Central Labor Council Executive Director Dillon Savory criticized SEDA as “dumb growth” at a Fresno City Hall news conference on Thusday, Nov. 6, 2025. Photo by Dylan Gonzales

The Greenfield Coalition, a group of community leaders and residents, gathered outside of Fresno City Hall Thursday morning to show their opposition of the proposed Southeast Development Area (SEDA) plan, a 9,000-acre expansion on Fresno’s southeastern edge. 

The SEDA specific plan states that the goal of SEDA is to create additional housing for residents of all income levels. It would also include mixed-use and commercial development. The plan notes that it would create anywhere from 30,000 to 37,000 jobs and up to 45,000 homes. 

Speakers argued that the project represents costly urban sprawl that would take away public resources from Fresno’s existing neighborhoods. 

Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula called for reinvestment of areas that have often been overlooked. While he opposed SEDA, he noted that he isn’t opposed to what he called “smart growth,” citing recent state funding to Downtown Fresno.

“We have to listen to our community,” Arambula said. “We have to be responsive to our community and focus on areas that have been historically neglected before we’re considering growth in other areas.”

Central Labor Council Executive Director Dillon Savory put it more bluntly than Arambula, describing SEDA as “dumb growth,” criticizing Fresno’s historic pattern of sprawl and its ties to developers as having a larger than necessary influence in decisions.

“The keys to City Hall have always resided in the pockets of the residential home builders in this community,” Savory said. 

Savory said the coalition is prepared to challenge the plan through lawsuits, a voter referendum to establish an urban growth boundary or by pushing for a new citywide general plan focused on infill and equity.

“If this council and this administration moves forward with SEDA, we will defeat it either in the courts or at the ballot box,” he said.

Savory noted that they will speak to the city council about their stance on SEDA during today’s city council meeting.