PG&E Comes Through for Affordable Housing in Fresno

A lot was riding on the completion of Sarah’s Court in Fresno’s Fancher Creek neighborhood. 

By early 2024, more than 80 families in need had applied to lease one of the affordable housing community’s 120 units. Those families in turn would support planned new businesses in Fancher Creek, one of Fresno County’s largest-ever mixed-use developments. 

Fresno officials were paying attention. The City Council had voted unanimously to lend Sarah’s Court developer Lance Kashian and Company more than $6 million to ensure Sarah’s Court would remain affordable for at least 55 years. The funding would supplement state tax credits and a construction loan, both of which came with strict deadlines for completion of the $33 million project by early 2025. 

In local news reports, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer called Sarah’s Court an important part of the “transformation” of southeast Fresno and of the lives of its residents. 

Coworkers with PG&E’s Service Planning & Design (SP&D) team also had Sarah’s Court on their radar. 

“Affordable housing is definitely a need in this community, and there were families waiting to move into Sarah’s Court,” said SP&D Supervisor Stephanie Ruiz. “It was also part of a larger development that is critical to Fresno’s continued growth and ability to attract new business.” 

It would be a complicated build. The only way to keep it on track would be a phased construction process in which PG&E finished work on the four buildings separately, rather than waiting to complete them all at once. 

That process would require constant coordination between PG&E, the customer and public officials. 

Challenges on both sides 

Circumstances beyond the control of PG&E and the developer added to the complexity of phased construction, said Saxon Cummins, a PG&E industrial power engineer who managed the project to connect the new buildings to the power grid for electric service. 

For Cummins, though, the toughest projects are often the most rewarding. Sarah’s Court was no exception. 

“I enjoy the challenge and the diversity of the work we do,” he said. “Even after nine years, I come across issues I’ve never experienced and have to find new solutions. I get to collaborate with new departments and learn new things. Plus, it’s really nice to drive by something you had a hand in and tell your friends and family, ‘I helped get that built.’” 

At Sarah’s Court, several challenges affected construction. 

After PG&E had installed ground-mounted transformers and laid underground power lines, summer rainstorms flooded the site. The flooding delayed the customer’s work building retaining walls and other protective structures. What’s more, the PG&E crews that would build the connection were reassigned to repair storm-damaged equipment across the region. 

The project was also affected by permitting challenges. 

“There were a lot of moving parts to get crews assigned and keep things moving,” Cummins said. 

The SP&D team set up weekly calls with the developer and PG&E teams including Field Metering and Division Construction. PG&E Regional Vice President Josh Simes and the company’s Central Valley Local Government Affairs team, led by Manager Erica Cabrera, provided city officials with regular updates. 

Gas Transmission & Design Construction Supervisor Mike Galvan and Electric Distribution Supervisor Juan Trujillo supported more than 30 site visits with crews to keep things moving.  

PG&E’s advance construction scheduling also helped, Cummins said. 

Advance construction scheduling allows PG&E to schedule new-service construction as soon as a customer pays their contract, rather than wait until the customer has all its permits and has completed building inspections. Even if near-term deadlines slip, the advance-scheduled date gives parties a target to work toward on the customer’s timeline. 

PG&E set the last meter ahead of schedule on Jan. 31. 

Lance Kashian and Company President Salvador Gonzales emailed PG&E Corp. President and CEO Patti Poppe in February to share the company’s “tremendous gratitude” for the SP&D team’s work—in particular, Ruiz’s leadership. 

Ruiz “took a deep breath and did not overcommit, but simply said she will do everything possible to assist us with this all-too-important family affordable housing project for the residents of Fresno,” Gonzales wrote. “She worked tirelessly.” 

Gonzales called the moment when he saw the project’s meters installed “truly amazing.” 

He added that the company looks forward to working with Ruiz and the team on nearby developments that include a new shopping center anchored by Target and Sprouts Famers Market. 

“I know you face many issues before you,” Gonzales wrote to Poppe. “However, with people like Ms. Ruiz, I am confident you will solve them.” 

Ruiz called Cummins “the driver” of the Sarah’s Court new-service connection. 

“Saxon moved all the puzzle pieces,” she said. “He embodies all the virtues PG&E holds. He’s empathetic with our customers, and he is nimble and tenacious in meeting their needs. He 100% owns his work. Beyond that, he’s organized, thoughtful and an excellent communicator.”