Tag: eir

Fulton Mall supporters continue to fight removal of pedestrian mall

Last week, the city of Fresno held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of the deconstruction of Fresno’s Fulton Mall. However, there is still a small chance that this project can be stopped and the pedestrian mall can be saved.

Groundbreakings are purely symbolic. Some are held months, or even years before real construction begins. Others are actually held after construction has begun. All a groundbreaking is, is a photo opportunity for politicians involved in the project. For private projects, a groundbreaking can serve as a way to reassure investors on progress. For public projects, they serve as fodder for campaign materials Click to read more!

What’s next for the Fulton Mall?

As you probably read in the Fresno Bee last week, the city council has voted to celebrate the Fulton Mall’s 50th anniversary by destroying it and building a road. The decision was surprising but not shocking: the council has yet to see a silver bullet revitalization project they didn’t love.

This blog is obviously not in favor of the decision. Does the vote mean the fate has been sealed? Is it game over? Are the bulldozers on their way?

No.

The vote last week was to certify the EIR to move forward in the process. Absolutely no construction will happen on the Fulton Mall in 2014. So those looking to celebrate the mall’s 50th anniversary, you can do so in peace, under mature trees, and classic art. Click to read more!

Deadline for comments on Fulton Mall Draft EIR is TODAY (Monday January 13, 2014)

The Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Fulton Mall deconstruction project was put out near Thanksgiving. 

Tomorrow is the deadline to submit your written comments.

The report can be found on this page:

http://www.fresno.gov/Government/DepartmentDirectory/DARM/DowntownCommunityRevitalization/DowntownRevitalization/fultonmall.htm

Comments
should be submitted to Elliott Balch, Downtown Revitalization Mgr, 2600
Fresno St., 2nd Floor, Fresno, CA 93721 , 621-8366. 

They can be sent
by email to elliott.balch@fresno.gov

Here’s some tips on how to submit good commentary:

– Be specific
– Separate your concerns into different paragraphs (don’t mix)
– Simply list items of concern, no need to go into background prose, although if you are an expert in a certain field, use that as a way to back up your points
– That being said, you do NOT need to be an expert in any field, but try to provide as much concrete evidence as possible


The meat of your comment should be around the following:


Click to read more!

Fulton Mall Alternate Analysis Reports Available for Public Comment

The city has used the Thanksgiving weekend to put up the massive “Alternate Analysis Report” for the Fulton Mall on their website. The choices of course, are to keep the mall, or to destroy it.

The public comment period runs until January 13.

It’s 382 pages of fun, so I haven’t made my way through it yet, but the folks at “Save the Fulton Mall” have pointed out something quite bothersome:

 photo fultonmall_zps6c6454d7.jpg

That doesn’t make sense. The plan is to bulldoze a park and turn it into a standard road. That doesn’t have any aesthetic impacts? Turning a pedestrian mall into a street doesn’t have land use/planning impacts? It doesn’t affect recreation, transportation or traffic? Huh? The plan involves bulldozing playgrounds to add parking spaces, that by definition is an impact on recreation and transportation… Click to read more!