Tag: sprawl

Categories : Fresno HousingTags : 1 Comment

Fresno councilors trying to kill infill general plan again

On By jamesinclair

Developers aching for more sprawl versus everybody else. Sound familiar? It should, because in December of 2014, I published this post: Will Fresno council kill infill general plan? with that exact sentence.

Five years later, here we are again.

As a reminder, the 2035 General Plan Update (enacted in late 2014) directed Fresno to focus on infill development instead of continuous sprawl. Local developers were furious, and pulled every trick they could to block it. Fortunately, the council at the time did listen to the people of Fresno, who throughout the public process strongly preferred curtailing sprawl. Click to read more!

Categories : Amtrak High Speed RailTags : 7 Comments

Madera Amtrak Station will relocate again

On By jamesinclair

I have mentioned it in passing, but plans are underway (PDF) to relocate the Madera Amtrak station within the next three years. The title of this post says “again” because the station was moved to its current location in 2010.

Why do they want to move it? Because it has the lowest ridership of any station along the San Joaquin line, and the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority thinks the location is to blame. At least that’s the official reasoning. I propose my own theory at the end of this post.

Madera has a population of 65,000, which is higher than Hanford (56k), and Corcoran (22k). Those stations get more Amtrak ridership because the train stops downtown. Unfortunately for Madera, the rail line runs well to the east of the city. That is, it doesn’t matter where the station is located, it will never serve downtown. Click to read more!

Categories : Clovis Fresno HousingTags : 9 Comments

New Google satellite imagery for Fresno! (Fall 2017)

On By jamesinclair

Posting updates about Google Maps satellite imagery in the Fresno region used to be a frequent topic on this blog. Thanks to the lack of clouds for half the year, Fresno was lucky in that new images were posted about twice a year, compared to some more populated area that only got an update every other year – or even less frequently. Basically, to provide the images, a satellite has to take hundreds of pictures, and then they are all blended together automatically to reveal a seamless image without clouds in the way. Since Fresno has so many clear days, it’s much easier to get the shots.=&0=&(it takes them a couple of months to process and update – that’s normal). There was also an update taken on =&1=&, which I noticed around July, but never got around to posting about.=&2=&

Categories : UncategorizedTags : 2 Comments

What developer Darius Assemi forgot in his editorial on how to fund road construction

On By jamesinclair

Darius Assemi is the president of Granville Homes, one of the most prolific residential developers in the Fresno area (one which oddly doesn’t have a Wikipedia entry). According to his LinkedIn profile, he has been president for 6 years, and served as vice president for 25 years before that. The guy knows the Fresno market well, especially when it comes to selling single-family homes.

But how much does he know about funding our infrastructure? Let’s take a look at his Fresno Bee editorial on the subject. Here are his main points:

  • Deteriorating roads cost Californians $44 billion a year in repairs, accidents, time and fuel
  • Deferred repair costs exceeding $57 billion
  • Caused by diminishing purchasing power of gas tax

    • Categories : UncategorizedTags : 8 Comments

    Beautiful countryside to make way for massive 5,000 home sprawl project

    On By jamesinclair

    There’s something almost sinister about the way a developer gushes about the natural landscapes, beautiful views, and rolling hills he is about to bulldoze to build cookie-cutter tract homes.=&0=&” he’s ever seen.=&1=&

    Categories : UncategorizedTags : Leave a comment

    One week remains to comment on Fresno general plan update

    On By jamesinclair

    All the information you need is on this page, but a quick summary here.

    • Last general plan update was November 2012
    • This proposed one is controversial because developers dislike how it mentions focusing on infill vs sprawl 
    • The draft General Plan is available for a 45-day public review period commencing on Wednesday, July 2, 2014 and ending on Monday, August 18, 2014. 

    The middle point is why public comment may actually be important. Don’t let the developers sabotage the plan, let the city know you support infill development. 

    Mind you, the developers have already managed to water it down:

    “The Council’s modified (plan) shifted more development to
    single-family housing and with more focus on growth west and southwest
    of State Route 99, but maintained a strong commitment to Downtown and
    major corridor revitalization, Complete Neighborhoods, and more compact
    development.” Click to read more!