FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — With a new plan, the City of Fresno is now taking an updated approach to its expansion west.
The City Council voted Thursday to outline how the area west of Highway 99 and north of Clinton Avenue will develop moving forward.
“This plan is going to promote not just careful planning but very intentional planning of complete neighborhoods,” Councilmember Annalisa Perea said. Much of the area is part of her district.
West Fresno is home to 40,000 city residents, plus another 15,000 when considering county limits.
In all, the population nearly totals the size of Hanford. But resident April Henry says they have been forgotten for years.
“What we’ve had, which is disenfranchisement, definitely (a) mosaic type of building developer blocks where it leaves a block with sidewalks, a block without infrastructure,” Henry said.
Henry feels the highway and High Speed Rail have served as physical barriers, saying her part of the city has a different feel than the rest of Fresno.
“We are like one of those cases of what sprawl should not look like because then the commercial (spaces) and the amenities, the corridors – none of that’s been built,” Henry said.
She and a coalition of West Area residents filled Council Chambers to support the new plan. It puts parameters on land use and designates space for a potential new park.
“It’s only going to get better from here,” Councilmember Perea said. “There is so much community pride west of the 99.”
There were some concerns from residents about the zoning for specific properties, but all councilmembers eventually voted in favor, something the council president called a “significant moment.”
“We really do believe in that One Fresno concept (and) that we have equity and prosperity thought processes for all,” Henry said. “Our children – we want them all to grow up in a healthy neighborhood.”
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