For questions about the Southeast Development Area, call: 3-1-1 or visit www.fresno.gov/SEDA
Get the Facts on South SEDA
Fresno is planning for its future, and that future is centered on jobs, families, and neighborhoods. Claims about the Southeast Development Area, known as SEDA, are circulating, and many are not accurate or misleading.
The information below comes from the City of Fresno’s official plan, its environmental report, and an independent study of the costs conducted by experts. Here is what residents should know about South SEDA.
What is SEDA?
The Southeast Development Area, or SEDA, is a long-range plan for about 9,000 acres on the southeast edge of Fresno. Portions of this area have been considered a part of Fresno’s growth area since the 1950s, and it is within the boundary of what planners call Fresno’s Sphere of Influence. The SEDA Specific Plan sets out how the area could grow over the coming decades, including where homes, jobs, parks, roads, and utilities could go. Many areas in Fresno have Specific Plans, which are detailed blueprints that guide future growth in that particular part of the city.
What is being decided now?
The Planning Commission has already voted to recommend approval of the Specific Plan and EIR to the City Council. On September 3, City staff will present a workshop on the economic analysis requested by the City Council. No action is being considered at the September workshop. The City Council is not voting on September 3; Council action on the plan will be scheduled later.
South SEDA will pay for itself, and bring millions of dollars for existing neighborhoods.
1
Through a Community Benefit Fund, South SEDA’s annual surplus will bring millions of dollars in funding to existing infill neighborhoods.
2
South SEDA is planned to benefit the neighborhoods that are already here. Because new growth pays its own way, its costs do not fall on existing residents.
3
The City is proposing a Community Benefit Fund where a percentage of any surplus funds created from South SEDA will be available for infill improvements: repaving streets, repairing sidewalks, adding lighting and landscaping, and expanding the City’s infill program.
South SEDA will bring nearly 24 thousand permanent jobs.
Most of South SEDA is set aside for jobs, including advanced manufacturing, research and development, and new businesses. An independent study projects approximately 24,000 permanent jobs, not counting the many jobs required to build it. The land sits close to existing roads, water, and sewer, which makes it a seamless place to begin. These jobs help families stay in Fresno rather than move to other cities.
South SEDA pays for itself.
An independent study reviewed the costs and verified that South SEDA will pay its own way, through a variety of Community Financing Districts, Impact Fees, and other methods described in the report. Similar to past practice, the City would bond and construct sewer services by adding a trunk line. The full cost of sewer trunk lines is paid back by development, once development begins.
Within a few years of construction, South SEDA is projected to earn more than it costs, adding to City revenue rather than drawing from it. At full build-out, a General Fund surplus of over $17 million is projected every year, which means more funding for public safety, parks, and city services.
Rural residents are protected.
Residents who already live in the area are protected in perpetuity (until such time as a new owner decides to do something different). Existing homes, animal keeping, and farming may continue. The plan also provides help connecting existing homes to City water and sewer, and it states those connection costs clearly, so there are no surprises. Through the Community Benefit Fund, a percentage of South SEDA’s surplus can help existing SEDA residents with those connections.
Family farms are protected.
All existing land uses will remain, again, in perpetuity. No one is required to sell, stop farming, or change how they use their land. The City will not require agricultural wells to hook up to City water. For every acre of prime farmland used, an equal acre is preserved permanently. The plan maintains a buffer of farms and open land along its eastern edge and follows the county’s Right-to-Farm rules, so farming and new jobs can exist side by side.
Responsible growth, careful planning.
South SEDA covers about 2,017 acres, close to areas that are already built. The backbone sewer line is built first by the City, because it is the City’s sewer system, and development repays the City’s costs of building it in full. Other roads and infrastructure are built by private developers, as development happens. The City will not allow expansion beyond South SEDA until three conditions are met. At least 75 percent of the homes must be built and occupied. A new environmental report must be completed. And an updated cost study must be finished.
What South SEDA Proposes
The plan is specific and measurable. In summary, South SEDA proposes:
1
South SEDA is 2,017 acres, close to areas already built. About 500 acres for homes east of Temperance, and about 1,500 acres for jobs south of Jensen.
2
About 18 million square feet of space for research, development, and advanced manufacturing.
3
Approximately 24,000 permanent jobs, in addition to the jobs required to build it.
4
A range of housing types, close to jobs, services, and transit.
5
Backbone sewer built first; other roads and infrastructure built as development happens, with any City expenses repaid in full.
6
Farmland preserved permanently, and existing rural residents protected.
7
Conditions before any further growth: 75 percent of homes built and occupied, a new environmental report, and an updated cost study.
8
A percentage of surplus generated by South SEDA reinvested back into existing infill areas.
Questions and Answers
Will there be data centers in SEDA?
No. Data centers are not part of the SEDA Specific Plan, and the City of Fresno does not currently have zoning that allows data centers. A data center could not be approved in SEDA, or anywhere in the city, under today’s rules. Pending the approval of the SEDA Specific Plan, the next step will include adopting a new Development Code for South SEDA. City staff is already developing the appropriate regulations that would define and prohibit data centers. Currently, data centers are neither defined nor permitted as a land use anywhere in the existing Development Code. To be clear, there is no zoning that allows this use.
What is a Community Benefit Fund?
A Community Benefit Fund would set aside a percentage of the General Fund surplus South SEDA generates for improvements in existing neighborhoods, overseen by the City Administration and the City Council. A related tool, an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District, or EIFD, sets aside a share of future property tax growth for infrastructure and is governed by an independent board. An EIFD is already in place for Downtown Fresno, Chinatown and the Blackstone Corridor. While the economic analysis found and EIFD is viable in South SEDA, a Community Benefit is the alternative being proposed.
Will South SEDA pave over protected farmland and family farms?
No. For every acre of prime farmland used, an equal acre is preserved permanently. The plan keeps a buffer of farms and open land on the eastern edge and follows the county’s Right-to-Farm rules. That means families who want to keep their farms are grandfathered in, and are not required to sell.
Will taxpayers ultimately cover the cost of South SEDA?
No. An independent study found that South SEDA pays for its own roads, water, and sewer. Any upfront infrastructure, such as a sewer trunk line constructed by the City, will be repaid to the City once development begins.
Does South SEDA generate money for the City?
Yes. The study projects that South SEDA will soon earn more than it costs: a net General Fund surplus of $17.2 million a year at full build-out ($45.1 million in revenue against $27.9 million in service costs). The City proposes using a portion of these surplus funds to improve established neighborhoods.
What about the schools?
The City will work with local school districts to plan for schools as the area develops. Fresno families already have school choice today, including charter schools and district transfers, and they will continue to have that choice under SEDA. When a family moves from one district to another, a new family is expected to move into their former home, so the impact on school enrollment is expected to be minimal. Keeping jobs and homes in Fresno also helps keep families and students in the region.
Is this just more urban sprawl?
No. Sprawl is unplanned growth, while specific planned growth is a deliberate, managed strategy. South SEDA is focused on planned, responsible growth, and delivering good paying opportunities to working families. It begins next to areas that are already built, and growth cannot leapfrog ahead. At least 75 percent of the homes must be built and occupied, with a new environmental report and cost study, before the City expands further.
Will people who live there now be forced out?
No. Existing homes, animal keeping, and farming may continue. The plan also helps residents connect to City water and sewer, and states those costs up front.
What is the difference between SEDA and South SEDA?
Identified as the City’s Sphere of Influence, SEDA is the full 9,000-acre area. South SEDA is the roughly 2,000-acre first phase, and a smaller, consolidated version of the original plan. As proposed, South SEDA is the only area where development could first begin.
What is the timeline?
The Planning Commission has held its public hearing and voted to recommend approval of the Specific Plan and EIR to the City Council. On September 3, City staff will present a workshop on the economic analysis requested by the City Council; no action is being considered at that workshop. City Council action on the plan will be scheduled after the workshop.
Does the community get a say?
Always. Public meetings and public hearings are held throughout the process. South SEDA was designed with community feedback at heart to ensure concerns were addressed and communities are protected.
Where can I read the plan myself?
The plan, the environmental report, the full map, and the economic analyses are all available on the City’s official project page:
