Conditional Use Permit Application No. P25-02582 & Planned Development Permit Application No. P25-02715

2026070422

City of Fresno

NOE - Notice of Exemption

7/13/2026

7/13/2026

Steven Martinez

City of Fresno

Planner III

Lead/Public Agency

2600 Fresno Street
Fresno, CA 93721

(559) 621-8047

steven.martinez@fresno.gov

Nora Crow

Fresno Chaffee Zoo Corporation

Chief Financial Officer

Parties Undertaking Project

1250 West Olive Avenue
Fresno, CA 93728

(559) 498-5910

info@fcz.org

Nick Seward

NJA Architecture

Owner and Architect

Project Applicant

212 W Pine St STE 1
Lodi, CA 95240

(209) 400-6080

contact@njaarchitecture.com

36°44'59.9"N 119°49'17.6"W

458-114-02

480 North Teilman Avenue, Fresno, CA 93706; Located on the south side of West Belmont Avenue, between North Teilman and North Pacific Avenues

Categorical Exemption

15332/Class 32

This project is exempt under Section 15332/Class 32 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines as follows: a) The project is consistent with the applicable general plan designation and all applicable general plan policies as well as with applicable zoning designation and regulations. Conditional Use Permit Application No. P25-02582 was filed to expand the Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s operations to the subject property as an expansion of a legal non-conforming land use. Pursuant to FMC Table 15-1102, Non-Conforming Uses are permissible per the provisions of Article 4, Non-Conforming Uses, Structures, Site Features, and Lots. Pursuant to FMC Section 15-404(B), a Legal Non-Conforming use may be expanded if a Conditional Use Permit is granted for such expansion. Prior to issuance of a Conditional Use Permit, it must be determined that at least one of the three circumstances identified in FMC Section 15-404(B)(1-3) exist. The circumstances are identified in the project’s staff memo. Since staff have identified a circumstance to allow for the expansion of the use, this project and proposed land uses are allowed within the zone district and will comply with the applicable provisions of the municipal code; as amended by Planned Development Permit Application No. P25-02715. The project further complies with the applicable provisions of Planned Development Permits outlined in FMC Chapter 15 Article 59. The findings for the Planned Development Permit area made in the project’s staff memo. As conditioned, the project is consistent with the Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan, Fresno General Plan, Neighborhood Mixed-Use Planned Land Use designation and Zoning designation, and Fresno Municipal Code Chapter 15, Articles 4, 11, 20, 25, 27, 53, and 59. Therefore, the project is consistent with the applicable General Plan designation and all applicable General Plan policies as well as with applicable zoning designation and regulations. b) The proposed development occurs within city limits on a project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by urban uses. The proposed project is located within City limits, occurs on a ± 3.73-acre site, less than the five-acre maximum, and is surrounded by public and residential land uses. Existing public uses are located to the north and east of the project site, and existing residential uses are located to the south and west of the project site. The property immediately to the north is a regional park, the property to the east is a private primary school, and the properties to the south and west are single-unit residential properties. Therefore, it can be concluded that public and residential uses substantially surround the site. c) The project has no value as habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species. The project site is a vacant lot characterized by highly disturbed ruderal landcover. Most special-status animal species known to occur in the region are not expected to occur within the project area based on the lack of suitable habitat, lack of connectivity to natural areas, and frequent site disturbance. Therefore, the project site has no value as habitat for endangered, rare, or threatened species. d) Approval of the project would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality. - The project will not result in any significant effects on traffic because the project did not exceed any established City of Fresno thresholds that require a Traffic Impact Study. Furthermore, the project screened out of a Vehicle Miles Traveled analysis as the Project will generate less than 500 average daily trips per the ITE Trip Generation Manual. - The project will not result in any significant effects to noise because the project will be compliant with City of Fresno noise standards outline in Fresno Municipal Code Section 15-2506. - The project will not result in any significant effects on air quality because the project falls within the thresholds identified on the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District’s Small Project Analysis Levels (SPAL) document. In the interest of streamlining CEQA requirements, projects that fit the descriptions up to the project sizes indicated and are below both of the corresponding non-heavy-heavy duty trucks (HHDT), and HHDT (i.e. tractor trailers) trip lengths, are deemed to have a less than significant impact on air quality and as such are excluded from quantifying criteria pollutant emissions for CEQA purposes. Specifically, the general light industry land use category thresholds are ± 280,000 square feet in project size, 550 daily one-way trips for all fleet types excluding HHDT, and 70 one-way trips for HHDT trips. The project will not exceed any of the identified thresholds. Therefore, the project will not have a significant effect on air quality. - The project will not result in any significant effects to water quality because the project will comply with all laws that dictate zoo operations and waste management. Additionally, the refuse enclosure will have a roof cover which will prevent precipitation from encountering waste and contaminating water. e) The site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services. The project has been reviewed and conditioned by the Fresno Irrigation District, Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District, Fresno County Public Health Department, City of Fresno Public Works Department, City of Fresno Police Department, City of Fresno Public Utilities Department, and the City of Fresno Fire Department. In addition, given that the surrounding properties and neighborhoods have been substantially developed and utilities and public services already exist in the area, the site can be adequately served by all required utilities, including sewer, water, and solid waste, as well as public services. Therefore, the project is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15332/Class 32. None of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 apply to the project. Furthermore, the proposed project is not expected to have a significant effect on the environment. A categorical exemption, as noted above, has been prepared for the project and the area is not environmentally sensitive.