Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

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Oh, hey.

All right. Good evening everyone. It's 6:02. We'll go ahead and start tonight's meeting. Let's first take a roll. Commissioner Leiday present. Commissioner Kandra. Commissioner Diaz. Commissioner Kryer, Commissioner Shgill present. Vice Chair Bray here. Chair Bain here. Thank you. Next, uh we'll go ahead and do the pledge of allegiance. Everyone, please stand.

Ready? Begin. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

All right. Next, for everyone's convenience, I'll go ahead and read the procedures for tonight's meeting. Uh this meeting is being conducted in person and electronically. For each matter considered by the commission, there will first be a staff presentation followed by a presentation from the project applicant. Testimony from supporters of the project would then be taken, followed by testimony from those in opposition. The applicant will have the right to a final rebutted presentation prior to closing the public hearing. In accordance with section 13 of article two of the planning commission rules and regulations governing length of public debate, all public testimony from those in support and in opposition of the project will be limited to three minutes per person. The three lights on the podium next to the microphone will indicate the amount of time remaining for the speaker. The green light will be turned on when the speaker begins. The yellow light will come on with a soft bell ring when one minute is remaining. The speaker should be completing the testimony by the time the red light comes on with this final bill indicating time has expired. All inerson public testimony must be presented to the commission at the podium. Any testimony that references race, religion, ethnicity, economic status, national origin, or any other classification protected under state or federal law in a derogatory manner shall be deemed irrelevant and will not be considered by the commission in making his land use land use determinations. If you challenge these land use matters in court, he may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised in oral or written testimony or before the close of the hearing. Next, we have the agenda. Do we have any changes to the agenda?

Good evening, Chair Vang, members of the planning commission. I'm Israel Tjo with the planning and development department. There are no changes to the agenda. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Do we have any comments um changes or motions to approve the agenda? Move to a motion to approve. I'll second it.

All right. We have a motion made by Vice Chair Bray. We have a second by Commissioner Shill. All in favor say I. I. All oppose say no. Agenda is approved. Under consent calendar, uh we do have meeting minutes for February 4th and February 18th. Um we'll go to the public. Do we have any members of the public like to comment under the consent calendar? I see none. Do we have any motions or comments from the commissioner? Make a motion to approve the consent calendar.

I'll second that. So we have a motion by Vice Chair Bray, second by me. All in favor say I. I. All oppose say no. Consent calendar is approved. Do we have any reports from the commission? Go ahead, sir.

Yeah. So um we really want to thank uh our city of Fresno and our wonderful Fresno community. uh this weekend on Saturday uh April 18th, one Fresno Foundation with the collaboration with Keep America Beautiful for America's 250th u anniversary birthday uh celebration. We are going to be cleaning up Fresno. Uh so we would like to uh thank the community. We have a lot of people who are signed up and uh um and I'll be there at the Just Carta Park with the community cleaning up the park and the neighborhood. So uh all the people who are signed up and if you're not signed up please do join us for uh you know for for cleaning beautify Fresno that'll be so amazing and also u uh this month we want to thank state of California uh they are celebrating uh Wasaki a lot of our uh uh school districts especially Glo Unified Sanified Fresnifi uh they have celebrated Wasaki with the students and the staff um and then uh on Sunday in Selma we will have so thousands of Fresno community members Fresno families, they'll be joining a parade uh at the Selma in Selma, Gordoara. So, uh we want to welcome everyone and we also want to wish everyone a happy. Thank you very much.

All right. Thank you, sir. Let's please note that under item ID 26469, if you're here for that matter, it's going to be continued to May 6, 2026. Next, we have under new matters. This is item ID 26395. Consideration of street name change application number P2600936. Good evening, chair and commissioners. Uh my name is Britney Martin and I'm a planner 2 with the planning and development department. The item before you tonight is the consideration of street name change application number P26-0000936. The street name change application propos proposes to revert Caesar Chavez Boulevard back to the original street names of California Avenue, Ventura Street, and King's Canyon Road. The change affects an approximately 6.9 mile corridor within the city and is limited to the segments currently designated as Caesar Chavez Boulevard. I'll walk you through the specific locations on the next slide. This slide shows the location and extent of the proposed street name change. I'll go through the corridor from west to east. The corridor begins at South Marks Avenue and continues east to South Thorn Avenue. This segment would change to West California Avenue. The segment between South Hughes Avenue and Southwest Avenue is excluded from the street name change as it is already currently designated as West California Avenue. From South Thorn Avenue to South Tutman Street, the street would change to East California Avenue. Continuing from South Tutman Street to

South Parallel Avenue, the name would revert to Ventura Street. and from South Parallel Avenue to South Cedar Avenue, East Ventura Street. Lastly, from South Cedar Avenue ending at South Peach Avenue, the street would change to East King's Canyon Road. As illustrated, the corridor is divided into segments that would revert back to the original street names that existed prior to the Caesar Chavez Boulevard street name change in 2024. On March 23rd, 2026, the city council approved resolution number 2026-42, which is included as exhibit B. The resolution cites recent public discourse regarding Caesar Chavez's legacy and expresses the council's intent that public street names reflect city values. Through this resolution, the city council directed staff to proceed with reverting Caesar Chavez Boulevard back to the original street names of King's Canyon Road, Ventura Street, and California Avenue. The proposed change is also consistent with Fresno Municipal Code section 15-6203, which states that where there are continuations of existing streets, existing street names shall be used. Tonight's item implements that city council direction through the formal street name change process. If approved, the street name will be updated for all addresses along the corridor that currently use the Caesar Chavez Boulevard designation. Property owners and tenants will be notified by mail prior to implementation. Only the street name will change. Address numbers and directionals will remain the same. An example, 555 East

Caesar Chavez Boulevard would change to 555 East King's Canyon Road. The city will coordinate updates with all relevant city departments and outside agencies and property owners and tenants would be responsible for updating their personal records. Public notice for this item was completed in accordance with city requirements. On April 3rd, 2026, a dual public hearing notice for both the planning commission and city council was published in the Fresno B. Prior to this hearing, we have not received any public comment. Staff recommends that the planning commission recommend approval to the city council of the finding of no possibility of significant adverse effect and approval of street name change application number P26-0000936 to revert back to the original street names. This concludes my presentation and I'm available for any questions.

I have a question. And how long were those streets named Ventura, California in King's Canyon before this happened? How far back did that go? Um, we would probably need to get back to you on that one, but a while. I'll defer to my planning manager, Israel Trey, on this. Yes, thank you, uh, Commissioner Bray. So, um, I would say since since they're located, you know, downtown, it was when, you know, the city of Fresno was first established, so probably, you know, close to 100 years. They're historic. I I don't know that they're considered historic within the definition of of SQA, but but yes, they've been those names for a long time.

We do we have any other questions, comments? Go ahead. So my question is um did we save all the uh previous signs like are we spending more money to like are we spending a lot of money um to you know pretty much to do the the whole thing over or do we are we going to use the same signs that we had before?

Yes. Uh so uh Commissioner Shill uh many of the signs I believe if not all of the signs uh were saved um as part of the the findings of um you know approval of this uh application. Uh there is you know no economic you know finding. So, um, again, we do have, uh, most if not all of the street names.

And then, um, a lot of people or Fresno people, they're affected by, I mean, they're probably, some of them are probably frustrated like they're like, man, we have to change the whole thing. Are we doing community meetings, uh, to maybe help people like if they need any help to change their uh, you know, with all the addresses and all that? Are how are we informing the people? How are we informing the people? So, um we will uh inform if if the street name change is adopted uh by council, uh we will inform uh those tenants and owners along that that corridor. Um at this point, uh we there is no money to assist uh uh tenants and owners with with changing their their personal information, but we are in the process for looking for money to help.

Yeah. at least you know uh you know if people need help you know they can call the city hall maybe have a meeting with the community so just to assist them because there are a lot of people they'll be affected by this change. Yes. So uh we did in in the public notice uh that we published in the Fresno B as well as uh again if it is adopted uh we do have a uh contact information that we can assist tenants and property owners going through the process with changing their information and I understand you know we published it in the Fresno B. I mean how many people read Fresno actual paper? Are we are we are we um reminding people online? Are we using an online venue or other multilingual venues to remind people?

So uh at this point we just again if it is adopted they'll receive a notice uh in the mail. Thank you. I do have something else to say. Um, I just noticed that you said how many people are affected by this and the reason for the name change is because the amount of women that are affected of the acts that have happened. So before we I'm not sure if you're aware of the circumstances and the situation of why the name change is occurring, but I understand there's a a business effect that they're saying there won't be any charge or any monies that the city will have to pay for this. But I do ask you to think of all the women that are affected and men and people in general that are affected by the acts of this person as well.

Oh no, no. I I don't have a problem with the name change. I'm just I just want to make sure our Fresno community is like communicated because we're pretty bad at communicating situation. That's why we got upset people here sometimes. No, no. I'm I totally Oh, I have done my research. I know the whole history. Uh but I'm just saying I am more concerned about the Fresno people, just helping them, reminding them. Um, I'm actually for the name change. I I have no problem with that. Okay. Thank you for that. I just wanted to make sure you're aware because you didn't mention that, but you mentioned the effects of business and like I said, I just like I said, I'm I'm more concerned for the Fresno people who are alive. I want to make sure we kind of

Yeah. Can Can we um limit this portion to asking questions and then before we go out to the public before we come back for a debate? Thank you. Sounds good. Sounds good. Any other questions or comments? No. Thank you. Thank you. All right. All right, we'll go ahead and open this to the public. Do we have any individuals who would like to speak in support? Go ahead.

Good evening. Please state your name, address, and you have three minutes, miss. Hi, my name is Karen Mson and Oh, thank you. Thank you. Yeah. And my address is 5640 Columbia Drive North, Fresno, California 93727. And yes, I'm here in favor to speak in favor of re bringing the names back to their original names. So, um, Miss Bray asked regarding the history of these streets. are all quite historic. Actually, Ventura Street was named and is placed on maps as early as 1873 in the city of Fresno. Uh, California Street was named actually by Leland and Stanford is when he selected the site of the railroad in 1881. and Kings Canyon Road. Of course, you all know, I think, the history of the park, but the um Fresno County Board of Supervisors adopted the same name um in 1950. So, just it is the newest road, which is still over 75 years old, but all the all of the other roads were over a hundred years and have historic significance not only for the city of Fresno, but for the state as a whole. So, I just want to encourage you to accept the resolution as written and to um and I and I know the business owners and residents would appreciate that as well. It was quite a hardship for them to change the name because they've been using those names for quite a long time and I know that they would welcome that they return to King's Canyon, Ventura, and California Street. Thank you.

Thank you. Oh, I you know I don't know if you're actually interested in the history, but I do have several copies if anybody's interested. So So I will take it. Thank you. Thank you so much. All right. Do we have any other individuals who like to speak in support? Good evening. Please state your name, address, and you have three minutes.

Yes. My name is Jackie Graasier and I live at 5434 Columbia Drive East, uh 93727. I live in the Sunnyside area and uh you are all are you are all asking very good questions. Um the issue this issue was a very contentious issue when it went through the city council and I don't know if it ever came before the planning commission but I am very glad that it has come back to the planning commission because it really should have started from from this dis and not been um so hastily done because I think if the homework had been done originally I don't think the names would have been changed of these historic streets. Um I uh when when this happened many of us were very upset. It was a very divisive issue because we were very connected to the history and the identity of King's Canyon uh where the the gateway to the Sierra Ventura where the Armenian church has been located on for over a hundred years and California which was very um important to the African-American community of Fresno. And oddly enough, by the time many of us even knew this was going on, the decision had been made. It was a done deal. We couldn't we we couldn't affect any kind of let me just say, nobody was listening to us. So I mean I feel like this is the very first time I'm speaking in front of a group that is actually listening because it is something that is before you and the and you you do have the opportunity to do the right thing which is to return

the streets to their original names. We formed an the this are we formed a coalition of the three groups the California group the Ventura group and the King's Canyon group and we became one community compact and we have been trying to get this before you for the last three years and I'm very sorry for the way that it's come back to you because that is that's not something that we would wish upon anyone but now you do have the opportunity to return the street names. I believe one of the reasons why those signs weren't thrown away is because we did file a lawsuit which continued the issue and now here we are at this moment. The street signs are in storage. The name of Mr. Chavez is coming down and it only makes sense to return the street names to their original historic they are historic names. So, thank you for your time. Appreciate it.

Thank you. Right. Do we have any other individuals who would like to speak in support? All right. I see none. Um, now we'll move to any individuals who would like to speak. Do you want to speak in support? If you want No, if you want to speak in support, go ahead and approach because I'm going to move forward to the opposition after this, too. Please state your name, address, and you have three minutes, sir.

Manuel Silva, um 6517 North Hazel Avenue, Fresno, California. And I just basically I have I'm preparing a statement, but not for you guys. I want I I preparing a statement. And in that statement and my arguments, you know, why I would like for the uh for the street right now, Caesar Chavez Boulevard, to be removed. And I wanted to be replaced not with the original names, but I wanted to be replaced to honor someone else, another Latino leader who fought for farm workers. And that Latino leader that I'm proposing that we name the street after would be Dolores Huerta. She fought for for the compass, the farm workers. So, I'm suggesting my proposal is yes, remove Caesar Chaveis. We hold our our leaders accountable. What he did was was terrible. He let us down. We're going through a lot of pain right now, a lot of hurt because we lost a leader and we need in the CHO community, we need leaders. We just heard a lady saying right now that uh they identify with the street as a historical significance to them. Well, just look uh this in 1993 they voted to uh the city council said yes, we're going to we're going to change it to Cio Chavez Boulevard. Well, after a little while, everyone changed their minds. The Jim Patterson, the mayor at the time, he vetoed the measure and and it went to the when he reached the the mayor's office, he vetoed the thing. So, we had to wait for another 30 years. And 30 years later with a Latino u majority in in the city council, they voted six to one to change the name of the street from King's Canyon Avenue, Ventura and California Avenue. And when we say California Avenue, the historical significance, the west side, they had a street named after after Martin Luther King Boulevard. They had a street, they had a school named after Martin Luther King. We just asked for one little street. You know, we want our heroes,

too. the Chuco community, the Hispanic community, and we were we're saying that the majority of the people that live on those three streets, the majority of the people that live there, that work there, they were, you know, they they're Hispanic. A large almost 80% of the people live there. So, it has an historical significance to them. They identify with that neighborhood. Most of the people that were there 30, 50 years ago, they were white owners. A lot of neighbor residents were that lived in that area were white. Many of them had passed away. uh later on they moved to the north side of town. But all I can say that part of town is largely populated by Hispanics. So all we're saying please, we're just asking for one little thing. Again, I hope they can muster the the the political leadership. They must the courage to once again say we're going to stand with the Latino community. We're going to stand with the farmworker community. We're going to change Cesar Chavez Boulevard because he his name doesn't belong there. But we're not going to go with that proposal to change it to the original schools. No, we're going to go with a proposal to rename it Nasiso Chavez Boulevard, but rename it rename it Dolores Huerta Boulevard. And now all I can say is that Viva Dolores Huerta Viva Los Compassinos and uh and hopefully you can pass this message on to the uh the the city council. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Thank you.

All right. Do we have any other individuals like to speak in support before I move to opposition? All right, I see none. Um, any individuals like to speak in opposition? Okay, we're going to go ahead and close public comments. Uh, we'll bring it back to the commission. Um, do we have any questions, comments, motion? Um, I' I'd like to make a motion to accept these recommendations, but also with a suggestion that um there be some way to figure out how this could get designated as historic names. As we just found out, they're they've been around for a long time. And um my other one is that next time before they change the name of the street, they might want to check around and not just do it as it was done. The third one is I know the city's looking for money and a place where there could be some money is in the council members budgets where they might each contribute a little money to helping the businesses and the residents who may have had to change especially the businesses may have had to change their collateral um with the new name. And I'm going to get in trouble for this one, but um we live in a country where you're innocent until proven guilty. And I understand the charges that have been made against Mr. Chavez. And um we've seen a lot of this in the past and I I believe that you're not guilty until you're proven innocent. And um I would I I'm just opposed to that thought. And but anyway, so my motion is to um accept

the staff's recommendation along with the recommendation that they designate these streets as historic. um and uh see if we can get some money from the council members budgets to help out the the people who have spent money to change the names. Right. So, we have a motion on the table. I just want to ask um uh are we getting the public involved with this matter? like because this is very uh Commissioner uh what we're going to do is because there's a motion. Yeah.

Let's go ahead and see if there's a second. Okay. And if there's not a second, then we'll go ahead and u allow you to comment on it just because there's already a motion on the table. Is that okay? Okay. Do we have a second? Right. So, no second. Motion dies. Go ahead.

My my main question is for the public. Like I really want the Fresno people to be involved. Of course, historically our Latino community and all the communities are very important and and farm workers. Um I mean I used to pick strawberries in Livingston back in the 90s when I was a child. I mean it it's a it's a backbreaking work. And I told my father, man, you know what, man? This is hard. He said, "You better go to school then." I'm like, "All right, I'm going to go to school." Um so here's the thing. Are we involving the public? Are we getting input from the public? Like yes, what happened? I like I said, change the name 100%. We got to do what we got to do, but are we involving the people who are the uh who are involved uh like people who live in the area, uh people who will be uh affected by this change and people with multiple perspectives. Are we getting a public input? So, uh, Commissioner Shill, the extent of the involvement has been, uh, notification in the Fresno be for for this hearing as well as, uh, hearing next week at 9:20 a.m. uh, in front of the city council. So, uh, if someone, you know, uh, proposes a different name or, you know, a different, uh, uh, proposition, uh, that that's the time to to propose a different name. So that

so so we want the community to come to the council meeting and propose the name there. So they can do that or they can provide uh you know information via email or phone call uh on different uh propositions. I see. And how how do people do that? People who do not like you know some people may not know how to they may want to get involved but they don't they do not understand who who do they email like who do whom do they call? Yes. So uh the information is uh in the the planning commission uh agenda uh as well as it was in the the notice uh that was uh in in the Fresno B to contact there is a contact information within that within that document. Can they call the 621 city number?

I'm sorry. Can they call the 621 city number? You know the the universal number we have 559621 cit. Yes. if they call that number, they will be excuse me, they will be relayed to to planning uh on any uh you know different uh names that that they're proposing. Thank you. Thank you, Israel. Um I'd like to make a motion to recommend approval to the city council. I'll second that. All right. So, we'll go ahead and just take individual votes on this, please. Motion was made by Commissioner Leay. We have a second by Vice Chair Bray. Commissioner Leay, yes. Commissioner Shill, yes. Vice Chair Bray,

yes. Chair Vang, yes. Motion passes.

All right. Do we have any reports from the secretary? Good evening. I have nothing new to report tonight.

Right. So, even after a month that I haven't seen you, there's no reports. Okay. Do we have any unscheduled oral communications? I see none. Time is 6:32. Meetings injured. Have a good evening. 6:30.