The revised Southeast Development Area plan (SEDA) is headed to Fresno City Council following a 6-1 vote from the Planning Commission. Over 35 community members voiced their disapproval of the 4.3 billion dollar mega project at the City Hall Planning Commission meeting on Aug.19. Five spoke in favor.

What is SEDA?

The City of Fresno defines SEDA as a long-range mega development of about 9,000 acres on the southeast edge of Fresno. Mayor Jerry Dyer has been vocal about his support for the project. 

The zone is made up of mostly unincorporated land and has been designated as one of Fresno’s future growth boundaries since 1958.

The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) approved SEDA boundaries for inclusion into Fresno’s Sphere of Influence in 2006. The sphere of influence indicates Fresno’s annexation for future development.

SEDA, known as the Southeast Growth Area (SEGA) from 2006-2010 stalled during the Great Recession but the concept was added to Fresno’s 2014 General Plan. The plan didn’t return until 2019 when the city received state funding to support planning and environmental work. 

In December 2025, Fresno City Council voted 5-2 to send SEDA back to city staff for further financial analysis and revision. Concerns were raised about how the development would impact existing plans, specifically downtown and west Fresno.

Now, SEDA is once again moving through the city’s approval process. 

Modified consolidation business park alternative map. The red outline signifies the first phase in the SEDA agenda. Photo courtesy of the City of Fresno

The planning commission viewed SEDA as an inevitable growth that would happen regardless. The Terry P. Bradley Educational Center in Clovis which opened in 2025, was cited.

What SEDA could mean for Fresno School Districts 

Financial reports by Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) show that within ten years, SEDA could cause the district to lose about $200 million in annual funding. An estimated 11 schools could also face shut down.

Both FUSD and Central Unified School District (CUSD) have proposed resolutions opposing SEDA.

Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias explained that State Center Community College District (SCCCD) intentionally located its campuses near population dense areas to make them accessible to students. 

“Their philosophy was, put a community college where the need is greatest, the need for training, the need for higher education opportunities,” Arias said. 

Sontaya Rose, the City of Fresno’s director of communications, declined to comment on how the project could impact Fresno City College students. 

Andrea Villa, a business administration major at FCC said, ”I know people that are struggling with finding jobs… and they’re just going to build new houses and stuff. I feel like that just defeats the purpose of building new houses if people aren’t able to access them.”

City Council Comments to Concerns During The Meeting 

“We don’t have an affordable housing problem. We have a good jobs problem,” Planning Commissioner Kathy Bray said. “I see this as another good chance to get some decent jobs in Fresno.”

This point was echoed by Samatha Forgey, government affairs representative of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.

“From the perspective of the business community, Fresno needs additional land where companies can launch, expand, relocate, and create jobs,” Forgey said.

Planning Commissioner Jacqueline Lyday asked if the planning commission could guarantee that city council won’t allocate funds from other programs, to which Bray replied they cannot guarantee anything.

Planning Commissioner Linda Calandra expressed concern with the planning process but ultimately voted in favor of the project.

“Where’s that funding going to come from? There’s questions here that I think are policy questions that need to be answered before I can give a recommendation to the council,”  Calandra said.

Fresno resident Holley Keoneth commented on the city council. 

“I think a lot of the time city council, those in power will frame it as the people having a say in what’s going on in their communities but in the end, it’s them making the decisions,” Keoneth said. 

Speakers during public comment voiced concerns about the zone south of Jensen being designated for flexible research and development. SEDA uses terminology stating the area is intended for advanced manufacturing and green technology use. 

“The fact is it’s not about advanced research. It’s about [Artificial Intelligence] data centers. We know it. You know it. There is no other demand,” Arias said. 

Jennifer Clark denied claims about the introduction of data centers into Fresno County.

“Currently, data centers are not a permitted use in the City of Fresno. Nor will they be permitted in the flexible research and development area,” Clark said.

Fresno City Council may vote on SEDA soon. City staff have planned a workshop on SEDA’s finances to the council this Thursday Sept. 3.