Tower District Specific Plan Implementation Committee

City of Fresno Tower Theater 815 E Olive Ave., Fresno, CA 93728 Meeting Minutes - Final Tuesday, August 15, 2023 5:30 PM Regular Meeting In Person and/or Electronic Tower Theater Lounge Tower District Specific Plan Implementation Committee Chairperson - Christopher Johnson Vice Chair - Michael Birdsong Board Member - Annie Lokrantz Board Member - Janay Conley Board Member - Myra Coble Board Member - James Kitch Board Member - Joseph Catania Tower District Specific Plan Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2023 Implementation Committee THE COMMITTEE WELCOMES YOU TO THE TOWER THEATER, LOCATED AT 815 E OLIVE AVENUE, FRESNO, CA 93728 The meeting can also be viewed live at 5:30 P.M. on Comcast Channel 96 and AT&T channel 99. PUBLIC COMMENT: The following options are available for members of the public who want to address Tower District Specific Plan Implementation Committee: 1. You are invited to a Zoom webinar. a) Register in advance for this webinar: https://fresno-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_taAP1qgNRGGeXj2cB5mzQQ After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. b) If you do not wish for your name to appear on the screen, then use the drop down menu and click on “rename” to rename yourself. c) Those addressing Committee must state their name for the record. OR 2. Join by phone: 1-669-900-9128 Webinar ID: 951 8694 8275 a) Those addressing the Committee must state their name and address for the record. 3. Email: LongRangePlanning@fresno.gov a) Attendees may also email comments to be read during the meeting. Please 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. b) Emails will be a maximum of 450 words. c) All comments received will be distributed to the Tower District Specific Plan City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 2 Tower District Specific Plan Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2023 Implementation Committee Implementation Committee prior and during the meeting and will be a part of the official record. d) Notwithstanding subsection c) above, unless otherwise required by law to be accepted by the City at or prior to a Tower District Specific Plan Implementation Committee meeting, no documents shall be accepted for review unless they are submitted to Long Range Planning at least 24 hours prior to the commencement of the meeting at which the associated agenda item is to be heard. All participants will be on mute until they are called upon at which point they will be unmuted. To prevent participants from having their video on, we will remove the option to show their video. Pursuant to the Executive Order, and in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in the Tower District Specific Plan Implementation Committee meeting, please contact the Planning Division, 559-621-8277 within 48 hours of the meeting. City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 3 Tower District Specific Plan Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2023 Implementation Committee I. Call to Order & Roll Call Chair Johnson called the meeting to order at 5:36 pm and initiated the roll call. Also present were Long Range Planning staff Casey Lauderdale, Yamilex Nava, Preston Her, Adrienne Asadorian, Maya Mubarak, Veronica Martinez, Matthew Woodward, Sophia Pagoulatos, and Karlo Guillermo; Council District Staff Gabriela Olea (District 3), Brenda Cosio (District 1) Present 7 - Chairperson Christopher Johnson, Vice Chair Michael Birdsong, Board Member Annie Lokrantz, Board Member Janay Conley, Board Member Myra Coble, Board Member James Kitch, and Board Member Joseph Catania II. Approve Agenda Committee member Lokrantz amended item VII – E (ID 23-1242) to list an additional subcommittee. On motion of Vice Chair Birdsong, seconded by Board Member Coble,the above AGENDA was APPROVED AS AMENDED. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 7 - Chairperson Johnson, Vice Chair Birdsong, Board Member Lokrantz, Board Member Conley, Board Member Coble, Board Member Kitch and Board Member Catania III. Approve Meeting Minutes III-A ID 23-1238 July 18, 2023 Tower District Specific Implementation Committee Regular Meeting Minutes Birdsong noted Chair Johnson was not present until Staff Updates and therefore requested the Minutes be amended to show him absent during the first two votes (Approval of Agenda & Approval of Meeting Minutes). On motion of Vice Chair Birdsong, seconded by Board Member Lokrantz, that the above Action Item be APPROVED AS AMENDED. The motion carried by the following vote: City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 4 Tower District Specific Plan Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2023 Implementation Committee Aye: 7 - Chairperson Johnson, Vice Chair Birdsong, Board Member Lokrantz, Board Member Conley, Board Member Coble, Board Member Kitch and Board Member Catania IV. Council District Updates Cosio stated there were no Council District Updates from District 1, but she was there if any constituents had questions or wanted to get in contact. V. Staff Updates N/A VI. Continued Matters VI-A ID 23-1262 Implementation Role Subcommittee Update regarding meeting from August 11, 2023, focusing on communication of proposed projects within the Specific Plan area Lauderdale asked if someone from the subcommittee that attended the August 11, 2023 subcommittee meeting could provide a report. Committee member Coble shared that the subcommittee would monitor proposed projects via the Tower Design Review Committee agenda. Should any seem incompatible with the Specific Plan, the subcommittee members could attend the meeting or submit concerns to the Design Review Committee. Staff reported that all projects in Tower except Tentative Tract Maps go before the Design Review Committee. They added that if the Committee wanted to bring a project before their body to comment, that should be okay, but staff would have to seek clarification from the City Attorney's Office at that time for the proper procedure. VI-B ID 23-22 Discussion and approval of 2023 meeting dates/locations for Tower District Specific Plan Implementation Committee Regular Meetings Lauderdale updated the Committee on the meeting format feasibility, potential locations, and schedule (with the extension into 2024) and asked for feedback on locations and dates. City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 5 Tower District Specific Plan Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2023 Implementation Committee Members of the public provided input on the meeting location and some expressed a strong desire to stay at the Tower Theater. Coble motioned to move November’s meeting from November 21, 2023 to November 14, 2023 and Conley seconded the motion. On motion of Board Member Coble, seconded by Board Member Conley, that the above Discussion Item be APPROVED AS AMENDED. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 7 - Chairperson Johnson, Vice Chair Birdsong, Board Member Lokrantz, Board Member Conley, Board Member Coble, Board Member Kitch and Board Member Catania Following the approval of the amended calendar Birdsong motioned to move the December’s meeting from December 19, 2023 to December 12, 2023 and Conley seconded the motion. On motion of Vice Chair Birdsong, seconded by Board Member Conley, that the above Discussion Item be APPROVED AS AMENDED. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 7 - Chairperson Johnson, Vice Chair Birdsong, Board Member Lokrantz, Board Member Conley, Board Member Coble, Board Member Kitch and Board Member Catania VII. New Matters VII-A ID 23-1243 Discussion regarding current status of project schedule. Lauderdale shared the status of the Tower District Specific Plan project, provided future projections, and outlined goals for conversations/policies to reach the key stages of the timeline. Chair Johnson asked about the Design Standards and staff explained that the Design Standards draft would be presented at the August 2024 TDSP meeting, noting that the document would be a revision of the current Tower District Design Guidelines. VII-B ID 23-1240 Discussion on outreach and feedback received in prior workshop, pop-ups, and survey. Martinez gave a summary of outreach events, provided an outline of the City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 6 Tower District Specific Plan Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2023 Implementation Committee upcoming August 26, 2023 event (such as canvassing, flyers, and social media), and then presented current survey results. Chair Johnson asked for the data to be sent to the Committee members. Staff stated that the data will be posted on the Tower website. Members of the public asked for the website and staff shared where to locate the URL. Chair Johnson asked if the survey had catered questions toward students and Staff explained that the survey questions were generalized to a broader audience. VII-C ID 23-1239 Report on August 26 Community Workshop preparation, volunteers, and outreach Lauderdale outlined how the August 26, 2023 workshop will be formatted, provided parking information, explained the specific focus areas of the Tower District, and estimated the expected attendance. Committee member Birdsong asked if staff needed anything from the Committee and Martinez requested volunteers for boards and facilitators for tables. Staff confirmed that this August event would be the last outreach event of the year. VII-D ID 23-1244 Workshop on Health & Equity Policy Analysis & Implementation Matrix, focusing on the Framework’s evaluation on whether polices of the 1991 Specific Plan promote/detract from health and equity considerations, and how to use the Framework as a tool to achieve positive outcomes in the Specific Plan Update. Lauderdale provided a summary of the research gathered by consultants on the topics of health and equity in the Tower District; including the meaning of common terms and the categories/factors that apply. She also showed depictions in relation to the residents of the Tower District and the factors of health and equity under the Tower District Specific Plan. Chair Johnson highlighted some discrepancies on some of the maps shown City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 7 Tower District Specific Plan Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2023 Implementation Committee in the presentation. Committee member Conley commented on how staff should look at equity in relationship to home ownership in the future. Lauderdale detailed the roles of the proposed Subcommittees in the creation/update of the new Tower District Specific Plan and noted they can, but are not solely responsible for creating new policies. A member of the public stated concerns on the language and assumptions used in the polices regarding the reduction of the community care facilities in the 1991 Tower District Specific Plan. They also asked how staff and the Committee would ensure that representation and diversity be included in the creation of the policies. Members of the Committee shared the history regarding the community care facilities in the Tower District, and how the policies addressed concerns of the community at that time. Committee and staff discussed how they can change the language going forward to be more inclusive in the next draft of the Tower District Specific Plan. Her and Woodward presented on the Health & Equity Framework + Implementation Analysis Matrix, where they detailed how the document analyzes and audits how the policies of the Specific Plan might have impacts on aspects of health and equity, such as air quality, environmental comfort, housing burdens, access to food and employment, and land use. Members of the public asked if there were policies that were not followed up on and made notes on the topic of affordable housing, and how it should be included in the conversations and goals of the new Specific Plan. Lauderdale acknowledged the comments made on accessibility and representation, and stated that efforts will be made to connect marginalized communities’ representation groups into process. VII-E ID 23-1242 Review and consider upcoming topic-based meetings. City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 8 Tower District Specific Plan Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2023 Implementation Committee STAFF RECOMMENDATION: 1. Appoint subcommittees to review Health & Equity Analysis Framework, Implementation Analysis Matrix, and Community Feedback for the purpose of topic-based discussions. a. Historic Preservation Subcommittee b. Land Use, Zoning, & Entertainment District Subcommittee c. Circulation & Parks Subcommittee Lauderdale asked the Chair for consideration of appointing subcommittees to review materials prior to the topic-based meetings starting in September. Staff explained the roles and responsibilities of these subcommittees. A member of the public thanked the Committee and staff on the creation of the library subcommittee and informed staff of a survey going around on the topic of the library. Chair Johnson appointed committee members to the subcommittees as noted below: 1. HISTORIC PRESERVATION SUBCOMMITTEE a. Board Member Johnson b. Board Member Birdsong c. Board Member Conley 2. LAND USE, ZONING, AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT SUBCOMMITTEE a. Board Member Kitsch b. Board Member Catania c. Board Member Coble 3. CIRCULATION & PARKS SUBCOMMITTEE a. Board Member Lokrantz b. Board Member Birdsong c. Board Member Catania 4. LIBRARY City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 9 Tower District Specific Plan Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2023 Implementation Committee a. Board Member Lokrantz b. Board Member Kitsch c. Board Member Johnson Lauderdale informed the members of the public that if they would like to sign up for a subcommittee, they can email her. VIII. Unscheduled Oral Communications Lauderdale acknowledged the recent Queer Housing Summit hosted by the South Tower Community Land Trust. IX. Adjournment Next Meeting: September 19, 2023 at Tower Theater The Chair adjourned meeting at 7:32 pm City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 10