Planning Commission

City of Fresno City Hall Council Chambers 2600 Fresno Street Meeting Minutes - Final Wednesday, August 20, 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 August 20, 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 August 20, 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 August 20, 2025 I. ROLL CALL Chair Vang called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. Also present were Jennifer Clark, Ashley Atkinson, Israel Trejo, Phillip Siegrist, Robert Holt, Kari Camino, Heather Thomas (CAO), Dejan Pavic (DPU), Denise Soria (DPU), and Jairo Mata (DPW). Present 6 - Chairperson Peter Vang, Commissioner Kathy Bray, Commissioner Monica Diaz, Commissioner Jacqueline G. Lyday, Commissioner Linda Calandra, and Commissioner Gurdeep Singh Shergill Absent 1 - Commissioner David Criner II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 6:01 p.m. III. PROCEDURES 6:02 p.m. Chair Vang read the procedures aloud. IV. AGENDA APPROVAL 6:02 p.m. Trejo reported no changes to the agenda. On motion of Commissioner Diaz, seconded by Commissioner Calandra, the AGENDA was APPROVED. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 6 - Chairperson Vang, Commissioner Bray, Commissioner Diaz, Commissioner Lyday, Commissioner Calandra, and Commissioner Shergill Absent: 1 - Commissioner Criner V. CONSENT CALENDAR N/A City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 4 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final August 20, 2025 VI. REPORTS BY COMMISSIONERS 6:03 p.m. Commissioner Shergill thanked Mayor Dyer for the Graffiti Removal Program and cleaning up Fresno. He would like to see more flowers, greenery, art, and road repairs done, especially in downtown Fresno and along Highway 99, where thousands of travelers pass through. He felt the roadways leading into the heart of Fresno should be more welcoming. Trejo stated that Public Works is scheduled to give a presentation on road improvements at the next Planning Commission meeting. Commissioner Lyday also wanted to remind residents about Beautify Fresno and the opportunities available to make the community more welcoming. VII. CONTINUED MATTERS N/A VIII. NEW MATTERS VIII-A ID 25-1101 Election of Chair and Vice Chair On motion of Vice Chair Bray, seconded by Commissioner Diaz, to elect Peter Vang as Chair. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 6 - Chairperson Vang, Commissioner Bray, Commissioner Diaz, Commissioner Lyday, Commissioner Calandra, and Commissioner Shergill Absent: 1 - Commissioner Criner On motion of Commissioner Shergill, seconded by Commissioner Calandra, to elect Kathy Bray as Vice Chair. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 6 - Chairperson Vang, Commissioner Bray, Commissioner Diaz, Commissioner Lyday, Commissioner Calandra, and Commissioner Shergill Absent: 1 - Commissioner Criner City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 5 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final August 20, 2025 VIII-B ID 25-1108 Consideration of an appeal regarding Development Permit Application No . P23-03993, Planned Development Permit Application No. P23-03990, and Conditional Use Permit Application No. P23-03982 for property bounded by West Herndon Avenue to the north, North Hayes Avenue to the west, and North Veterans Boulevard to the east (Council District 2) - Planning and Development Department. 1. DENY the appeal and UPHOLD the action of the Planning and Development Department Director approving Development Permit Application No. P23-03993, Planned Development Permit Application No. P23-03990, and Conditional Use Permit Application No. P23- 03982, authorizing the construction of a 396-unit residential and commercial development encompassing approximately 22,666 square feet of gross floor area for future commercial and office uses with one drive-through lane, subject to the following: a. Development shall take place in accordance with the Conditions of Approval for Development Permit Application No. P23-03993, Planned Development Permit Application No. P23-03990, and Conditional Use Permit Application No. P23-03982 dated July 3, 2025. 6:09 p.m. Commissioner Calandra made an announcement that she is good friends with a resident that submitted an appeal letter, but it should have no bearing on her decision. Holt made a presentation on the project including location, zoning, development proposals, PG&E and Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District (FMFCD) easements on the property, open space and parking requirements. He further explained the applicability of the Housing Accountability Act to the project, public outreach, concerns expressed in the Appeal letter received, and Staff's recommendations. Commissioners had concerns with noise, traffic, parking, and pedestrian safety. Armen Basmajian (Applicant) thanked Staff for their work on this project. He gave a brief history of the project development, public outreach to neighbors and school district officials, and studies completed for the project. He City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 6 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final August 20, 2025 concluded his presentation by explaining this would be considered a high-end development with tons of amenities and priced at market-rate. Public Comment: No public comment was given. After much deliberation, Commissioner Calandra made a motion to deny the appeal and uphold the Planning and Development Department Director's decision, with the exception of the additional sound mitigation for the buildings along Herndon Avenue, that will require additional noise mitigation measures in order to be consistent with the General Plan. Roll Call Vote was taken. On motion of Commissioner Calandra, seconded by Commissioner Diaz, that the above Action Item be as follows: DENY the appeal and UPHOLD the action of the Planning Department Director, as AMENDED. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 6 - Chairperson Vang, Commissioner Bray, Commissioner Diaz, Commissioner Lyday, Commissioner Calandra, and Commissioner Shergill Absent: 1 - Commissioner Criner IX. REPORT BY SECRETARY 7:04 p.m. Clark stated the Tower District Specific Plan (TDSP) has been published for public comment, and the Tower District Specific Plan Implementation Team will be hosting a meeting to provide a summary and overview of the Specific Plan. She expects the Specific Plan and Environmental Impact Report will be presented to the Commissioners in November, and reminded them to start reviewing those documents. The Planning Commission took a break from 7:06 p.m. to 7:08 p.m. City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 7 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final August 20, 2025 X. SCHEDULED ORAL COMMUNICATIONS N/A XI. UNSCHEDULED ORAL COMMUNICATIONS 7:08 p.m. One member of the public had concerns regarding the meeting minutes not published on the City of Fresno website in a timely manner. Another member of the public stated objections to any development in South West Fresno due to lack of community notification. She also expressed concerns with Developers in the area not following dust precautions, and questioned time limit constraints on members of the public versus project Applicants. Director Clark clarified the process of when the meeting minutes would be published on the website. She also provided the residents with information for San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District that will cite a property that is not using appropriate dust control mechanisms. Residents may also report complaints on the FresGo mobile application, or submit an email to the Planning and Development Department to report incidents happening on job sites. Thomas clarified the time constraints according to the Bylaws the Planning Commission follows. Commissioner Calandra asked for a future Workshop on Parking Requirements. XII. ADJOURNMENT Chair Vang adjourned the meeting at 7:14 p.m. City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 8