Commissioners recommend council approve 48‑unit Chestnut multifamily project with added screening for nearby daycare

The Fresno Planning Commission on June 18 recommended the City Council approve a plan amendment, rezone and development permit to convert a roughly 3.78‑acre site on Chestnut Avenue from employment‑office to medium‑high‑density residential (RM‑1) and to build a 48‑unit multifamily development, subject to added screening conditions requested by commissioners.

Staff presented the proposal, saying the project would yield 12.7 dwelling units per acre (48 units on 3.78 acres), include six two‑story buildings, provide 81 parking spaces (48 covered) and meet or exceed open‑space requirements. Rob Holt, supervising planner, said the project complies with RM‑1 density ranges (12–16 du/acre), that maximum building heights will be 30 feet (below both RM‑1 and site condition limits) and that required public‑street dedications and sidewalk construction will be completed along Chestnut. Staff noted the presence of a 40‑foot Fresno Irrigation District easement along the western property line and described three neighborhood outreach meetings held since 2019. Primary neighborhood concerns included noise, traffic, parking and backyard privacy; staff said the nearest multifamily building would be about 86 feet from adjacent single‑family rear yards and recommended conditions requiring relocation of two solid‑waste enclosures that encroached in setbacks.

Applicant representative Dirk Pershall (on behalf of owner BJ Johal) said the owner acquired additional northern property to complete streets and that the project intentionally places buildings far forward on Chestnut to maximize separation (roughly 86–100 feet) from existing homes to the west. Pershall noted the development provides lower peak traffic than an office use would (staff/ITE comparisons showed 19 AM peak trips and 24 PM peak trips versus higher counts for office uses) and that similar market‑rate units in the area rent around $2,700–$3,000. The applicant committed to additional landscaping, evergreen screening along the western property line, and to working with neighbors on fence location and planting.

Commissioners asked about proximity to a nearby daycare and requested additional screening between the new development and the daycare’s pool area. Commissioner Calandra moved to recommend council approval with the extra screening condition; the motion passed on a voice vote after a second. The commission record notes required fronting improvements, a parking lane and sidewalks along Chestnut and staff’s determination that the project meets applicable housing‑element programs for providing market‑rate multifamily housing in higher‑resource areas.

The commission’s recommendation, including the added condition for dense buffer plantings/screening between the multifamily site and the daycare to the south, will be forwarded to City Council for final action.