Fresno council holds heated hearing on proposed office-to-residential text amendment; no vote taken

The Fresno City Council on May 22 heard more than two hours of public comment and detailed staff analysis on a proposed text amendment to the city’s development code that would allow office-to-residence conversions and create a ministerial (streamlined) approval path for certain housing projects, but the council took no vote at the hearing.

Planning manager Sophia Pagalatis told the council the proposal would restore residential uses to office zones (uses that existed under the city’s pre‑2015 code), and would allow ministerial approval in office districts, multifamily zones within a half-mile of bus stops, and mixed‑use zones in the city’s infill area. “Ministerial approval is not a free pass. It is a systematic application of requirements to address all zoning standards, environmental conditions, and infrastructure needs upfront,” Pagalatis said.

Supporters — including business groups and some housing advocates who addressed the council — argued the change is needed to produce housing quickly and to meet the…