Agenda Item No: G.2
AGENDA REPORT
DATE: November 12, 2025
TO: Chairperson and Members of the Planning Commission
FROM: Community and Economic Development Department
SUBJECT: Resolution PC2025-09 (2023-2031 Housing Element Implementation)
Recommending the City Council Approve General Plan Amendments ( GPA2025-0003) for the Following Five Assessors Parcel Numbers (APN): (1) A PN: 0027-370-280 at Westamerica Drive and Suisun Valley Road From High Density Residential to Community Commercial; (2) APN: 0027- 370-300 at Mangels Boulevard and Suisun Valley Road From High Density Residential to Community Commercial; (3) APN: 0038-221-010 At East Tabor Avenue and Railroad Avenue, from High Density Residential to Very High Density Residential; (4) APN: 0034-050-320 at Heath Drive and Peach Tree Drive from High Density Residential to Very High Density Residential; (5) 1351 East Tabor Avenue (APN: 0037 -010-120) from High Density Residential to Very High Density Residential; and Approve a Zone Change (Z C2025-0006) Rezoning the Following Seven Parcels:
(1) 3066 Travis Boulevard ( APN: 0152-280-140) from Community Commercial District to Mixed Commercial District; (2) APN: 0027-370-280 at Westamerica Drive and Suisun Valley Road From Office Commercial District to Mixed Commercial Di strict; (3) A PN: 0027 -370-300 at Mangels Boulevard and Suisun Valley Road, from Office Commercial District to Mixed Commercial District; (4) APN: 0027-360-070 at Campus Lane and Suisun Valley Road from Industrial Business Park District to Residential Very High Density District; (5) A PN: 0038-221-010 At East Tabor Avenue And Railroad Avenue From Residential High Density District to Residential Very High Density District; (6) A PN: 0034 -050-320 at Heath Drive and Peach Tree Drive, from Residential High Density District to Residential Very High Density District; (7) 1351 East Tabor Avenue (APN: 0037- 010-120) from Residential High Density District to Residential Very High Density District; And Amending Various Sections of Chapter 25, Article I, Also Known as The Zoning Ordinance, to Implement the 2023-2031 Housing Element
Contact:
City Contact: Vicrim Chima, (707) 428-7446, [email protected] Planning Consultant: Alison Moore, (415) 956-4300, [email protected]
PROJECT RECORD
Resolution No.: PC2025-09
File No.: General Plan (GP2025-0003); Zone Change (ZC2025-0006); Environmental Review (ER2025-0026); Environmental Review (ER2025-0027)
Location: Citywide
Applicant: City of Fairfield
RECOMMENDED ACTION
The Planning Commission adopt Resolution PC2025-09, recommending City Council adoption of a General Plan Amendment, Zone Change, and Zoning Ordinance Amendment to comply with the City's adopted 2023 -2031 Housing Element and California Department of Housing and Community Development regional affordable housing requirements.
STATEMENT OF ISSUE
Public hearing requested by the City for zoning text and map amendments and associated General Plan amendments to implement the City’s 2023 –2031 Housing Element. The project includes rezoning of seven sites and making associated General Plan amendments for five of these sites for consistency.
Agenda Item No: G.2
DISCUSSION
Table 1: Sites Proposed for Rezoning, Existing Conditions Site # APN Address Parcel
Size
Existing
Use
Current
Zoning
Current GP
Designation
Surrounding Parcel
Zoning
Surrounding Parcel
Existing Use
Surrounding Parcel GP
Designation
1 0152280140
Travis Blvd
and Oliver
Rd
0.8 Dutch
Bros
Coffee
Community
Commercial
(CC)
Commercial
Community
North, East, South,
West: CC
North: Commercial
East: Public
South: Commercial
West: Commercial
North, East, South,
West: Com
Community
2 0027370280
Westamer
ica Dr and
Suisun
Valley Rd
2.5 Vacant
Office
Commercial
(CO)
Residential
High
North: RM
East: RM
South: CO
West: CO
North: Residential
East: Residential
South: Vacant
West: Office
North: Res Medium
East: Res Medium
South: Com Office
West: Com Office
3 0027370300
Mangels
Rd and
Suisun
Valley Rd
3.5 Vacant CO Residential
High
North: CO
East: RM
South: RVH
West: CO
North: Vacant
East: Residential
South: Vacant
West: Office
North: Com Office
East: Res Medium
South: Ind Business &
Ind Park
West: Com Office
4 0027360070
Campus Ln
and Suisun
Valley Rd
3.1 Vacant
Industrial
Business
Park (IBP)
Residential
Very High
North: N/A
East: IBP
South: RM
West: RM
North: School
East: Office
South: Residential
West: Residential
North: Public
Facilities
East: Ind Business &
Ind Park
South: Res Medium
West: Res Medium
5 0038221010
E Tabor Rd
and
Railroad
Ave
1.5 Vacant Residential
High (RH)
Residential
High
North: RH, RLM
East: N/A
South: N/A
West: Site #7
North: Residential
East: N/A
South: N/A
West: Site #7
North: Res High
East: N/A
South: N/A
West: Site #7
6 0034050320
Heath Dr
and Peach
Tree Dr
1.6 Vacant RH Residential
High
North: RH
East: RH
South: RM
West: RH
North: Residential
East: Church
South: Residential
West: Church
North: Res High
East: Res High
South: Res Medium
West: Res High
7 0037010120 1351 E
Tabor Ave 5.0 Vacant RH Residential
High
North: RH
East: Site #5
South: N/A
West: CN, RH
North: Residential
East: Site #5
South: N/A
West: Commercial,
Residential
North: Res High
East: Site #5
South: N/A
West: Res High
Agenda Item No: G.2
Other Site Information:
The following sites currently have Planning entitlements:
Site 4, APN 0027360070, entitled multifamily residential project Site 6, APN 0034050320, entitled recovery services facility
Background
Housing Element Rezoning:
Every eight years, the City and all other California jurisdictions are required by State law to revise and update their individual Housing Elements. On February 7, 2023, the City approved the 2023- 2031 General Plan Housing Element (Housing Element). Article 10.6, Section 65580 – 65589.8, Chapter 3 of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code sets forth the legal requirements for a housing element and encourage s the provision of affordable housing in suitable living environments for all communities to meet statewide goals.
California Housing Element law requires each city and county to develop local housing programs designed to meet their “fair share” of housing needs for all inc ome groups . These needs are determined based on projected population growth through the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) (Government Code Section 65580). The RHNA represents the number of housing units a jurisdiction must plan for during the 8 -year Housing Element planning period.
Fairfield’s RHNA is 3,069 units, divided into income categories, shown in Table 2, below.
Table 2: 2023 – 2031 Fairfield Regional Housing Needs Allocation Income Category Needed Units Percent of Needed Units
Extremely Low (0-30% of AMI)1 396 -
Very Low (0-50% of AMI) 792 25.8%
Low (51-80% of AMI) 464 15.1%
Moderate (81-120% of AMI) 539 17.6%
Above Moderate (more than 120% of AMI) 1,274 41.5%
Total 3,069 100.0%
1. Development needs of extremely-low-income units are assumed to be 50 percent of very-low-income housing needs.
Source: ABAG-MTC Housing Needs Data Workbook (Association of Bay Area Governments)
The Housing Element notes that while the City has made progress toward meeting its RHNA figure through constructed projects and existing vacant and underutilized sites , there remains a shortfall for lower income housing. To address this, the City must rezone areas to allow for future residential development. Table 3 below identifies the existing opportunity sites, the rezone sites, and the unit shortfall and surplus calculations.
Sites rezoned to accommodate lower -income RHNA also must meet certain requirements (Government Code Section 65583.2):
Have zoning that allows owner-occupied and rental multifamily residential uses “by-right” (only subject to ministerial approval) in which 20 percent or more of the units are affordable to lower income households.
Permit a minimum of 20 dwelling units per acre, and a maximum density range that allows the “default density” (the minimum residential density that California law assumes is appropriate to accommodate lower-income housing needs) of 30 dwelling units per acre.
In the Housing Element, the City identified seven sites with potential for mixed-use or residential development, which could accommodate 449 housing units to address the remaining lower- income RHNA shortfall (see ‘C. Surplus/Shortfall’ in Table 3). The Housing Element commits the City to rezoning these sites to meet the RHNA, as required by State Housing law. Additionally, the California Department of Housing and Community Development ( HCD) requires all jurisdictions to provide a buffer of additional sites to meet the lower -income RHNA to ensure sufficient capacity in the event a developer elects to construct market-rate housing or non-residential uses on sites planned for affordable housing. This requirement of state law is referred to as “no net loss”.
Table 3: Other Opportunity Sites
Very Low/Low-
Income Moderate-Income
Above-Moderate
Income Total
RHNA 1,256 539 1,274 3,069
Total Credits 528 154 1,864 2,546
A. Surplus (+)/ Shortfall (-) -728 -385 +590 -523
Specific Plan Sites 335 303 - 651
Vacant 219 303 522
Non-Vacant 129 129
Other Opportunity Sites 189 226 42
Vacant 168 226 - 403
Non-Vacant 22 - - 22
Total Capacity 569 529 - 1,055
B. Surplus (+)/ Shortfall (-) -204 +144 +590 +532
RHNA 5 Site Rezone1 143 0 0 143
Other Rezone 1 35 0 0 35
AFFH Rezone 271 0 0 271
Rezone Total +449 0 0 -
C. Surplus (+)/ Shortfall (-) +245 +144 +590 -
GRAND TOTAL (% of RHNA) 1,514 (121%) 683 (127%) 1,864 (146%) 4,048
State law requires that rezoning to address shortfalls in housing needs to be accomplished within three years of Housing Element adoption (Gov. Code § 65583(c)(1)(A)). Failure to comply with the requirements can have financial and legal ramifications, including actions from the California Office of the Attorney General and court-imposed penalties for persistent noncompliance. Other consequences include the loss of local land use authority to a court -appointed agent and ineligibility to receive state funds that require a complaint housing element as a prerequisite. The city may also be susceptible to housing applications and permit streamline legislation aimed at jurisdictions that do not have a certified housing element.
These required rezone sites were identified due to their potential for redevelopment over the next eight y ears and to advance fair housing opportunities throughout the city. While some of these sites now have planning entitlements, they do not yet have building permits. Even with these entitlements, the City still has capacity to achieve its lower income RHNA. If development on any site in Table B of Fairfield’s Sites Inventory (in the Housing Element) (see Table 4 in the staff report) result in fewer units by income category than projected in the Housing Element, and the remaining sites are insufficient to meet the jurisdiction’s share of regional housing needs, the City must identify and make additional adequate sites available within 180 days , in accordance with the No Net Loss Law (Government Code Section 65863).
Housing Element Program Implementation:
The Housing Element includes five overall goals to support compliance with state law and to achieve the City’s RHNA. To achieve these goals during this Housing Cycle, the Housing Element includes 36 policies, 11 programs, and 34 specific actions. Numerous Housing Element actions require Zoning Code amendments. For practical purposes, staff has bundled a number of these updates into the first phase of Zoning Code Amendments. These include many revisions that are prescribed in detail within an implementation action item and/or are mandated by State Law.
Changes are described in the Project Description section of this Staff Report.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Housing Element Rezoning:
Zoning Ordinance amendments include rezoning and related actions necessary to implement the City’s Housing Element, including the completion of rezoning for seven sites identified in Housing Action Plan programs 6.1 and 6.2 to accommodate Fairfield’s lower -income RHNA shortfall.
These sites are shown in Table 4 below and are also included as part of the Housing Element Sites Inventory. Sites are also shown on a map in Attachment 3–Exhibit A. It is recommended that General Plan amendments for APNS 0027370280 ; 0027370300; 0038221010; 0034050320; and 0037010120 also be made for consistency with proposed zoning.
Table 4: Candidate Sites for Rezoning (Table B, 2023-2031 Fairfield Housing Element Sites Inventory) APN Address Current
Zoning
Proposed
Zoning
Current GP
Designation
Proposed GP
Designation
0152280140 Travis Blvd and Oliver
Rd CC CM Commercial
Community -
0027370280 Westamerica Dr and
Suisun Valley Rd CO CM Residential High Commercial
Community
0027370300 Mangels Rd and
Suisun Valley Rd CO CM Residential High Commercial
Community
0027360070 Campus Ln and
Suisun Valley Rd IBP RVH Residential Very
High -
0038221010 E Tabor Rd and
Railroad Ave RH RVH Residential High Residential Very
High
0034050320 Heath Dr and Peach
Tree Dr RH RVH Residential High Residential Very
High
0037010120 1351 E Tabor Ave RH RVH Residential High Residential Very High
Housing Element Program Implementation:
To implement the General Plan and Housing Element policies, State law requires that the City review and update the Zoning Code to ensure that its review processes and requirements are compatible with the objectives, policies, and programs specified in the General Plan and in conformance with State Law. The Proposed Project includes Zoning Code amendments that would amend certain sections of the Zoning Code to facilitate and support the production of new housing at all income levels, add incentives and strea mlined review for infill and affordable housing, reduce development barriers to certain kinds of housing, establish by-right approval for qualifying projects, and incorporate standards for efficiency, special -needs, and farmworker housing to ensure state l aw compliance and support a wider range of housing options . Table 5 below is a summary of the proposed amendments.
Table 5: Zoning Amendments to Implement Fairfield’s 2023-2031 Housing Element Housing Action Plan
Housing Element Action Zoning Amendment Summary Purpose / Key Effect Land Use Density Consistency
Updated Section 25.20.1 and
Table 25-4 to align zoning
density ranges with new General
Plan land use designations.
Maintain consistency between
GP and zoning densities.
Action 2.3 – Small Lot
Consolidation Incentives
Added new 'Lot Merger
Incentives' section to FMC
Article 3 for qualifying housing
projects; provides expedited
review, reduced parking, and fee
waivers for small unit projects.
Encourage infill and affordable
housing on small/underutilized
parcels.
Action 2.4 – Streamlining of
Housing Permits
Added Section 25.40.5(E)
'Ministerial Review' for SB 35, SB
330, AB 803 projects using
objective design standards;
limited PC review to verifying
compliance.
Ensure ministerial approval per
state law and clarify entitlement
findings.
Table 5: Zoning Amendments to Implement Fairfield’s 2023-2031 Housing Element Housing Action Plan
Action 2.5 – Citywide Densities,
Zoning & Circulation
Reduced minimum lot sizes in
RLM/RM districts; established
consistency with small-lot
provisions; tied to AB 803
eligibility.
Added Section 25.20.3.5 'Small
Home Lot Developments';
updated Tables 25-1 & 25-9;
established objective design
standards and clarified single-
family use in multifamily zones.
Facilitate small-lot and infill
development; remove lot size
barriers.
Actions 6.1 & 6.2 – Rezoning &
By-Right Housing
Rezoned seven Housing Element
sites; added CM minimum
density of 20 du/ac; added by-
right provision for 20 percent
lower-income projects.
Meet RHNA rezoning
requirement, enable by-right
approvals for qualifying sites.
Action 6.3 – Efficiency Units
Defined 'efficiency unit' in §
25.51.2; allowed by-right in
medium-to-very-high density
zones and mixed-use zones; CUP
in CT zone.
Support smaller, lower-cost
units and flexible housing types.
Action 7.2 – Housing for Persons
with Disabilities
Added note to Table 25-17
clarifying residential care
facilities (≤ 6 residents) cannot
have special parking
requirements.
Align with state law for small
residential care facilities.
Action 7.6 – Farmworker
Housing
Added 'Farm Employee Housing,
Small/Large' to Tables 25-1 &
25-13; added standards (§
25.32.20) and definitions (§
25.51.2).
Implement HSC §§ 17021.5–
17021.6; allow small facilities by
right.
Action 8.2 – Homeless & Special
Needs Housing
Added standards and definitions
for: Low Barrier Navigation
Centers (AB 101),
Emergency/Transitional Housing
(AB 139), Supportive Housing
(by right), and Residential Care
Facilities in sections 25.32.20-
25.32.55 Facilitate housing options for
homeless and special-needs
populations.
Agenda Item No: ___
ANALYSIS FOR PLANNING COMMISSION
To effectuate the required rezoning and zoning amendments specified in the adopted Housing Element, three separate actions are required:
Zoning map amendment
Zoning ordinance amendments
General plan land use amendment
Zoning Map Amendment:
As required by State Housing Element law, the project includes a Zoning Map amendment for seven parcels, as identified in Table 4 above. The Mixed Commercial (CM) and Residential Very High Density (RVH) zoning designations allow s ites to meet criteria required of sites rezoned to accommodate lower-income RHNA as described in the ‘Background’ section of this staff report.
Zoning Ordinance Amendments:
The zoning text amendments are consistent with the Housing Element policies referenced above and are intended to implement rezoning actions, support the production of housing at all income levels, protect existing residents from displacement, and expand opportunities for a variety of residential uses.
General Plan Land Use Amendment:
The project includes a General Plan Land Use Plan amendment to redesignate five parcels for consistency with the rezoning changes, as described in Table 4 above. These land use designations are not incompatible with other surrounding parcels’ land use designations.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The proposed zoning map changes have been deemed categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 21080.085. (a) of the Public Resources Code, in accordance with Senate Bill 131 (2025).
Zoning Ordinance Amendments to implement other Housing Action Plan (actions 2.3, 2.4, 2.5,
6.3, 7.2, 7.6 and 8.2) are also exempt from CEQA because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the adoption of these provisions would have a significant adverse effect on the environment (CEQA Guidelines, 14 Cal. Code of Regs. Section 15061(b)(3)). These zoning amendments primarily modify organizational or administrative activities that will not result in direct or indirect physica l changes to the environment (Public Resources Code section 21065; CEQA Guidelines, 14 Cal. Code of Regs. Section 15378).
For the General Plan Amendments, an Addendum to the 2024 City General Plan Update and Climate Action Plan Environmental Impact Report (SCH No. 2021080289 ) has been prepared pursuant to CEQA Section 15164 , and no subsequent environmental review is required in accordance with Public Resources Code Section 21166 and State CEQA Guidelines Section 15162.
CORRESPONDENCE
The Public Hearing Notice was published in the Daily Republic on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, and hearing notices were sent to 496 property owners within a 500’ radius from the seven subject sites on October 22, 2025.
STAFF CONTACT
Vicrim Chima, Senior Planner
(707) 428-7446
[email protected]
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 2: Proposed Resolution PC2025-09
Attachment 3: Exhibit A - Proposed General Plan Amendments & Zoning Map Amendments Attachment 4: Exhibit B
- Proposed Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments
Attachment 5: Exhibit C - Proposed General Plan EIR Addendum and Statutory Exemption