Town of Dixon Notice Of Availability Draft Environmental Impact Report

Press release from the Town of Dixon:

July 7, 2020

City of Dixon NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY Draft Environmental Impact Report General Plan Update

Notice is hereby given that the City of Dixon has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) (SCH #2018112035) for the Dixon General Plan Update, now available for public review. Public comment on this document is invited for a 45-day review period extending from July 8, 2020 to August 24, 2020. Additional information is provided below.

Project Location

The Dixon General Plan Update covers the entirety of the City of Dixon and certain lands outside City limits within the City’s Planning Area. The Planning Area comprises a total of 5,522 acres (8.6 square miles) of land within City limits and outside City limits bearing relation to the City’s future growth. City of Dixon is located in northeastern Solano County along Interstate 80.

Project Description

The project analyzed in this Draft EIR is the Dixon General Plan Update. The General Plan is the document that guides development of the City. It is both a policy document and an implementation tool. The General Plan Update contains strategies, regulations, goals, and policies to guide future development within the City and its growth area. Contained in the General Plan Update are policies and programs related to specific elements, including Natural Environment, Land Use, Economic Development, Mobility, and Public Services and Facilities.

In 2014, the City began the process of comprehensively updating the General Plan to incorporate changes to the policy framework and land uses to guide development and conservation through 2040. The objectives established for the General Plan Update include: preserving/enhancing Dixon’s small-town character; fostering economic development; ensuring a sustainable rate of growth and efficient delivery of public services; promoting high-quality development; preserving and protecting surrounding agricultural and open space lands; and encouraging careful stewardship of water, energy, and other environmental resources. The General Plan Update also complies with new State regulations that have come into force since the General Plan was last updated.

Public Process

The City’s Community Development Department, Planning Commission, and City Council formulated guidance for the General Plan Update in collaboration with Dixon residents in a variety of forums. Community workshops and hearings were held to guide the vision of the General Plan Update. The City circulated a community survey which elicited responses from approximately five percent (5%) of Dixon households. The City also formed a General Plan Advisory Committee made up of residents from the community. The General Plan Advisory Committee met multiple times throughout the process to share input, provide feedback, and review the policy directions contained in the General Plan.

Draft EIR

The Draft EIR for the General Plan Update identifies the potential for significant effects in the following impact areas: Aesthetics; Agricultural Resources; Air Quality; Biological Resources; Cultural, Historic, and Tribal Resources; Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Climate Change; Geology, Soils, and Seismicity; Hazards and Hazardous Materials; Hydrology and Water Quality; Land Use, Population, and Housing; Noise; Public Services and Recreation; Transportation; and Utilities and Service Systems. As described in the Draft EIR although many of these impacts can be fully mitigated, some cannot and they would remain significant including certain impacts to Agricultural Resources; Air Quality; Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Climate Change; and Transportation. In addition, the Draft EIR contains an analysis of several project alternatives, cumulative impacts, and other considerations required under the California Environmental Quality Act.

Cortese Sites

Dixon’s Planning Area contains sites listed on hazardous waste site lists compiled pursuant to California Government Code section 65962.5. Please refer to Figure 3.8-1 and Table 3.8-1 in the Draft EIR for a description of these sites.

Public Comment

This Draft EIR will be available for public comment from July 8, 2020 to August 24, 2020. Comments can be submitted in writing or via email to:

George Osner, Contract Plannergosner@cityofdixon.us

(707) 678-7000 ext. 1115City of Dixon, Community Development Department600 East A StreetDixon, CA 95620

All comments received or postmarked by August 24, 2020 will be accepted. Notice for public meetings will be provided separately.

Document Availability

Copies of the Draft EIR and the associated General Plan Update are now available for public review online at the project website: https://www.cityofdixon.us/438/General-Plan-Update, or in printed form at the Planning Division located at 600 East A St., Dixon, CA 95620.

The City of Dixon appreciates your interest in this project and welcomes your involvement in the environmental review process for the 2040 General Plan.

Additional Info...

This press release was produced by the Town of Dixon. The views expressed here are the author’s own.