At 96, I have seen many cycles of growth, debate and change in our community. Today, as discussions continue over the future of Fresno’s Southeast Development Area (SEDA), I feel compelled to offer a perspective shaped by more than six decades of experience in development.

Let me begin by addressing some of the claims circulating in this debate. Recent statements by Dillon Savory, executive director of the Central California Labor Council, are not only misleading but unsupported by real-world experience. He suggests that this growth will produce no good jobs — none of them union — and that the city is effectively handing over $3 billion. These claims are simply not true. Serious public discussion requires facts, not exaggeration.

The more important question is not rhetoric, but direction: where and how should Fresno grow?

To me, the answer is clear. Growth must extend to the southeast and southwest. This is not arbitrary; it reflects long-standing planning frameworks that guide responsible expansion. But just as important, these decisions must be grounded in the voices of residents. The choices made today will shape the Fresno our children and grandchildren inherit.

We should also remember a basic principle: policies are created to serve people, and not the other way around. Too often, that principle gets lost in abstract debates. As leaders consider the future of the Southeast Development Area, they must keep people at the center of every decision. Every resident counts, and every voice matters.

Over my 65 years as a developer, I have learned to focus on three simple questions: What do people want? What do they need? And what can they afford? Unfortunately, this debate has been framed as a false choice: either we grow outward or we focus solely on infill and higher density. That is a mistake.

The right approach is both. Fresno must grow smarter by increasing density where appropriate through mixed-use and infill development, while also expanding outward to the southeast and southwest. These strategies are not mutually exclusive; they are complementary.

Restricting outward growth will not preserve affordability. It will undermine it. When we limit land availability, we drive up costs. It’s basic economics: increasing barriers to development reduces supply and raises prices. Expanding the amount of available land, on the other hand, increases housing supply and helps stabilize costs.

And make no mistake. The cost of housing today is unacceptable. It is deeply troubling that many of the very workers who build our homes cannot afford to live in them. That should concern all of us. A healthy city is one where working families and seniors alike can find a place to call home.

We cannot allow a small but vocal segment of the community to slow or stop the housing production Fresno desperately needs. Doing so would only push homeownership further out of reach for the next generation.

Moreover, if our policy makers decide to stymy growth, it will increase the ultimate cost of housing for the working families.

The fastest way to increase the cost of housing is by increasing the barriers to entry. Simply put; by expanding the available land it will increase the volume of residential land resulting in an increase in supply.

The cost of housing is frankly unacceptable to me. Additionally, I find it offensive that the workers who are constructing the houses often cannot afford to buy the very homes they are building. That is un-American. Please do not let a small segment of this community stop and slow the housing production leaving our young families and seniors priced out of the market.

On this note, I want to address a point that is imperative and frankly enraging. Dillon Savory has been one of the staunchest opponents of SEDA. To be clear, I have been an ardent supporter of skilled labor. They are the backbone of this country. Savory simply put does not represent the best interest of the wonderful workers in the labor movement and is a false prophet. He should resign.

Furthermore, he has unfairly attacked what the mayor, city manager and other policy makers are attempting to accomplish, which is increase housing production, job creation and sales and property tax revenue. The affiliates of the Central Labor Council as well as the building trades have worked hard to improve working conditions and wages for workers, and I highly support that goal. Passing SEDA will do exactly that.

I do not always agree with Mayor Dyer on every policy position that he has put forward. Nevertheless, Mayor Dyer and City Manager Georgeanne White are on right side of history on this issue and have been doing the arduous work to keep the American dream alive right here in this wonderful place we call home.

Please join me in supporting their great leadership to preserve the American Dream and that great objective for all working people, which is homeownership.

Related commentary – Fresno Labor Leader Hits Back: ‘We oppose folly disguised as inevitability’

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Edward M. Kashian is a local developer and the owner of Lance Kashian, a development company in the Fresno since 1964.