Club One Casino owner Kyle Kirkland held a press conference Thursday to discuss accusations regarding parking at Granite Park in Fresno. Photo by Frank Lopez

A local business owner vented frustration over a parking lot dispute with a local developer and non-profit at a press conference Thursday.

Kyle Kirkland held a press conference at Club One Casino in Fresno on Thursday to respond to accusations from the Central Valley Community Sports Foundation (CVCSF) regarding Granite Park property rights.

Kirkland, who owns Club One Casino, explained the shared frustration between the casino and businesses in the private part of the Granite Park Complex regarding parking lot issues during sporting and entertainment events at the park.

He was urged to respond after what he called misleading statements and false accusations that the City of Fresno and Club One Casino are collaborating to shut down Granite Park and deny access to the privately-owned parking lots adjacent to it.

The CVSF has not met its obligations to the city and the collective owners of the privately-owned parking lots, Kirkland said, which has notices of termination and default and litigation from the private property owners.

“As it stands right now, there is not permission in our parking agreement to use those [soccer] fields or to use our access to the parking track without permission,” He said that there has been ongoing and unauthorized use of the parking lots, which has led to safety, parking, and traffic issues.

Kirkland said that Terance Frazier, the owner of the Granite Sports Complex and president of the CVCSF, has not honored his contractual and legal obligations and from his statements, “believes the park and privately-owned parking lots are his to use.”

On Saturday Jun 29, Granite Park will host the Sun Kissed Summer Festival, with popular dj Steve Aoki headlining, but attendees will not be able to park in the privately-owned parking lots, according to an article published Thursday by GV Wire. Kirkland said they didn’t receive CVCSF’s first parking plan for the event until 30 days prior, adding that it wasn’t an adequate parking plan.

According to a press release from Club One Casino, the CVCSF is estimated to owe over $1 million to the City of Fresno. 

 

Social media slam

Kirkland expressed disappointment in comments in a now deleted Facebook post on Fraizer’s page announcing a press conference to “reveal the motives of City of Fresno officials and Club One Casino in their attempts to shut down Granite Park.”

Fraizer cancelled the press conference a couple of hours before the Noon meeting time today.

Responding to another Facebook user, Frazier said in a comment, “They are hiring security to block me from using parking. I’m going to hire goons to enforce my lease agreement. It’s going to go down.”

 

In the press release from the CVCSF announcing the now cancelled press conference they say that, “they [the city and parking tract] are actively planning to eliminate Granite Park’s parking capacity altogether.”

Kirkland said that he has had several meetings personally with Frazier and the CVCSF, with the foundation agreeing to terms during the meeting, and then not honoring the agreement after.

“We were put in a position where we need to be forcing the parking agreements and enforcing the safety of the public and safety for the other authorized users,” Kirkland said.

Kirkland noted a CVCSF bounce house event in March that resulted in a senior woman being dragged out of her car and assaulted, requiring hospital treatment.

He said that Frazier lied to city and said that Club One guests committed the assault but camera surveillance showed the perpetrators were attendees of the bounce house event.

Since that event, Club One Casino and other businesses must have preapproval for events that will utilize the privately-owned parking lots.

Kirkland said they are asking for a 60-day notice prior to any event to be able to prepare and accommodate.

 

Timeline

According to a timeline sheet provided by Club One, in 2015 they signed a lease with the CVCSF, which is silent on parking, with the foundation assuming it can use private parking lots it wishes.

In 2020 parking lot owner Omni Financial signs Declaration of License with City for the ballfield operator to use 142 parking spaces for ballfields. There was no agreement in parking for soccer field events and there was no right of access/easement beyond agreement.

Between 2015 and 2022, every attempt to get CVCSF and Frazier to with parking terms including security, clean-up, parking lot attendants and property rights was ignored, leading to complaints from other property owners.

In mid-May 2024, the city issued a Notice of Default of CVCSF’s lease for nonpayment and other breaches of the lease.

In June, Club One affiliate FPPII,LLC, issued a notice of Default and Intent to Terminate the Declaration of License, which governs CVSF’s use of privately-owned parking lots, for multiple breaches of agreement and complaints from authorized users regarding the foundations unsafe and unauthorized use of privately owned parking lots.

 

Business owners speak out

Some Granite Park business owners attended the press conference including owners of MetalMark, Golden Bear Physical Therapy, Yosemite Falls Café, Me-N-Ed’s Pizzeria, and Western Dental Kids.

Philip M. Flanigan, attorney at The Law Office of Philip M. Flanigan, P.C., has his office in the complex and has had several parking issues over the year, and has experienced events where he can’t find parking in front of his own building and has to pick up trash afterwards.

“The little league and the use of the park for concerts I think is great,” Flanigan said. “All we are all saying is just let us know ahead of time so we can sit down together and figure out a plan that works. Nobody wants to deny use of the park.”

There were attendees in the audience present to advocate for allowing the use of parking for CVCSF’s events, and for all parties to collaborate for an amicable agreement.

Kirkland said the situation is ultimately about public safety, liability, and adhering to contractual and legal obligations.

“If your neighbor threw a party and trashed your property, you’d be irritated, and if you asked them to stop and they don’t respond, you’d take steps to make sure it stops,” he said.