FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — Quality of life and air pollution are concerns for the southwest Fresno community if rezoning is allowed.
Landowners near Annadale and Elm are asking for the area to be changed from neighborhood mixed use to light industrial.
Opponents said this goes against a 2017 agreement.
This resolution is on the City Council’s agenda for Thursday, but those involved think it will be continued.
However, community members want the Council to hear their concerns and ultimately vote “no” when they do hear the request.
On a busy intersection of southwest Fresno between a WIC building and an industrial complex, nearly a dozen community members from Southwest Fresno gathered to fight against development in their neighborhood.
“For seven decades, southwest Fresno has endured the overwhelming burden of environmental contamination in our city,” said Pastor B. T. Lewis.
The group voiced their concerns over a proposed rezoning near the intersection of Annadale and Elm. The move would change more than 55 acres from neighborhood mixed use to light industrial.
The group said this would be damaging to the community’s health and defies a nearly decade-old agreement.
“When we came together in 2013 and 2015 to work on the Southwest Specific Plan, it was with the health and welfare of our community in mind,” said Dr. Venise Curry.
“What we’ve done is to say as a community that we choose health; we choose the welfare of our community over the profits.”
John Kinsey, who represents those requesting the rezone, said the business and property owners never signed onto that agreement.
“Back in 2017, the landowners were never brought in as a stakeholder, they didn’t make an agreement with anyone, they weren’t even aware of that process,” said Kinsey.
To bolster their health argument, Dr. Venise Curry presented a letter from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) written in 2021 that opposed rezoning of a smaller section several years ago, arguing that “significant potential public health impacts are at stake.”
It went on to say, “An area designated as residential would not, generally, emit as much operational air pollution as an area designated as light industrial.”
The letter goes on to list the legislation that would be in opposition to the rezoning.
Pastor B.T. Lewis believes the rezone is about funding.
Kinsey agrees that funding is part of the issue, but that jobs are also at stake.
“This is really about preserving these jobs,” said Kinsey. “The City of Fresno needs manufacturing distribution jobs; these jobs are held by Fresnans, we wanna keep these jobs in Fresno.”
KMJ’s News Partner, ABC 30 Action News did reach out to Councilmember Miguel Arias because he represents this district, but he was not available for comment.
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