Initial Study No. 8285 and Variance Application No. 4138

The project involves a land use variance application to subdivide a 20-acre parcel in Fresno County, California, into two distinct parcels of 2.0 acres and 18.0 acres within the AE-20 Exclusive Agricultural Zone District, which normally requires a minimum parcel size of 20 acres. The application, identified as Variance Application No. 4138 and Initial Study No. 8285, was evaluated under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), resulting in a Negative Declaration that determined no significant environmental impacts would occur from the proposed division, and no mitigation measures were required. The property is located east of N. Biola Avenue, near W. Ashlan Avenue, approximately four miles north of Kerman, with the Assessor’s Parcel Number 016-110-07. The request was submitted by Melissa White Holtermann of GSW Farms LLC, and administrative oversight was handled by the Fresno County Department of Public Works and Planning, with Alyce Alvarez serving as the primary planner and Melissa White Holtermann listed as the owner. The project received formal approval on June 26, 2025, following a public review process with a deadline for comments on February 13, 2025, and public notice published in February 2024. All documentation was filed with the Fresno County Clerk’s office and the Planning Department, with no federal contract clauses, procurement mechanisms, pricing, or delivery terms applicable, as this is strictly a local land use regulatory action governed by CEQA and county zoning codes. No federal acquisition regulation (FAR) clauses, accounting codes, invoicing protocols, or contracting officer designations are involved, and the process relied solely on administrative approval rather than competitive solicitation or financial transaction.