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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

June 2, 2004

Lagoon Valley clears hurdle

City Council next to consider development

Calling the development good for Vacaville's housing stock and a boon for cleaning up Lagoon Valley Park, the Planning Commission unanimously voted Tuesday to recommend that the development be approved by the City Council, scheduled to meet Tuesday.

"It's a well-laid-out plan, and it fits us to a T," said Chuck Dimmick, planning commissioner. "If people think that the valley is going to be flooded with homes, they're mistaken."

The commission's recommendation puts the controversial and complicated development plan another step closer to garnering necessary approvals before construction can commence.

Seattle-based Triad Communities' development would be situated on nearly 2,400 acres on the semirural southwestern edge of Vacaville near Interstate 80.

Planned to include an elementary school, a 213-acre championship golf course with a club house, a community center, and neighborhood parks and open spaces, the development has been pitched as becoming one of Vacaville's most exclusive developments.

Triad has also proposed a 90-acre business village with up to 1 million square feet of commercial and office space, up to 50,000 square feet of retail space and a fire station.

That the development's commercial and office space could bring in 300 jobs to the area - and enhance the area's so-called jobs-housing balance - also was lauded Tuesday by commissioners.

The scope of the project, however, has raised the ire of environmentalists and some Solano County residents who would like to preserve the pastoral character of the property near I-80.

Brent Schoradt, a Greenbelt Alliance field representative, said the development would set a dangerous precedent in terms of "urban sprawl."

"Really we're allocating our houses further and further," he said. "(This could have) an ambiguous impact on downtown businesses."

Since the project's inception, opponents have complained that the development could create serious environmental consequences and would overshadow the 388-acre city park at lower Lagoon Valley.

In response to the complaints, Triad has offered to spend gobs of money to rehabilitate the lake, which now contains silt from the nearby eroding hills and also has an overabundance of plant life that chokes it.

As part of the project, Triad has offered up $9.2 million in "community benefit contribution" money, which would be paid upon completion of the project. The contribution is above and beyond what the developer owes in impact fees to the city.

Some $4.5 million would go to improving Lagoon Valley Park, $3 million to build and equip a fire station, $1 million toward habitat for Swainson's hawks and another $700,000 is not yet allocated, according to a city report.

The neighborhood also will create a service district for ongoing police and fire protection.

Pages of environmental mitigation measures are also outlined for the project, with many measures having to do with city building standards and erosion control during the construction process.

The fact that there will be any development there at all, however, likely will continue to be a source of protest as the proposal moves to the City Council.

"We find it a respite from all the commercial development that goes on two to three miles in either direction," said Michael Youra, a Vacaville resident.

Jason Massad can be reached at county@thereporter.com.

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