DATE: August 19, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: General Plan Amendment Application No. 578 and Amendment Application No. 3782 (Updating the Biola Community Plan)
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Adopt Addendum to Fresno County General Plan Final Program Environmental Impact Report No. 2018031066 pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act Section 15164(a); and
2. Adopt Resolution approving General Plan Amendment Application No. 578 updating the Biola Community Plan; and
3. Adopt Ordinance approving Amendment Application No. 3782, thereby rezoning eight parcels from AE (Exclusive Agricultural) Zone Districts to AL (Limited Agricultural) Zone District and six parcels from C-4 (Central Trading) and M-1 (Light Industrial) Zone Districts to R-1 (Single-Family Residential Medium Density) District parcels within the Biola Community Plan; and
4. Designate County Counsel to prepare a fair and adequate summary of the proposed Ordinance and direct the Clerk of the Board to post and publish the required summary in accordance with Government Code, Section 25124(b)(1).
REPORT
Approval of the Recommended Action constitutes approval of the Biola Community Plan Update, and the related Ordinance would amend the zoning for respective parcels to ensure consistency with the Biola Community Plan. This item comes to your Board with a recommendation for approval by the Planning Commission on a unanimous vote. This item pertains to locations within District 1.
Pursuant to California Government Code Section 65358, a General Plan cannot be amended more frequently than four times during the calendar year. If approved, this project represents one of two applications proposed to be included in the Second General Plan Cycle Adoption for 2025. A separate agenda item has been prepared to address the Cycle Adoption requirement and will follow this item. If this item is not approved, no action related to this item needs to be taken regarding the Cycle Adoption.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board determines that the proposed General Plan Amendment (GPA) and Amendment Application (AA) are not consistent with the County’s General Plan, a motion to deny the Application would be appropriate.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the Recommended Actions. On December 15, 2020, the Board authorized the Department of Public Works and Planning (Department) to submit a grant application to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for grant funds available under the Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) Program. The County was successful in receiving $500,000 in grant funding. On February 23, 2021, the Board authorized the Department to submit a grant application to the 2019-2020 Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) Grant Program, for which the County was successful in receiving $292,950 in grant funding. The REAP and LEAP grant funding were used to fund the Biola Community Plan Update project.
DISCUSSION:
General Plan Amendment Application No. 578 relates to the Biola Community Plan Update (Plan) and consists of updates to the goals and policies of the Plan to ensure consistency with the County’s General Plan Policy Document, establishes implementation programs, expands the Plan boundaries and makes various corresponding changes to land use designations to facilitate growth in the community, addresses inconsistent land uses on existing developed properties, and rezones properties to ensure Plan consistency. The Plan also adopts a new land use diagram for Biola, which shows land use designations for every parcel within the Plan. The Plan was created with input from the community, which was received at the six community meetings held in Biola. Additionally, the Plan was made available for a 15-day comment period and was presented at a Biola Community Service District Board meeting and at a public community meeting during the Plan review period.
The Planning Commission considered the proposed Plan and associated rezonings at its public meeting on July 24, 2025. Two letters of support were received and provided to the Planning Commission. A third letter expressed concern about the environmental review utilized and a request for the County to post reviewing agency/department comment letters for public review. During the public testimony portion of the hearing, the member of the public who submitted the letter presented his concerns to the Planning Commission. The individual requested that staff post for public review the comment letters received from the public agencies during the routing of the Plan. Staff informed the public and the Planning Commissioners that it is not common practice for the County to post reviewing agency letters, and there was nothing that warranted a change from this practice. The second concern addressed the level of environmental review that was utilized for the Plan. The individual suggested that an “initial environmental study” should have been utilized instead of the proposed Addendum to the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Staff responded that the level of environmental impact associated with the amount of land being rezoned falls within the levels analyzed in the General Plan Review EIR, and the Addendum meets the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements.
Based on the information provided and public testimony, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of Plan (see Attachment A, Planning Commission Resolution and Staff Report). Included in their action was direction to forward all related public and Planning Commission comments to your Board. See Attachment B for Biola Community Plan.
Environmental Review:
An Addendum to the Fresno County General Plan Final Program Environmental Impact Report No. 2018031066 was prepared for the project by Department of Public Works and Planning staff in conformance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act. Information provided in the Addendum provides the basis for the determination that a Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is not required and that your Board can rely on the original EIR located at: (https://www.fresnocountyca.gov/Departments/Public-Works-and-Planning/divisions-of-public-works-and-planning/development-services-division/planning-and-land-use/environmental-impact-reports/general-plan-review-zoning-ordinance-update-copy) and the Addendum.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #11, July 18, 2023
BAI #33, February 23, 2021
BAI #87, December 15, 2020
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Attachment A - Planning Commission Resolution and Staff Report
Attachment B - Biola Community Plan
On file with Clerk - Exhibits 1 and 3 - 7 of Planning Commission Staff Report
On file with Clerk - Resolution
On file with Clerk - Ordinance
On file with Clerk - Summary of Ordinance
On file with Clerk - Presentation
CAO ANALYST:
Maria Valencia