDA plan and environmental impact report
• The plan proposes rezoning 9,000 acres of mostly farmland to make room for up to 45,000 homes
• The revised plan focuses on South SEDA, a smaller first phase of approximately 1,963 acres
• South SEDA includes 1,547 acres for research and development/manufacturing, plus 467 acres for 4,800 residential units
• Dyer proposed requiring 70% of South SEDA residential land be built out before expanding into additional areas
• If recommended by the Planning Commission, final approval could come as soon as the City Council meeting on August 27
• The City Council previously voted 5-2 to send the plan back for revisions, including new financial viability and environmental impact studies

What This Means for You

If you live in Fresno, this decision could significantly affect your city’s growth direction, property taxes, school district boundaries, and how resources are allocated between new developments and existing neighborhoods. The August 19 public hearing is your opportunity to weigh in before the Planning Commission makes its recommendation to City Council.