The neighbors noted the presence of guards as soon as they started arriving at Hanh Phan Tilley Elementary School, where more than 30 arrived to oppose the development.<\/p>\n
The project is one of several efforts to add new homes on Fresno\u2019s west side, where the city\u2019s Planning Commission this year has already approved<\/a> a 36-unit apartment complex and multiple maps for future single-family home neighborhoods. The property where Sehgal wants to build is on county land, but it and several other adjacent properties would have to be annexed into the city for his project to go forward. The developer has already applied for the annexation, though the process could take years.<\/p>\n The talk of annexation immediately angered residents, some of whom started shouting that they weren\u2019t invited to a previous annexation meeting. (That\u2019s because their specific properties are not being annexed.)<\/p>\n Over the course of the evening, some neighbors accused the developer of illegally operating a truck yard on residential land down the street \u2014 something Sehgal told The Fresno Bee he has been cited for by the county and is working on fixing by slowly moving his trucks elsewhere.<\/p>\n Other neighbors said they are concerned the apartments will bring homelessness and crime. Some were concerned about increased pollution and traffic, and that the project will cause their wells to go dry.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, let me explain it to you again \u2014 again,\u201d Saliba yelled into his microphone. \u201cWe\u2019re not drilling wells, we\u2019re not drilling wells. We are getting city water.\u201d<\/p>\n Though Sehgal\u2019s project would annex 30 acres into the city of Fresno, his development would only span about 6 acres.<\/p>\n The Royalty Center Apartments would add its 107 units across six buildings in a gated complex. There would be a community building and a swimming pool.<\/p>\n The project would connect to existing city water and sewer infrastructure in the area. The builder would have to extend an existing storm drain line to a nearby ponding basin.<\/p>\n Outside the apartment complex, off Valentine Avenue, there would be a gas station with four multi-pump fuel dispensers. There will also be a 2,394-square-foot laundromat and 4,612-square-foot store that planning documents say will sell various food items and alcoholic drinks \u2014 a big concern for residents who say there are already too many \u201cmini-mart\u201d stores that sell liquor in the area.<\/p>\n \u201cWe already have two within walking distance,\u201d area resident Kathryn Jessen said during the meeting.<\/p>\n She told The Bee after the meeting that neighbors are concerned the apartment project will not vet renters and will \u201cbring our property values down.\u201d Jessen said the meeting became heated because the developers are behaving as if \u201cthey\u2019ve already decided, and that\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n Saliba told The Bee the meeting went south because \u201cthe guy who kept cussing at me\u201d convinced the neighborhood the project will dry up everyone\u2019s wells.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why they all came here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Sehgal, the developer, told The Bee on Thursday morning that his apartments will not be low-income.<\/p>\n \u201cThe benefit to the area? People are looking for housing,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s not enough nice apartments on this side of Fresno. We will bring a gated community.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the commercial component of his project works because there aren\u2019t any other gas stations on McKinley Avenue in the area.<\/p>\n Sehgal also owns multiple trucking and coach bus companies registered to addresses just a half-mile west of the proposed apartment site, state business records show. The land his businesses operate on is also zoned rural residential.<\/p>\n Fresno County records show he was cited in 2023 for operating businesses on residential land, which area residents called out during Wednesday\u2019s meeting. They said semi-truck travel in the area makes the roads unsafe.<\/p>\n Sehgal told The Bee he has been fined and has begun to move the business\u2019 out of the area.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are slowly transitioning to a different location,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n An architect\u2019s design shows the layout of the Royal Center Apartments development planned for the intersection of McKinley and Valentine avenues in west Fresno. The plans include six residential buildings, a gas station, laundromat and store that sells liquor. COURTESY OF AESTHETICS DESIGNS Six buildings, store with alcohol in west Fresno development plan<\/p>\n
An architect\u2019s design shows what the buildings at the Royalty Center Apartments could look like from different directions. COURTESY OF AESTHETICS DESIGNS Developer says project is bringing what\u2019s needed to west Fresno<\/p>\n
A resident of west Fresno yells at the architect for a 107-unit apartment project proposed for the intersection of McKinley and Valentine avenues, which would require the annexation of some land in the neighborhood into the city of Fresno ERIK GALICIA egalicia@fresnobee.com
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