Tower District Specific Plan Implementation Committee Meeting - March 19, 2026

The Tower District Specific Plan Implementation Committee met on March 19, 2026, at 9:15 a.m. UTC. Roll call confirmed all members present: Chair Chris Johnson (virtual), Vice Chair Janae Conley, Michael Birdsaw (virtual), Myra Koble, James Kitch, and Joseph Catania. The committee approved its agenda and consent calendar, received training on the Design Standards and Guidelines, elected 2026 officers, and reviewed two project applications. It also heard public comment about a proposed cell tower and about the GraceBound project.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda was approved by voice vote without opposition.
• The consent calendar, consisting of the meeting minutes, was moved by Myra Koble, seconded, and approved by voice vote. No items were pulled.

Public Comments & Testimony

• A Southeast Fresno resident spoke during the GraceBound item and expressed support for the transitional housing idea, but urged GraceBound to include trained staff, Narcan/CPR capability, mental-health de-escalation skills, and strong connections to referral services. He also said Fresno lacks enough permanent housing for people leaving transitional programs. Keith, a GraceBound representative, responded that GraceBound works with 40 to 80 people at its Tuesday meals, will provide security inside and outside, and plans to help create permanent housing in its larger vision.
• Jessica Moni spoke during unscheduled communications and raised concerns about a cell tower proposed on property owned by Chair Chris Johnson at the corner of Olive and Fulton/Van Ness. She said she had not received responses from the District 3 review committee or the council office, questioned why the project appeared to bypass this committee, and urged members to be mindful of ethics and Brown Act obligations. Staff and committee members clarified that Chris Johnson had recused himself from that project, the project went directly to the Planning Commission because of federal timelines, the previous design review committee reviewed it once but did not make a recommendation because a second meeting did not occur, and the applicant pulled the item from the Planning Commission agenda, so the project will return to the Planning Commission rather than this committee.

Design Standards and Guidelines Workshop

• Matt Tacker and Dan of WRT presented a training on applying the Design Standards and Guidelines. They explained that the update partly responds to state law allowing ministerial review for certain affordable housing projects, which requires objective checklist language and cross-references to the Development Code.
• They demonstrated the review process using three real projects. Casa del Mar, a single-family renovation in the RS5 district, showed how to check use, site design, cladding, windows, and the craftsman architectural style; some items were not applicable, and the window recess detail could not be determined from the plans.
• A multifamily example in the Commercial Main Street zone was reviewed under the multifamily chapter because it was residential-only. Ground-floor residential was not permitted by right outside the apartment housing overlay, so the project would require an exception and would not qualify for ministerial review. The example highlighted parking access, direct pedestrian paths, facade articulation, natural ventilation, and a required 200-word architectural style statement. Future submittal requirements will include context photographs as well.
• A commercial mixed-use example showed the Commercial Main Street sign standards, including the Tower District prohibition on internally illuminated signs. The sign on the example did not conform; raised lettering with external illumination would have conformed. The consultant also noted that a bookstore about 20 feet deep did not meet the 30-foot storefront depth standard, and suggested reviewing such standards over time as a living document.
• The committee requested a copy of the training presentation; staff said staff and committee members would receive copies, and a longer developer-oriented version is also available.

Election of 2026 Officers

• Janae Conley announced she would step down as vice chair. Annie was nominated and elected vice chair for 2026.
• Chris Johnson was re-elected chair for 2026. Both elections were by voice vote with no stated opposition.

Project Review: Florida Street Parking Lot Expansion

• A representative for the applicant said the parking lot expansion was approved in 2007 but the approvals expired after the church deferred it because of funding. Funding is now available, and the project would expand the existing grass/open space area into parking for parishioners and members.
• The applicant said the project would provide additional parking and, after reconfiguring existing stalls, would gain a net total of 69 stalls. The existing wrought-iron fence would be removed, about a 9-foot landscaped strip would be provided along the front, and trees would be planted in the lot, including Chinese pistache and smaller trees.
• In response to committee questions, the applicant said the plans include 10-foot landscape buffers along adjacent residential property lines, added shielding on parking lot lights to reduce glare toward residences, and temporary shoulder closures and construction noise during the work. Joseph Catania asked about impacts; Michael Birdsaw said the project reinforced the need for creative green space in the Tower District.
• A motion to recommend approval was made, and the committee voted to recommend approval.

Project Review: GraceBound 402 North Broadway

• Vincent Blasters, designer, and Keith, a GraceBound representative, presented revised plans. The original plan had bedrooms facing Broadway; after staff advised that the ordinance does not allow a bedroom/caretaker unit facing Broadway, the revised plan moved the caretaker unit to the rear and expanded the thrift store frontage across the Broadway side. The three-story transitional housing component is being separated into a future application.
• The current proposal covers the 402 North Broadway building: expanding the thrift store/furniture display in the front and adding a small caretaker studio of about 132 square feet of new construction attached to the rear, after removing an illegal structure behind the building. GraceBound described existing uses on adjacent properties, including a thrift store, restrooms, a free clothing room, and a community center that serves meals and services.
• Keith described the future phase as a three-story building with a warming/cooling center capped around 20 people and about 30 transitional housing beds on the upper floors, plus 24/7 supervision. Drug and alcohol treatment would not be provided on site but through referrals. GraceBound is part of the Continuum of Care and has received grants, but current operations are primarily privately funded.
• Ashley Atkinson, assistant director, said the building will be reviewed for historic compatibility during planning even though it is not individually designated; the proposed front window changes, including new windows, will be part of that review.
• After the vote, Myra Koble questioned why the committee had not walked through the design guidelines checklist for this project. Staff acknowledged the committee just took over this review responsibility and set up a process for follow-up comments to be submitted while the application is within its 30-day planning review timeline. The committee agreed to provide additional written design comments, and the motion to recommend approval had already passed.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda and consent calendar approved; no items were pulled from the consent calendar.
• 2026 officers elected: Chris Johnson as chair and Annie as vice chair.
• The committee recommended approval of the Florida Street parking lot expansion.
• The committee recommended approval of the GraceBound caretaker/thrift-store proposal and agreed to follow up with additional design comments; the three-story transitional housing phase will return separately for review.
• The proposed cell tower project will not come to this committee; it will return to the Planning Commission after the applicant requested it be pulled from the prior Planning Commission agenda.