Fresno County supervisors approve changes to zoning and more

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- There will soon be changes to Fresno County zoning, goals, and county-wide policies.

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved a new general plan on Tuesday.

At over 400 pages, it makes several changes that apply county-wide.

New zoning impacts how multifamily developments are designed, the locations of emergency shelters, a proposed community north of State Route 180, and much more.

County officials say it's been a balancing act to meet the county's many needs while complying with state laws and directives.

While all five county supervisors supported the new plan on Tuesday, some residents urged the board to reconsider the plan and make changes.

Mariana Alvarenga said the county's new plan focuses too much on potential development opportunities.

"The county needs to focus on addressing needs in existing disadvantaged unincorporated communities, not planning for new development," said Alvarenga.

There were also concerns about how the county analyzed the new plan's impact on the environment.

In a letter to the board of supervisors on Monday, The Sierra Club and two other organizations said the county's environmental impact report is flawed and doesn't comply with a state law called CEQA.

"These other impacts that aren't addressed through your CEQA analysis include agricultural land preservation, water quality and supply, wildlife habitat, environmental justice issues, and others," said Central Valley Partnership Director Daniel O'Connell.

Those comments and many others come as Supervisor Brian Pacheco tells Action News the new plan has been years in the making.

He says the county's work on the plan won't stop now.

"There's always some issue that somebody's going to have that we need to look at more or they need further research into. And that will occur over the next year," said Pacheco.

The new general plan is effective now, but zoning changes won't go into effect for 30 more days.

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