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Developer seeks former golf course land
Company wants to build apartments on the closed Palm Lakes property near Fresno's airport.

By Matt Leedy / The Fresno Bee
02/03/07   04:47:10

A developer is pitching a plan to turn a former golf course and some vacant land in east Fresno into affordable apartments and fresh fairways.
JB Development is eyeing the former Palm Lakes Golf Course, which closed in December 2005 after draining city coffers and falling into disrepair.
The development company owns two large pieces of property, totaling about 30 acres, next to the former municipal course, which remains city property.
JB Development wants to swap some land with the city, giving the developer a single piece of property large enough to build neighboring apartment complexes — one for seniors and one for families. The city, in turn, would construct a new golf course to replace Palm Lakes.
But JB Development's proposal faces many hurdles. Among them:
The land — roughly bordered by Willow, Ashlan, Peach and Dakota avenues — would need to be rezoned from light industrial to residential before the apartments could be built.
The area's close proximity to Fresno Yosemite Airport's runways means the developer must find ways to insulate apartments from the noise of landing airplanes.
City Council Member Larry Westerlund, who represents the area, staunchly opposes the plan. And the rezone and land swap need council approval.
Fresno officials will say only that JB Development's proposal is just one of many they're considering for the former golf course.
Brad Koach, a partner with JB Development, is undeterred by the project's obstacles and is trying to sell council members and city officials on his proposal. Koach wants to build about 615 apartments.
The development would be split between one- and two-bedroom apartments for seniors and larger units for families.
Rents would be affordable for people who earn between 45% and 60% of the city's median income, Koach said. The median income for a family of four in Fresno is $47,000 a year, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Deed restrictions would require that rents stay similarly affordable for the next 55 years.
JB Development also is talking with city park officials about a nine-hole municipal course that would surround the apartments. The course would have a par 36 layout covering about 2,900 yards and would include a driving range.
The city would construct and maintain the course, under JB's proposal. Koach said the development company would build a clubhouse for local high school golf teams that would use the course.
Other pieces of the former Palm Lakes course would remain a strip park.
Council Member Mike Dages likes the idea. "It fulfills a couple goals: It addresses our affordable-housing problem, and allows us to keep green space," Dages said.
Koach hopes to begin construction on the new apartments next year but doesn't plan to count on Westerlund's support.
The council member says he thinks the project "would be a big mistake. I'm not interested in doing a deal to make it residential."
Westerlund, who represents east Fresno, cites several reasons for his opposition.
The land should remain zoned for light industrial development and not be changed to residential, he said, because planes landing at Fresno's nearby airport generate noise between 65 and 70 decibels in the area.
That volume is comparable to the noise created by a passing train or rush-hour traffic.
It's "clearly unacceptable" to build homes on property where planes generate that much noise, according to city regulations. Exceptions can be made if "overriding factors prevail."
Building homes near the airport is an "uphill battle," said Kevin Meikle, the airport's planning manager.
Koach argues that his project's proposed affordable housing should be considered an overriding factor. "Fresno has a huge need for affordable housing and affordable senior housing," he said.
Apartments could be built with extra insulation and triple-pane windows to dampen the noise from passing planes, Koach added.
Westerlund also is opposed to the city building another golf course on land where Palm Lakes struggled financially for years before the council shut it down.
The property is better suited as a park, he said, pointing to Palm Lakes' failure as a primary reason not to invest in another course. Too few golfers played Palm Lakes, and it was neglected for years, he said.
"It failed," Westerlund said. "And I'm not willing to spend more money on a golf course