Planning Commission

City of Fresno City Hall Council Chambers 2600 Fresno Street Meeting Minutes - Final Wednesday, July 16, 2025 6:00 PM Regular Meeting City Hall Council Chambers 2600 Fresno Street Planning Commission Chairperson – Peter Vang Vice Chair - Kathy Bray Commissioner – David Criner Commissioner – Monica Diaz Commissioner – Jacqueline Lyday Commissioner - Linda M Calandra Commissioner – Gurdeep Singh Shergill Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final July 16, 2025 THE PLANNING COMMISSION WELCOMES YOU TO COUNCIL CHAMBERS, LOCATED AT CITY HALL, 2600 FRESNO STREET, FRESNO, CALIFORNIA 93721. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – Any interested person may appear at the public hearing and present written testimony or speak in favor or against the matters scheduled on the agenda. Public participation during Fresno City Planning Commission meetings is always encouraged and can occur by attending a meeting in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 2nd Floor, 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93721. When called to speak during a meeting, you may approach the speaker podium upon the Chair’s call for public comment. All public speakers will have up to 3 minutes to address the Commission pursuant to Rule No. 13 of the Planning Commission Bylaws of the City of Fresno (available in the City Clerk’s Office). SUBMIT DOCUMENTS / WRITTEN COMMENTS – 1. E-mail – Agenda related documents and comments can be e-mailed to the Planning & Development Department. Unless otherwise required by law to be accepted by the City at or prior to a Commission meeting or hearing, no documents shall be accepted for Commission review unless they are submitted to the Planning and Development Department at least 24 hours prior to the commencement of the Commission meeting at which the associated agenda item is to be heard. All comments received at least 24 hours prior will be distributed to the Planning Commission prior and during the meeting and will be a part of the official record, pursuant to Article 4 (3). a. Email comments to PublicCommentsPlanning@fresno.gov. b. Emails should include the agenda date and item number you wish to speak on in the subject line of your email. Include your name and address for the record, at the top of the body of your email. VIEWING PLANNING MEETINGS (non-participatory) – For your convenience, there are ways to view Planning Commission meetings live: 1. Community Media Access Collaborative website: https://cmac.tv/ 2. Cable Television: Comcast Channel 96 and AT&T Channel 99 3. Participate Remotely via Zoom: https://fresno.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_JRC95sI1SW6vrTmNwLLrPw a. The above link will allow you to register in advance for remote participation in the meeting via the Zoom platform. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing additional details about joining the meeting. Should any of these viewing methods listed above experience technical difficulties, the Commission meeting will continue uninterrupted. Commission meetings will only City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 2 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final July 16, 2025 be paused to address verifiable technical difficulties for all users participating via Zoom or in the Chambers. The City of Fresno’s goal is to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Anyone requiring reasonable ADA accommodations, including sign language interpreters, or other reasonable accommodations such as language translation, should contact the office of the City Clerk at (559) 621-7650 or clerk@fresno.gov. To help ensure availability of these services, you are advised to make your request a minimum of 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting. City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 3 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final July 16, 2025 I. ROLL CALL Chair Vang called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. Also present were Jennifer Clark, Phillip Siegrist, Erik Young, Juan Lara, Kari Camino, Jenny Araiza-Chavez, and Heather Thomas (CAO). Present 5 - Chairperson Peter Vang, Commissioner Kathy Bray, Commissioner Jacqueline G. Lyday, Commissioner Linda Calandra, and Commissioner Gurdeep Singh Shergill Absent 2 - Commissioner David Criner , and Commissioner Monica Diaz II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 6:01 p.m. III. PROCEDURES 6:01 p.m. Chair Vang read the procedures aloud. IV. AGENDA APPROVAL 6:03 p.m. Siegrist reported no changes to the agenda. On motion of Vice Chair Bray, seconded by Commissioner Lyday, the AGENDA was APPROVED. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 5 - Chairperson Vang, Commissioner Bray, Commissioner Lyday, Commissioner Calandra, and Commissioner Shergill Absent: 2 - Commissioner Criner , and Commissioner Diaz V. CONSENT CALENDAR 6:03 p.m. On motion of Vice Chair Bray, seconded by Commissioner Calandra, the CONSENT CALENDAR was APPROVED. The motion carried by the following vote: City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 4 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final July 16, 2025 Aye: 5 - Chairperson Vang, Commissioner Bray, Commissioner Lyday, Commissioner Calandra, and Commissioner Shergill Absent: 2 - Commissioner Criner , and Commissioner Diaz V-I ID 25-958 June 18, 2025 Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes VI. REPORTS BY COMMISSIONERS 6:04 p.m. Commissioner Shergill spoke about Measure C, and encouraged the residents of Fresno to attend the upcoming meetings. VII. CONTINUED MATTERS N/A VIII. NEW MATTERS City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 5 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final July 16, 2025 VIII-A ID 25-949 Consideration of Text Amendment Application No. P25-00974 and related Environmental Finding for Environmental Assessment No. P25-00974, amending Table 15-1102 and Section 15-2728 of the Fresno Municipal Code, related to Drive-In and Drive-Through Facilities in Mixed-Use Districts. 1. RECOMMEND ADOPTION (to the City Council), of a finding set forth in Environmental Assessment No. P25-00974, that Text Amendment Application No. P25-00974 is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3). 2. RECOMMEND ADOPTION (to the City Council), of Text Amendment Application No. P25-00974, to amend Table 15- 1102 and Section 15-2728 of the Fresno Municipal Code (FMC), relating to existing establishments with drive-through facilities that are required to relocate as a result of a taking by eminent domain. 6:05 p.m. Young made a presentation on the Text Amendment Application that proposes to provide flexibility to existing drive-through facilities required to relocate due to the property being acquired as a result of a taking by eminent domain. He explained existing regulations, proposed changes, showed examples of properties affected, public outreach, and Staff's recommendation. Commissioners asked about public comments received, examples of drive-through's, relocation of existing restaurants, and pedestrian safety. Clark clarified this Text Amendment wasn't for a specific project, but examples of projects that could benefit from the flexibility in choosing a new location near-by to keep their existing customer base. Public Comment: No public comment was given. On motion of Commissioner Calandra, seconded by Vice Chair Bray, that the above Action Item be RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL. The motion carried by the following vote: City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 6 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final July 16, 2025 Aye: 5 - Chairperson Vang, Commissioner Bray, Commissioner Lyday, Commissioner Calandra, and Commissioner Shergill Absent: 2 - Commissioner Criner , and Commissioner Diaz VIII-B ID 25-998 Workshop: Basics of Annexation 6:20 p.m. Lara presented a workshop on the Basics of Annexation, including the Sphere of Influence, City limits versus unincorporated, City and County Tax Sharing Agreement, and general definition of an Annexation. He went into further detail of the pre-application process, including confirming logical boundaries, confirming if a property is inhabited or uninhabited, required neighborhood meetings, and the approval process. Once approved by the City, a Notice of Intent is sent to Fresno County, and an application submitted to the Fresno Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo). Once an Annexation is approved by LAFCo, it is recorded after a 30 day reconsideration period, and the completed documents are provided to the GIS team. Lara was available for questions. Commissioners asked how often LAFCo denies Annexations, benefits of Annexation into the City of Fresno, how easy the process is, and cost. Lara answered that LAFCo does not deny Annexations very often as revisions can be made. Some benefits include sidewalk and street upgrades, parks, Police protection, and connection to the City of Fresno water and sewer services. He concluded that most developers apply for Annexations, and the cost is approximately $12,000.00. City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 7 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final July 16, 2025 IX. REPORT BY SECRETARY 6:42 p.m. Clark stated that the West Area Specific Plan (WASP) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) are available for review on the City of Fresno website, and will be heard in late August. She anticipates the Central Southeast Specific Plan (CSSP) will be heard in October, and the Tower District Specific Plan (TDSP) will be heard in November. She encouraged Commissioners to read and familiarize themselves with the upcoming Specific Plans that are coming before them. Commissioner Calandra asked for an update on the City of Fresno's Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR). Director Clark responded that Staff is reviewing the updated document and compiling a cheat sheet, and anticipates being able to provide a quick summary at the next Planning Commission meeting. X. SCHEDULED ORAL COMMUNICATIONS N/A XI. UNSCHEDULED ORAL COMMUNICATIONS 6:46 p.m. None XII. ADJOURNMENT Chair Vang adjourned the meeting at 6:46 p.m. City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 8