Fresno Planning Commission Special Meeting – Senior Healthcare Facility Rezone, January 29, 2026
Fresno Planning Commission Special Meeting – January 29, 2026
The Fresno Planning Commission held a special meeting to consider a continued rezone and development permit application for a senior healthcare facility at the southeast corner of North Cedar Avenue and East Hampton Way in Council District 4. Chair Peter Vang called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m.; Vice Chair Kathy Bray arrived at 6:04 p.m. Six commissioners were present and Commissioner Linda Calandra was absent. Note: The official minutes date this meeting as Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., while the timestamp supplied for this summary is January 29, 2026, 20:30 UTC.
Agenda Approval
- The agenda was approved unanimously on a motion by Commissioner Shergill, seconded by Commissioner Diaz, with 6 ayes and 1 absence.
Consent Calendar
- None.
Reports by Commissioners
- Commissioner Shergill encouraged participation in Beautify Fresno, a program he said is supported by Mayor Dyer, and reminded residents to report graffiti and other city concerns through the FresGO app or by calling 311.
Discussion Items
- Continued Matter VII-A (ID 26-120, continued from January 21, 2026): Staff presented Rezone Application No. P25-01778 and Development Permit Application No. P25-01774, along with Environmental Assessment No. P25-01774/P25-01778. The approximately 3.96-acre site is partially developed with two office buildings and parking and is zoned for office uses. The proposal would construct a senior healthcare facility on approximately 1.17 acres, serving 100-200 patients per day aged 55 and older, with no overnight stays. A condition of zoning from prior approval R0648 currently prohibits adult daycare uses; the rezone would remove one of the three existing conditions of zoning. The other two conditions relate to an avigation easement for Fresno Yosemite International Airport and a single-story building limit. Staff recommended adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration dated December 18, 2025, and approval of the rezone and development permit.
- Kate Hirsch, a representative from Turner Impact Capital on behalf of the applicant, requested approval to advance the project to City Council. She described a 20,000-square-foot, single-story Welbe Health facility, which would be the operator’s second Fresno location, with 167 parking stalls, 26 EV charging stations, clinic space, therapy and rehab space, and a spa area. She noted site reconfiguration, outreach through mailers to residents and property owners within 1,000 feet, an October community meeting, a March 2027 construction completion target, and a fall 2027 opening target.
- Nicole Butler, Executive Director of Welbe Health Fresno, described the PACE model of senior care: 11 centers statewide serving more than 2,500 seniors, with Fresno’s program serving about 1,000 participants and operating as the fastest-growing PACE program in California. She explained interdisciplinary care teams, transportation, home-care support, home-safety improvements, and the Medicare/Medi-Cal funding structure. She answered commissioner questions about the difference between PACE and hospice, multilingual staffing, funding, and at-home services. She stated that community outreach produced no opposition and only positive feedback.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comment was given during the hearing. Staff also reported receiving no public comments on the project.
Key Outcomes
- The Commission unanimously approved the continued item on a motion by Vice Chair Bray, seconded by Commissioner Shergill. The vote was 6-0: Ayes were Vang, Criner, Bray, Diaz, Lyday, and Shergill; Calandra was absent.
- The Commission’s action recommends City Council adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration, approval of Rezone Application No. P25-01778, and approval of Development Permit Application No. P25-01774, subject to the Conditions of Approval dated January 21, 2026, and contingent on the rezone and related environmental assessment.
- No new matters and no scheduled or unscheduled oral communications were heard.
- Secretary Jennifer Clark announced the next Planning Commission meeting on February 4, 2026, and requested commissioners notify staff of attendance for quorum purposes.
- Chair Vang adjourned the meeting at 6:29 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good evening, everyone. Thank you for all your patience. Uh it's wonderful to see you guys again. I think I see you guys more often than I see my wife, but all right, it's currently 602. We'll go ahead and start tonight's meeting. Let's please take role. Commissioner Lightier. Here. Commissioner Calandra. Commissioner Diaz. Present. Commissioner Kreiner. Commissioner Shergill. President. Vice Chair Bray. Chair Vane. Here. Thank you. We'll go ahead and do the Pledge of Allegiance, everyone. Please stand. All right, for everyone's convenience, I'll go ahead and read the procedures for tonight's meeting. This meeting is being conducted in person and electronically. For each matter considered by the commission, there will first be a staff presentation, followed by a presentation for the project applicant. Testimony from the supporters of the project would then be taken, followed by testimony from those in opposition. The applicant will have the right to a final rebuttal presentation prior to closing the public hearing. In accordance with section 13 of Article 2 of the Planning Commission rules and regulations governing length of public debate. All public testimony from those in support and opposition of the project would be limited to three minutes per person. The three lights on the podium next to the microphone will indicate the amount of time remaining for the speaker. The green light will be turned on when the speaker begins. The yellow light will come on with the soft bell ring when one minute is remaining. Any testimony that references race, religion, ethnicity, economic status, national origin, or any other classification protected under state or federal law in a derogatory matter shall be deemed irrelevant. It would not be considered by the commission in making this land use determinations. If you challenge these land use matters in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised an oral or random testimony or before the close of the hearing. We have the agenda. Good evening, Chair Vayne, Commissioners Philip Sequis with the planning and development department. Staff has no changes to tonight's agenda. Awesome. Thank you, sir. Commissioners, do you um doesn't do you guys have any comments, questions, any motions to approve the agenda. Sorry. Okay. So we have a motion by Commissioner Shergo, second by Commissioner Diaz. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed say no. Agenda is approved. We'll go ahead and move forward to reports from commissioners. Do we have any? Go ahead, sir. Yeah, so uh I would like to request our Fresno community uh beautify Fresno is a great program, great project by Beir Dyer.
openpublica.com