Planning Commission

Agenda

1. THE PLANNING COMMISSION WELCOMES YOU TO COUNCIL CHAMBERS, LOCATED AT CITY HALL, 2600 FRESNO STREET, FRESNO, CALIFORNIA 93721. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – Any interested person may appear at the public hearing and present written testimony or speak in favor or against the matters scheduled on the agenda. Public participation during Fresno City Planning Commission meetings is always encouraged and can occur by attending a meeting in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 2nd Floor, 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93721. When called to speak during a meeting, you may approach the speaker podium upon the Chair’s call for public comment. All public speakers will have up to 3 minutes to address the Commission pursuant to Rule No. 13 of the Planning Commission Bylaws of the City of Fresno (available in the City Clerk’s Office). SUBMIT DOCUMENTS / WRITTEN COMMENTS – 1. E-mail – Agenda related documents and comments can be e-mailed to the Planning & Development Department. Unless otherwise required by law to be accepted by the City at or prior to a Commission meeting or hearing, no documents shall be accepted for Commission review unless they are submitted to the Planning and Development Department at least 24 hours prior to the commencement of the Commission meeting at which the associated agenda item is to be heard. All comments received at least 24 hours prior will be distributed to the Planning Commission prior and during the meeting and will be a part of the official record, pursuant to Article 4 (3). a. Email comments to PublicCommentsPlanning@fresno.gov. b. Emails should include the agenda date and item number you wish to speak on in the subject line of your email. Include your name and address for the record, at the top of the body of your email. VIEWING PLANNING MEETINGS (non-participatory) – For your convenience, there are ways to view Planning Commission meetings live: 1. Community Media Access Collaborative website: https://cmac.tv/ 2. Cable Television: Comcast Channel 96 and AT&T Channel 99 3. Participate Remotely via Zoom: https://fresno.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_JRC95sI1SW6vrTmNwLLrPw a. The above link will allow you to register in advance for remote participation in the meeting via the Zoom platform. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing additional details about joining the meeting. Should any of these viewing methods listed above experience technical difficulties, the Commission meeting will continue uninterrupted. Commission meetings will only be paused to address verifiable technical difficulties for all users participating via Zoom or in the Chambers. The City of Fresno’s goal is to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Anyone requiring reasonable ADA accommodations, including sign language interpreters, or other reasonable accommodations such as language translation, should contact the office of the City Clerk at (559) 621-7650 or clerk@fresno.gov. To help ensure availability of these services, you are advised to make your request a minimum of 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting.
2. PAGE BREAK
3. ROLL CALL
4. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
5. PROCEDURES
6. 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 will then be taken, followed by testimony from those in opposition. The applicant will have the right to a final rebuttal presentation prior to closing the public hearing. In accordance with section 13 of Article 2 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 a final bell indicating time has expired. All 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 its land use determinations. If you challenge these land use matters in court, you 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.
7. AGENDA APPROVAL
8. CONSENT CALENDAR
9. V-A September 17, 2025 Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes
   Action Item
10. REPORTS BY COMMISSIONERS
11. CONTINUED MATTERS
12. NEW MATTERS
13. VIII-B Public hearing to consider the adoption of the Tower District Specific Plan, the Tower District Design Standards and Guidelines, and related Environmental Impact Report (EIR), State Clearinghouse (SHC) No. 2025050309. The following applications have been filed by the Planning and Development Director and pertain to approximately 1,869 acres in the Tower District Specific Plan Area: 1. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of the findings set forth in Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR SCH No. 2025050309), apply the Council’s independent judgment and analyses to the review, and then certify the Final EIR as having been completed in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), based on the Commission’s recommendations on the proposed Final EIR and comments thereon (see Exhibits M, N and O). a. RECOMMEND ADOPTION (to the City Council) of findings, based upon testimony presented by staff, that there are significant, unavoidable environmental impacts which have not been mitigated to a level below significant. Therefore, the City Council should adopt the Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations. b. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of an appropriate Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) as required by Public Resources Code Section 21081.6 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15097; and, 2. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of Plan Amendment Application P25-03196 which proposes to repeal the 1991 Tower District Specific Plan (Plan Boundary as shown in Exhibit A). 3. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of Plan Amendment Application P25-03197 which proposes to repeal the Tower District Design Guidelines (2005) (Guidelines Boundary as shown in Exhibit A). 4. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of Plan Amendment Application P25-03198 which proposes to adopt the updated Tower District Specific Plan, pertaining to approximately 1,869 acres (see Exhibits B and F), including the revisions set forth in Exhibit D. 5. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of Plan Amendment Application P25-03201 which proposes to adopt the updated Tower District Design Standards and Guidelines (see Exhibit C), including the revisions set forth in Exhibit D. 6. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of Plan Amendment Application P25-03200 which proposes to update the Land Use Map (Figure LU-1) of the Fresno General Plan, pertaining to 118 acres, to incorporate the planned land use changes proposed in the Tower District Specific Plan (see Exhibit G), including the land-use-related revisions set forth in Exhibit D. 7. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to that the City Council) of Rezone Application P25-03202 which proposes to rezone approximately 138 acres of property within the Tower District Specific Plan area to be consistent with the planned land uses proposed in the Tower District Specific Plan and expand the Apartment Housing Overlay District (see Exhibit H), including the zoning-related revisions set-forth in Exhibit D. 8. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of Resolution authorizing Director of the Planning and Development Department or her designee to correct any typographical errors and update the text, policies, maps, tables and exhibits contained in the Tower District Specific Plan, the Tower District Design Standards and Guidelines, and the Fresno General Plan to reflect the final action taken by the Council, to the extent that such updates are necessary to maintain consistency.
    Action Item
14. REPORT BY SECRETARY
15. SCHEDULED ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
16. UNSCHEDULED ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
17. You may address the Planning Commission at the conclusion of the Commission meeting regarding matters of public interest that are not listed on the agenda and that are within the Commission's jurisdiction. Please be present at the conclusion of the meeting if you wish to be heard. Anyone wishing to be placed on the Planning Commission Agenda should contact the Planning and Development Department (telephone: 559-621-8277) at least 10 days before the desired appearance date.
18. ADJOURNMENT