Fresno City Hall was packed on Wednesday night as residents gathered for a public hearing on a controversial plan that would dramatically expand the city’s southeastern border. The city plans to annex 9,000 acres of farmland to make way for 45,000 new homes as part of the Southeast Development Area project, commonly referred to as SEDA. Residents filled up nearly every seat at Fresno City Hall, many determined to make their voices heard. For weeks, opponents of the project have vowed not to back down and that message was made clear at the meeting. While only two speakers expressed support, the rest of the dozens who addressed the commission were firmly against the proposal. The evening began with a back-and-forth exchange between the Fresno Planning Commission and the developers behind SEDA. Commissioners pressed for answers about infrastructure, long-term costs, and feasibility before opening the floor to the public. Once community members took the mic, concerns poured in. Res...