A long-disputed development plan in Fresno County, California, has cleared a major hurdle after years of legal challenges.
Here's what to know
According to Fox26, the Friant Ranch project is a $1.1 billion planned community near Friant Road, the San Joaquin River, and Millerton Lake.
If it wins final approval, the development would bring thousands of homes, commercial space, parks, trails, and expanded wastewater infrastructure.
The Fresno County Planning Commission supported Friant Ranch and recommended certification of its updated environmental impact report.
Plans span about 900 acres and call for roughly 2,500 homes, most of which are intended for people 55 and older.
The proposal also includes shops, parks, trails, and other amenities, plus a new wastewater treatment plant intended to serve Friant Ranch and nearby areas.
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Even so, that recommendation is not permission to begin construction.
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors will make the next decision, with a vote on the project tentatively planned for Oct. 20.
More background
The Friant Ranch proposal has been in review and litigation for more than a decade.
As Fox26 reported, Fresno County originally approved the project in 2011, but environmental groups later challenged the county's review under the California Environmental Quality Act.
The dispute eventually reached the California Supreme Court, which ruled in 2018 that the county's environmental review did not adequately explain how increased air pollution could affect human health.
That decision sent county officials back to redo parts of the analysis, and the project's earlier approvals were later set aside.
Where can I learn more?
Environmental protections are increasingly a factor in development decisions, while some areas even choose to protect land from future construction work.
• In California, officials pushed to protect mountain lions amid clashes with developers and residents.
• In Arizona, a first-of-its-kind conservation easement shielded water, wildlife, and grasslands from development.
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