FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) — The long-planned Friant Ranch project moved forward Tuesday after the Fresno County Board of Supervisors certified the final environmental review and approved the development following extensive public comment.

The proposed project encompasses 942 acres in the unincorporated community of Friant and has been decades in the making. According to project developer Brian Wagner, the development adds to the growing landscape in the area.

“Friant Ranch is now in a regional development area; it is not a leapfrog development it is surrounded by development in Madera County,” Wagner said.

The project faced years of legal challenges. On Tuesday, supervisors reviewed the final environmental impact report, which had been tied up following a California Supreme Court ruling that found it failed to adequately address air quality impacts.

New findings presented during the meeting concluded the project’s health impacts were “less than significant.” The board was tasked with certifying those findings and deciding whether to move forward with the development, hearing arguments from both supporters and opponents.

Supporters said the project would benefit future generations and provide needed housing.

“I get to have my grandchildren there. I get to have my children there. I get to have their schools there. There is no way in the world we should say no to this,” said Bruce Kinnebrew, former Friant Resident.

The proposal remains unchanged from the version first presented in 2011. Plans call for 2,500 residential units, more than 2,200 of which would be designated for residents age 55 and older.

Opponents urged supervisors to consider changing circumstances over the past decade. Friant resident Johnny Osburn said he is concerned about how the project could affect local water resources.

“18 children live there; we are on a well. I don’t know what impact this could have on our well. We are not incorporated,” Osburn said.

Experts told the board the development would rely entirely on lake water and would not impact local wells. Supervisor Nathan Magsig said the project would improve infrastructure for existing residents.

“It’s going to help the existing residents who are there with aging infrastructure. I think moving people off of septic and having some type of centralized tertiary treatment facility is much better than allowing people to have leach fields,” Magsig said.

Following public comment, the board unanimously voted to certify the updated environmental review and approved the project. Supervisor Brian Pacheco was the lone dissenting vote on the project itself, citing unresolved infrastructure concerns.

“Over the last several months we have had issue after issue on water, and a lot of those developments in that area all have water issues,” Pacheco said.

Now the project still needs to go back to superior court to show that the new plan is now in compliance, before it can move forward again.

For news and weather updates, follow Brisa Colón on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Copyright © 2026 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.