Agenda, first session — Vacaville City Council, August 13, 2024

August 13, 2024 www.cityofvacaville.com Page 1 of 1 NOTICE:

Pursuant to Government Code Section 54953, Subdivision (b), the following City Council meeting includes teleconference participation by Councilmember Greg Ritchie from: Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89109
The Ci
ty of Vacaville is committed to providing meeting facilities that are accessible to persons with disabilities. To request meeting materials in alternative formats, or to request a sign language interpreter, real-time captioning, or other accommodation, please contact the City Clerk’s Office.

1. RO

LL CALL
Mayor John Carli
Councilmember Roy Stockton, District 1
Vice Mayor Greg Ritchie, District 2
Councilmember Michael Silva, District 3
Councilmember Sarah Chapman, District 4
Councilmember Jason Roberts, District 5
Councilmember Jeanette Wylie, District 6

2. PUBLIC COMMENT – In accordance with Govt. Code §54956, public comment is limited to business listed on the agenda.

3. URBAN LAND INSTITUTE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PANEL – DOWNTOWN

VACAVILLE RECOMMENDATIONS
(Staff contact: Erin Morris, Community Development Director (707) 449-5307) Recommended Action: No action is required. This item is for informational purposes only.

Fiscal Impact:

Amount Requested: None
Funding Source: Community Development Department (2022) Budget Distribution: The budget for any expenses related to this item is included in the Community Development annual operating budget.

Strategic Plan Goal/Initiative:

Goal #2 – Strengthen the Local Economy
Goal #3 – Protect Vacaville’s Quality of Life

4. ADJOURNMENT
I declare that the agenda for the Special Meeting of the City was posted and available for review by the time and place prescribed by law.
____________________________ A
ugust 8, 2024
Michelle A. Thornbrugh, City Clerk Date

AGENDA FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE

CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VACAVILLE
August 13, 2024
5:00 p.m.

Vacaville City Hall Council Chamber
650 Merchant Street
Entrance to the Council Chamber is located
in the parking area off of Walnut Avenue
1 This page left intentionally blank.
2 A genda Item No. 3
August 13, 2024
TO
: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
Attention: Aaron M. Busch, City Manager
F
ROM: Erin Morris, Director of Community Development
(Staff contact: Erin Morris, Director of Community Development (707) 449-5307) S
UBJECT: URBAN LAND INSTITUTE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PANEL

PRESENTATION
A
CTION FOR CONSIDERATION:

T
he City Council will receive a presentation from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) San Francisco Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) regarding downtown Vacaville.

RE
COMMENDATION:

R
eceive the presentation.

BA
CKGROUND:

O
n December 18, 2023, the City of Vacaville applied (Attachment 1) to the ULI to be considered for a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) project focused on helping the City and downtown stakeholders identify the best solutions for achieving the goals of the Downtown Specific Plan (DTPS) to further activate downtown by identifying potential solutions and strategies for addressing the concentration of Unreinforced Masonry buildings located downtown. The City’s TAP application included the following questions to be addressed by the expert panel:

1. W
hat will it take to spur existing property owners to upgrade their existing buildings to br
ing in more active uses including infill residential? What can the City do to support this? What can other key partners (i.e. Downtown Vacaville Business Improvement D
istrict) do to support private property improvement efforts?

2. What are the most cost-effective approaches to seismically strengthening buildings Downtown that are considered Unreinforced Masonry Buildings (URMs)? If there are multiple URMs adjacent to each other, are there design approaches that would tackl e
t
he seismic work in a more collective and cost-effective fashion?

3. For non-URMs that would require significant modifications to facilitate the introduction of new uses (such as food and beverage uses on the ground floor, and residential uses on the upper floors), what are the most cost-effective strategies to make these projects feasible?
W
hat is the Urban Land Institute?
The U
rban Land Institute (ULI) is the oldest and largest network of cross-disciplinary real estate and land use experts in the world. Since 1947, ULI has harnessed the technical expertise of its members to help communities solve difficult land use, development, and redevelopment challenges. ULI has conducted over 650 Advisory Services Panels in 47 U.S. states, 12 countries, and 4 continents. Since 2006, ULI San Francisco has adapted this model to provide Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs) for use at the local level, assisting over 30 cities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
3 What is a TAP?

ULI SF assembles a multidisciplinary panel of experts who explore the project, interview stakeholders, and make recommendations. TAP Panelists consist of unpaid volunteers from the 2,300+ ULI members in the San Francisco district. Depending on the issues being tackled, panel member expertise may be comprised of developers and owners, investors, designers, planners, engineers, market, and financial analysts, as well as members of the public sector.

One strength of ULI SF’s TAPs lies in the cross-section of experts, who do not have a vested interest in the project, examining the issues from multiple angles and producing recommendations and/or an implementation strategy that is based on sound information, community realities, and best practices.

• Day 1 (August 12) of the TAP is a briefing presentation to the TAP panel, followed by a tour and then a half day of stakeholder interviews. The remainder of the day is for the TAP panel to review the feedback received and begin forming their recommendations. • Day 2 (August 13) of the TAP is a continuation of the panel distilling their recommendations and creating a slide deck to present to the City Council and the public.

A total of 33 stakeholders from downtown Vacaville have been scheduled for interviews on August 12. The stakeholders consist of local property owners, business owners, youth from Vacaville REACH Youth Coalition, and downtown advocates. The panel will present a summary of their initial activities, and initial recommendations, at the August 13 special Council meeting.

After the two-day TAP concludes with this presentation, the panel will continue to work on a final report that will be submitted to City staff in November 2024.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:

This is an informal presentation that is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project that has the potential to result in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guideline Section 15378.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Amount Requested: None

Funding Source: Community Development Department (2022)

Budget Distribution: The budget for any expenses related to this item is included in the Community Development annual operating budget.

ALTERNATIVE:

No formal action is required of the City Council. The presentation is informational only.

STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL/INITIATIVE:

Goal #2 - Strengthen the Local Economy
Initiative 2A: Articulate a Current Economic Development Program

4 ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment 1: City of Vacaville ULI TAP Application
Attachment 2: ULI TAP Vacaville Draft Briefing Book
5 Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs) Program Application Please submit applications to: [email protected].

Applications will be reviewed by our Technical Assistance Panels Committee on an on-going basis.

1. TAPs applications must meet the following criteria: A clearly defined scope of work, and three to four well-articulated questions to be addressed during a one-day or two-day session.

2. A clearly defined geographic boundary (a neighborhood, district, corridor, etc.).

3. Strong local leadership capacity, by abiding by the program’s terms and conditions and Client Obligations; respect TAPs findings by galvanizing community support; and demonstrate a sincere attempt to implement recommendations.

Please provide the following information:

Lead Applicant Organization: City of Vacaville

Contact Person: Erin Morris Title/Role: Director, Community Development

Address: 650 Merchant Street

City: Vacaville State: CA Zip: 95688

Telephone Number: (707) 449-5307 (desk); (707) 430-1820 (mobile)

E-mail: [email protected]

Please attach the following:

SCOPE OF WORK
Provide a one-page description of the need for the Technical Assistance Panel. Include background information on the affected site or area and current and future plans or activities (both public and private). Maps, statistics, planning and development goals, and other information may be attached if relevant. Provide an explanation of previous efforts to address the scope of work, including outcomes of those efforts.

QUESTIONS FOR THE EXPERT PANEL
Provide three or four specific questions about the affected site or area for the panel to address.

LEADERSHIP SUPPORT
Provide a letter from the municipality in support of the TAP process agreement with the criteria outlined in this application. Letters of support from local businesses and/or community-based organizations are encouraged but are not required.

6 SCOPE OF WORK

Since the Downtown Vacaville Specific Plan (DTSP) was adopted in 2022, the City of Vacaville has invested $6.9M in improvement projects in our 100+ year old Downtown. Most of the projects (totaling $4.2M) improved below-ground infrastructure (sewer and water conveyance) to ensure that the future intensification of Downtown properties is supported by public infrastructure. Remaining City funds were invested in Main Street lighting projects, bike path and creek bank repairs near Andrews Park, installation of parking sensors and implementation of a parking app (JAPA), installation of citywide direction signs that guide people downtown, as well installation of public parking lot identification signs. A Downtown Retail Strategy is also underway.

The City is currently implementing a new set of Downtown projects for a total of $1M, including storefront improvement grants, additional park gateway improvements, new public trash receptacles, a banner pilot program, mural grants, merchant directional signs, streetscape improvements (crosswalk enhancement), and a lighting study. While all of these public projects are promising, the future of Downtown Vacaville largely rests in the care of existing property owners and relies on their willingness and interest to improve their private properties to bring in more active tenants to achieve the goal of making Downtown Vacaville a destination.

Specifically, there is a concentration of unreinforced masonry buildings that need to be seismically stabilized as part of intensifying the uses of existing spaces. Intensifying the use of buildings triggers seismic upgrades, new restrooms, and other infrastructure upgrades that can be costly. On December 12, 2023, the City Council introduced an ordinance that brings Appendix A into Vacaville’s Building Code. The City is interested in assistance evaluating existing buildings from structural, architectural, and engineering perspectives to determine whether there are opportunities for private property owners to work together to collectively address these issues, how the City can further support them in these efforts, and to identify solutions to other issues that emerge when more intense uses go into existing older buildings. and in engaging property owners in productive dialogue about the future of Downtown Vacaville.

Attachments:
1 – Downtown Vacaville Specific Plan Brochure (July 2023) 2 – Public Outreach re: Unreinforced Masonry Buildings (November 2023)

Links:

Downtown Vacaville Specific Plan Document: www.cityofvacaville.gov/dtsp

City Council Staff Report re: DTSP Implementation Efforts: https://bit.ly/41nA5GO City Council Staff Report re: Building Code Update to Add Appendix A: https://bit.ly/3GQAdVH

7 QUESTIONS FOR THE EXPERT PANEL

• What will it take to spur existing property owners to upgrade their existing buildings to bring in more active uses including infill residential? What can the City do to support this? What can other key partners (i.e. Downtown Vacaville Business Improvement District) do to support private property improvement efforts?

• What are the most cost-effective approaches to seismically strengthening buildings Downtown that are considered Unreinforced Masonry Buildings (URMs)? If there are multiple URMs adjacent to each other, are there design approaches that would tackle the seismic work in a more collective and cost-effective fashion?

• For non-URMs that would require significant modifications to facilitate introduction of new uses (such as food and beverage uses on the ground floor, residential uses on upper floors), what are the most cost effective strategies to make these projects feasible?
8 The Vacaville Downtown Specific Plan
(DTSP) was adopted in February 2022 by
the Vacaville City Council to help
reestablish Downtown as the heart of the
City. Specific Plans are used as a

VACAVILLE DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC
PLAN AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
comprehensive planning tool for a defined geographic area of the City and the DTSP serves as the guiding document to inspire the continued growth and evolution of Vacaville’s Downtown core. The specific plan draws upon the ideas and values of the City’s residents, business owners, elected officials, staff, and other stakeholders to advance a shared vision for Downtown. The overall vision of Downtown Vacaville is to become
a destination location by offering
residents and visitors an urban
experience that is authentically
Vacaville. The DTSP focuses on
elements that gives Downtown its
unique character from other areas
of the City including its historic
charm, distinctive Main Street,
locally owned businesses, quaint
residential neighborhoods, and its
proximity to Ulatis Creek and
Andrews Park. Learn more at
Cityo
fVacaville.gov/DTSP.

Learn More
9 WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THE

DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
Attract active retail and related uses unique to Downtown.

Reinforce Downtown as a lively entertainment, cultural, civic, and dining destination.

Provide a broad range of quality housing choices in Downtown.

Expand Downtown employment opportunities.

Improve connectivity in and around Downtown to offer desirable choices for all travel modes.

Manage parking resources in Downtown to promote a “park-once-and-walk” environment.

Create an attractive built environment to enhance Downtown’s brand.

Support a sustainable, resilient, and equitable Downtown.

Increase the perception of personal safety in Downtown to support activity and investment.

Prioritize planning, improvements, and actions that advance the vitality of Downtown.

1. 2.

3. 4.

5. 6.

7. 8.

9. 10.

To review a full summary table that outlines the DTSP goals (listed above), including policies, sections and additional information, visit Cityofvacaville.com/DTSPsummary.

Learn More

6.9 MILLION DOLLARS IN

INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT IN

DOWNTOWN
Learn More
Since 2022 when the DTSP was adopted, more than $6.9 million has been invested into Downtown Vacaville. An inventory of planned improvements and implementation actions to facilitate project execution are reflected in Chapter 5 of the DTSP. Learn more at CityofVacaville.gov/DTSPCH5. 10 DOWNTOWN PARKING AVAILABILITY
APP “JAPA”
Learn More
Did you know that all City parking lots are free to
use? There are 12 public parking lots in
Downtown, with over 850 spaces, not including
on-street parking. And in early 2023, the City
partnered with JAPA (“Just a Parking App”) to make
visits into Downtown even easier by helping
visitors find available parking using a free, simple
to use, parking stall availability app. JAPA will
show real-time availability of parking stalls in
Downtown and can also guide visitors directly
to an available parking stall! Parking
availability is monitored by a smart sensor
which looks like an oversized hockey-puck in
the ground, and it will detect if there is a
vehicle parked in a stall. The JAPA app is
available to download on Apple or Android
phones through the app store. Learn more at
CityofVacaville.gov/Parking.
11 DO YOU KNOW HOW TO ACCESS THE
VACAVILLE BUSINESS LICENSE PORTAL?
Learn More
The City of Vacaville requires all businesses within the City limits to obtain a business license. If your business conducts transactions and/or charges fees for products or services, a business license is required. Apply or renew your Vacaville business license by using the City's online portal at CityofVacaville.gov/Biz.

Learn More

SAFETY IN DOWNTOWN
The Police Department’s Community Response Unit (CRU) solves persistent issues in our neighborhoods and communities, including Downtown. One focus for CRU is mitigating the effects of homelessness by partnering with outreach groups throughout the City and County to bring resources directly to those in need. Additionally, the Police Department has stepped up patrols in the Downtown area to provide extra security.

For questions about CRU, please call Sergeant Casalnuovo at 707-449-5290. CRU currently operates Tuesday through Friday during daytime hours.

HOW DO I GET IN TOUCH WITH
SOMEONE FROM THE CITY?
The City of Vacaville’s Economic Development Team is here to help support the Downtown Business Community. Visit CityofVacaville.gov/EconomicDevelopment or e-mail [email protected].

HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE TO CITY
UPDATES?
Go to CityofVacaville.gov/DVSubscribe to sign-up to recieve Updates specific to Downtown Vacaville.
12 CITY OF VACAVILLE

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
650 Merchant Street • Vacaville, CA 95688 • CityofVacaville.gov • 707.449.5140

November 29, 2023

Dear Downtown Vacaville Property Owner, Business Owner, and Interested Party:

You are invited to attend an informational meeting on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at 10:30 AM at McBride Senior Center located at 91 Town Square Place. At the meeting, staff will provide a brief presentation and invite comments and feedback on changes to the Building Code that will make it easier to address the seismic stability of Unreinforced Masonry Buildings (“URMs”) downtown.

In 2022, the City of Vacaville adopted the Downtown Specific Plan. The Plan recognizes the unique character of Downtown Vacaville and identifies a vision, goals, and programs to help make downtown even more welcoming for Vacaville residents and visitors. A key part of this vision involves existing buildings within Downtown Vacaville transitioning from lower-intensity uses (such as offices) to higher-intensity uses such as restaurants, entertainment venues, and more, and to create more housing downtown.

As City staff has worked with various property owners, we have learned that many masonry buildings downtown are unreinforced and have not been retrofitted. These buildings are considered “Unreinforced Masonry Buildings” (URMs). In the early 1990s, the City completed an inventory of all URMs in Vacaville and found that there were 24. Almost 30 years later, City records indicate that there are still many buildings that have not been upgraded from a seismic perspective.

An owner of a URM is not required to upgrade the building to address seismic stability issues unless they are converting the building to a more intense use. However, as City staff has learned by working with various property owners seeking to re-tenant their URMs with higher intensity uses, the City’s current Building Code requires URMs to meet the same standards as if they were being built new. These strict code requirements do not recognize that older buildings have unique issues and that there are alternative, less expensive methods to achieve seismic safety.

For this reason, City staff is proposing to change the City’s Building Code to allow owners of URMs to utilize an alternative code path to improve seismic stability. We would like to present this information to all who are interested, share how we believe the code change will help property owners, tenants, and Downtown Vacaville as a whole, and hear your feedback.

If you have any initial questions, please contact us:

Aleris Dunn, Chief Building Official, at 707-449-5342 or [email protected].

Erin Morris, Director of Community Development, at 707-449-5307 or [email protected]
.

If you cannot attend the meeting planned for December 6, 2023 and wish to meet with staff individually, please contact Nancy Tillotson and she will arrange a separate meeting. Nancy can be reached at 707-449-5168 or [email protected]. 13 CITY OF VACAVILLE

OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER

650 Merchant Street • Vacaville, CA 95688 • CityofVacaville.gov • 707.449.5100

December 18, 2023

Joy Woo
Senior Director
ULI San Francisco
[email protected]

RE: Letter of Support for the City of Vacaville ULI Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) Program Application

Dear Ms. Woo,

On behalf of the City of Vacaville, I am writing this letter to express my enthusiastic support for the City’s TAP program application with the Urban Land Institute. In early 2022, the City of Vacaville adopted a Downtown Specific Plan (DTSP) to help re-establish Downtown as the heart of the City. The DTSP focuses on elements that differentiate Downtown from other areas of the City, including its historic charm, distinctive Main Street environment, locally owned businesses, quaint residential neighborhoods, and proximity to Ulatis Creek and Andrews Park.

Since the DTSP’s adoption, the City has invested substantial time, effort, and money in projects and programs intended to implement the plan, focused on the public realm and infrastructure. However, private property owners have a significant role in the success of Downtown improvement efforts and it has been difficult for City staff to connect with and assist owners in considering building upgrades.

Recently, the Community Development Department has been working with property owners and tenants to bring new desirable uses into existing underutilized older buildings. Examples include converting a vacant retail space to a food and beverage use (tea shop) and an expansion of an existing wine bar. Through this work, property owners, tenants, and City staff has become acutely aware of additional challenges with facilitating new businesses downtown due to the cost and logistics associated with modifying older buildings to accommodate new uses.

Further complicating building improvement efforts, City staff researched permit history spanning 30 years and have determined that there are 11 remaining unreinforced masonry buildings Downtown.

Community Development staff recently met with the owners of these buildings. Owners and tenants requested technical assistance evaluating their buildings to determine whether new, more intense uses are economically feasible. We would appreciate ULI’s assistance with this work and the City is prepared to dedicate the resources and energy to support a successful project.

Sincerely,

Aaron Busch
City Manager
14 URBAN LAND INSTITUTE

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PANEL

VACAVILLE

BRIEFING BOOK

URBAN LAND INSTITUTE

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PANEL
AUGUST 2024
15 16

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. The Assignment .......................................................... 5 II. Vacaville Downtown Speciﬁc Plan ........................... 10 III. History of Downtown Vacaville ................................ 12 IV. Public Transportation in Downtown Vacaville ........ 15 V. Parking in Downtown ................................................ 17 VI. Downtown Vacaville ................................................. 19 A. Physical Description ............................................................... 19 B. Demographics ......................................................................... 24 C. Economy .................................................................................. 27 D. Housing ................................................................................... 28 E. Commercial Development ...................................................... 32 F. Entertainment ......................................................................... 35 VII. Government ............................................................... 37 VIII. Private Sector Involvement ...................................... 41 17 INTRODUCTION
Staff Contacts
Aaron Busch
City Manager
(707) 449-5100
[email protected]
Erin Morris
Community Development Director
(707) 449-5307
[email protected]
Online Resources
The Vacaville Downtown Speciﬁc Plan (DTSP), appendices, and environmental document are available online and can be viewed at cityofvacaville.gov/government/community-development/ planning-and-development/adopted-plans/speciﬁc-plans/downtown-speciﬁc-plan.

Peyman Behvand
Planning Manager
(707) 449-5332
[email protected]
Noah Rumbaoa
Assistant Planner
(707) 449-5430
[email protected]
18 5

THE ASSIGNMENT
Downtown Vision
Establish Downtown as Vacaville’s
premier experiential destination by leveraging its unique setting and brand to attract a greater mix of people, uses, activities, and investments.

Adopted in February 2022, the Downtown Speciﬁc Plan (DTSP) aims to unlock Downtown Vacaville’s full potential as a vibrant and walkable mixed-use destination where people live, work, shop, and play - a Downtown with a great history and a great future. The DTSP is comprehensive, incorporating a Connectivity and Streetscape Plan to better connect Downtown Vacaville with surrounding neighborhoods; Downtown- speciﬁc zoning districts and development standards; and an innovative “development prototype” program that streamlines Downtown projects that comply with objective standards.

Since adoption of the DTSP in 2022, the City has invested $6.9M in improvement projects in our 100+ year old Downtown. Most of the projects improved underground infrastructure (sewer and water conveyance) to ensure that the future intensiﬁcation of Downtown properties can be supported by public infrastructure. The City is currently implementing a new set of projects for a total of $1M, including storefront improvement grants, additional park gateway improvements, mural grants, merchant directional signs, and a lighting study.

While all of these public projects are promising, the future of Downtown Vacaville largely rests in the care of existing property owners and their willingness and interest to improve their private properties to bring in more active tenants and achieve the goal of making Downtown Vacaville a destination.

Over the past year, the Community Development Department has been working with property owners and tenants to bring new desirable uses into several existing underutilized older buildings. Examples of recent permits include converting a vacant retail space to a food and beverage use (tea shop) and an expansion of an existing wine bar. Through this work, the City has become aware of additional challenges with facilitating new businesses in Downtown due to the cost and logistics associated with modifying buildings to accommodate new uses. Speciﬁcally, there is a concentration of unreinforced masonry buildings that need to be seismically stabilized as part of intensifying the uses of existing spaces. Intensifying the use of buildings triggers seismic upgrades, new restrooms, and other infrastructure upgrades that can be costly.

On December 12, 2023, the City Council introduced an ordinance that brings Appendix A into the Vacaville Building Code. The City is interested in assistance evaluating existing buildings from structural, architectural, and engineering perspectives to determine whether there are opportunities for private property owners to work together to collectively address these issues, how the City can further support them in these efforts, and to identify solutions to other issues that emerge when more intense uses go into existing older buildings.

1. What will it take to spur existing property owners to upgrade their existing buildings to bring in more active uses including inﬁll residential? What can the City do to support this? What can other key partners do to support private property improvement efforts?

2. What are the most cost-effective approaches to seismically strengthening buildings Downtown that are considered Unreinforced Masonry Buildings (URMs)? If there are multiple URMs adjacent to each other, are there design approaches that would tackle the seismic work in a more collective and cost-effective fashion?

3. For non-URMs that would require signiﬁcant modiﬁcations to facilitate introduction of new uses (such as food and beverage uses on the ground ﬂoor, residential uses on upper ﬂoors), what are the most cost effective strategies to make these projects feasible? 19 1

2 3

4 5

6 7

8 9

11 12

13 14

15 16

17 18

19 20

20 7
List of Unreinforced Masonry Buildings
Number Address Reinforced Retrofitted
1 560 Main St No Yes
2 555 Main St Yes No
3 554 Main St No No
4 548 Main St No No
5 549 Main St Yes No
6 547 Main St No No
7 542 Main St No Yes
8 530, 532, 534, 536 Main Street No No
9 524-528 Main St No No
10 519-520 Main St No No
11 506 Main St No Yes
12 500 Main St No No
13 444 Main St No No
14 438 Main St No Yes
15 307 Merchant St No No
16 400-412 Main St No Yes
17 349 Merchant St Yes No
18 344, 350, 354 Main St No No
19 318 Main St No No
20 301 Main St Yes No
19 21
8 17
2 5
6 1
8 9 10
22 9
13 14
18 15
11 20
23 10

DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN (DTSP)
Planning Timeline
April 21, 2017 California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) awards $205,655 Sustainable Communities grant for the preparation of a Downtown Connectivity and Streetscape Design Plan
April 25, 2018 Bay Area Metro awards $350,000 PDA Planning Program grant for preparation of DTSP
February 12, 2019 The City Council authorized the preparation of the DTSP April 24, 2020 California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) awards $310,000 SB 2 Planning grant to augment DTSP preparation December 7, 2021 The Planning Commission recommended adoption of the DTSP February 8, 2022 The City Council adopted Resolution Nos. 2022-005 and 2022-006, adopting the DTSP
Environmental Review
Concurrently with the DTSP, the
City Council adopted an
Addendum to the Vacaville
General Plan FEIR and SFEIR,
ﬁnding that the DTSP will not
introduce new or greater
impacts than what was already
analyzed.

Preparation of the Downtown Speciﬁc Plan involved many years of public outreach, implementing a variety of strategies that would provide equitable opportunities for participants to become aware of, understand, and contribute to the effort. Strategies included producing bilingual ﬂyers in English and Spanish, engaging with schools in the planning area, using social media, and hosting pop-up tables at local events. 24 The Downtown “Triangle Building” has
been retroﬁtted but is not reinforced.
16 25
12 HISTORY OF DOWNTOWN VACAVILLE
General History
The earliest inhabitants of the land now known as Vacaville were the Patwin, an indigenous group who settled much of Solano County. Patwin tribes and other indigenous peoples lived on the land for thousands of years with their own cultures, traditions, ways of living, and histories.

In the 1800s, the Spanish arrived and settled Alta California, including what would later be known as the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1842, the Mexican government awarded the Los Putos land grant to Manuel Vaca and Juan Felipe Peña. Shortly thereafter, California become a state of the United States in 1850. In 1848, Vaca sold a portion of his ranch to William McDaniel with the condition that a town called Vacaville be established.

In 1851, the Town of Vacaville was oﬃcially platted. Vacaville was formally incorporated in 1892.

By the 1940s, Downtown Vacaville was home to a notable Japanese-American population. At the corner of East Monte Vista Avenue and Dobbins Street was the Vacaville Buddhist Church and Nihon Gakko, a Japanese language school.

In the mid-20th century, new employers arrived in the area, resulting in explosive growth in Vacaville. The now- defunct Basic Vegetable Products company located a 1,000-worker onion dehydrating facility in Vacaville, and in 1942, Suisun Air Base (now Travis Air Force Base) was established just south of Vacaville.

Monument to Vacaville’s Japanese community in Downtown Vacaville 26 13
Historic Vacaville Town Hall
27 14
Unreinforced Masonry Buildings
Downtown Vacaville has a concentration of unreinforced masonry buildings, which presents issues related to seismic stability. Downtown’s unreinforced masonry buildings are concentrated along Main Street. One is located just south of Main Street on Merchant Street. There are 11 buildings that are neither reinforced or retroﬁtted; ﬁve buildings are retroﬁtted but not reinforced; and four buildings are reinforced but not retroﬁtted.

In December 2023, the City Council introduced an ordinance that brings Appendix A into Vacaville’s Building Code. Nevertheless, the City is interested in assistance evaluating existing buildings from structural, architectural, and engineering perspectives to determine whether there are opportunities for private property owners to work together to collectively address these issues, how the City can further support them in these efforts, and to identify solutions to other issues that emerge when more intense uses go into existing older buildings.

Unreinforced masonry building in Downtown
12 28
15 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN DOWNTOWN
The Downtown Transit Plaza, located at the southeast corner of East Monte Vista Avenue and Cernon Street, is Downtown Vacaville’s main transportation hub. The Transit Plaza serves three bus routes operated by Vacaville City Coach:

Route 2 Connects Downtown Vacaville to the Orchard, Markham, and Browns Valley neighborhoods.

Operates only during peak hours.

Route 5 Connects Downtown Vacaville to neighborhoods along Alamo Drive, Nut Tree Road, and the Vacaville Transportation Center. Operates all day.

Route 6 Connects Downtown Vacaville to the Markham neighborhood, the Nut Tree, and the Vacaville Transportation Center. Operates all day.

Vacaville City Coach currently provides service between 7 am and 7 pm on weekdays and between 8 am and 6 pm on Saturdays. City Coach does not currently provide service on Sundays.

Downtown City Coach Routes
29 16
City Coach is currently working on two projects fully funded by 5307 Federal funds and Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds:

Electriﬁcation Infrastructure - Convert the City’s CNG fueling infrastructure to electric charging to support the City’s 10 electric buses.

Transit Building Expansion - Expand the existing transit building to increase oﬃce and storage space.

The Vacaville community is also served by the Capitol Corridor intercity rail service, which provides daily passenger rail connections to other cities in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento. Passengers can transfer to other rail services, including the San Joaquins in Martinez and BART in Richmond. The closest station is Fairﬁeld-Vacaville Hannigan located along Peabody Road and Vanden Road in Fairﬁeld.

DOWNTOWN

VACAVILLE

HANNIGAN

STATION
Capitol Corridor Station
30 17

PARKING IN DOWNTOWN
The City operates 13 public parking lots
in Downtown, providing over 850 off-
street parking spaces. Almost every
street in Downtown also has on-street
parking available. In March 2023, the City
partnered with JAPA, also known as Just
Another Parking App, to connect
Downtown Vacaville visitors with real-
time parking availability information for
on-street and City-operated parking.

Small pucks were installed at every
parking stall, detecting vehicles and
offering real-time data on available
parking. JAPA is a free mobile
application available on Android and iOS.

Installation of the JAPA system was
funded by Measure M for approximately
$340,500.

The City also operates the Hickory Park &
Ride Lot, which is located at the southern
end of the Plan Area.

Parking puck in Downtown providing real-time parking availability via JAPA
The City is currently taking preliminary steps towards preparing a lighting study to analyze the existing lighting conditions in Downtown. As part of the study, the City will evaluate whether certain Downtown parking lots are well-lit and/or well maintained. Energy-eﬃcient lighting that covers the entire parking area to optimize the parking layout and design may be one of the recommendations that comes out of the study.

Occupancy Rates
Using data from the JAPA Management Console between January 2024 and May 2024, Downtown parking lots have the highest occupancy between 5 pm and 9 pm, with an occupancy rate over 50%. Peak occupancy within Downtown most frequently occurs in Lot 4 and Lot 8. These lots consistently have occupancy rates over 50%, with the highest averages between 5 pm and 6 pm. Lots 1-3, on the other hand, consistently have the lowest occupancy rates, with the lowest occupancy times being 6 pm through 9 pm. Between January 2024 and May 2024, occupancy rates remain consistent in the evening, with an average below 305 occupancies for the total number of spaces available.
31 18
Public Parking Lots in Downtown
32 19

DOWNTOWN VACAVILLE
Physical Description
Location
Located in the heart of Vacaville, Downtown covers an approximately 10-block by 10-block area. City Hall and many other public facilities are one-half mile to the southwest, and the Nut Tree commercial development is two miles to the northeast. The 237-acre Plan Area is generally bounded by West Street to the west, East Monte Vista Avenue to the north, Depot Street to the east, and Interstate 80 to the south.

The Plan Area encompasses the Downtown Vacaville Priority Development Area (PDA), which is designated as one of Solano County’s PDAs in Plan Bay Area 2050.

Downtown Specific Plan Boundaries
33 20
Topography
While the DTSP Plan Area is
relatively ﬂat, the eastern
portion of the Plan Area does
contain some hillside slopes.

This is most evident when
traveling along East Monte
Vista Avenue near Andrews
Park. There are also some
slight slopes when traveling
along Mason Street near the
Mason Street Centre.

Ulatis Creek, which runs east-
west throughout Vacaville, cuts
through the DTSP Plan Area.

The Creek is a focal point
within Andrews Park, serving
as the backdrop for the annual
Creekwalk Concert Series.

Land Uses
Surrounding land uses include residential and public facilities to the west; residential and commercial uses and swaths of open space to the north; and Interstate 80 and highway commercial uses to the south. The Plan Area includes the Downtown Transit Plaza, a branch of the Solano County Library, the McBride Senior Center, a U.S. Post Oﬃce branch, a multiscreen move theater complex (Brenden Theatres), an indoor sports facility (Vacaville Ice Sports), Andrews Park, and various shopping and dining options. Notable retail outlets and oﬃce developments include the Vista Crossings shopping center, Mason Street Centre, and the former CVS site. Other notable land uses include the Sutter Health Medical Plaza, Blake Austin College (a medical education program), the 83-room Sonesta Essential Vacaville hotel, and Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy. Vacaville High School and the Depot Station Shopping Center are also located just outside the Plan Area boundaries.

The Mason Street Centre in Vacaville is home to Sutter Health Medical Plaza and Blake Austin College.

Ulatis Creek cuts through the heart of Downtown Vacaville 34 21
Vehicular Circulation
Interstate 80 is Vacaville’s primary freeway, connecting Vacaville to the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area to the west and the greater Sacramento region to the east. Direct access to Interstate 80 is provided at the Davis Street/Hume Way and Mason Street/Depot Street interchanges. Travelers can also access Downtown from the Alamo Drive interchange.

East Monte Vista Avenue is a four-lane east-west arterial connecting Downtown to residential neighborhoods to the west and commercial centers to the east. In the Plan Area, East Monte Vista Avenue does not have bicycle facilities but does provide sidewalks.

Depot Street is a four-lane north-south arterial running along Downtown’s eastern border. Depot Street is one of Downtown’s main gateways from Interstate 80. Depot Street has sidewalks and Class II bicycle lanes.

Mason Street is a four-lane east-west arterial connecting Downtown to commercial centers in the City’s other Priority Development Area: the Allison PDA. West of Davis Street, Mason Street narrows to three lanes.

Mason Street is not a designated bicycle route but does provide sidewalks.

Davis Street is a four-lane north-south arterial connecting Downtown to commercial centers and residential neighborhoods to the south. North of Mason Street, Davis Street narrows to two lanes. Davis Street does not have bicycle facilities but does provide sidewalks.

Merchant Street is a three-lane north-south arterial connecting Alamo Drive to the heart of Downtown Vacaville. North of Lovers Lane, Merchant Street narrows from a ﬁve-lane arterial with no bicycle facilities into a complete street (three lanes, Class II bike lanes, and sidewalks).

Main Street is a two-lane east-west collector that spans the heart of Downtown Vacaville. The street provides on-street parking, does not have any bicycle facilities, and has sidewalks for pedestrians.

Dobbins Street is a two-lane north-south arterial that connects Downtown Vacaville to residential neighborhoods in the north. Within the Plan Area, Dobbins Street provides on-street parking. North of East Monte Vista Avenue, the street widens into a three-lane arterial. The street is not a designated bicycle route but does have sidewalks for pedestrians.

Cars at Town Square Plaza
35 22
Vacant Land
There are a number of vacant sites located throughout the Downtown Vacaville Plan Area. 306 Parker Street is a vacant property located in the heart of Downtown Vacaville.

Merchant Street and Dobbins Street is a vacant 0.14-acre parcel located next to the Merchant Street triangle.

The property is zoned Downtown Core and was previously entitled for a 4,704 sq. ft., one-story oﬃce building.

There are two vacant sites on Cernon Street between East Monte Vista Avenue and Dobbins Street. These two sites are zoned Downtown Core.
700 PARC on Main is a mixed-use
development by Lewis Planned Communities
and Blackpine Communities spread across
three vacant sites located along East Main
Street and McClellan Street. Building Permits
are anticipated to be issued in Summer 2024.

Mason Street and Depot Street is a vacant

2.26-acre site located south of Mason Street,
directly adjacent to
Interstate 80. The
property is zoned
Downtown General
Commercial and was
previously entitled for a
108-room, ﬁve-story
hotel.

Monte Vista and Depot
Street is a collection of
four vacant parcels
located at the southwest
corner of East Monte
Vista Avenue and Depot
Street. The properties are
zoned Downtown Core.

Vineyard Valley and
Markham Avenue is a
vacant 1.74-acre site
located at the northwest
corner of Vineyard Valley
Way and Markham
Avenue. The property is
zoned Downtown General
Commercial.

Infrastructure and Utilities
Downtown Vacaville is currently served by City water and sewer infrastructure. However, given Downtown’s age and the intensity of uses envisioned by the DTSP, the City has programmed sewer and water infrastructure upgrades and upsizing as part of its Capital Improvement Program.

In 2021, the City completed multiple sewer line improvements in Downtown. These improvements included sewer line upsizing, realignments, and replacements.
700 PARC on Main
36 23
Other Notable Features
A number of schools are located within or directly outside the Plan Area. Within the DTSP, Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy provides an alternative high school experience for Vacaville students. On West Monte Vista Avenue, located two blocks west of the Vacaville Transit Plaza and just outside the Plan Area, Vacaville High School is one of the City’s two main public high schools. To the south on Elm Street, Kairos Public School provides K-8 charter school education just outside the Plan Area.

In addition to restaurants and shops, the DTSP is also home to numerous recreational activities. At the Mason Street Centre, Brenden Theatres provides a cinema experience for the Vacaville community. Vacaville Ice Sports is a regional recreation center. Andrews Park is Downtown’s backyard, providing playgrounds, open space, and trails for Downtown and greater Vacaville. The Georgie Duke Sports Center is also located in Andrews Park and is a full-service recreation center that offers indoor basketball, badminton, pickleball, and boxing.
37 24

DOWNTOWN VACAVILLE
Demographics
Population Size and Trends
Vacaville is the third-largest city in Solano County, centrally located between the San Francisco Bay Area, Wine County, and the greater Sacramento region. As of 2022, Vacaville had a total population of approximately 101,631 people, an increase of approximately 10.5% from 2010.1, 2 According to the Vacaville General Plan Final Environmental Impact Report, the City is anticipated to have a total population of approximately 112,000 residents by the year 2035.

Approximately 600 people live in the DTSP Plan Area across 300 households. These residents account for approximately 0.6% of Vacaville’s total population. Between 2010 and 2020, Downtown Vacaville’s population has grown by roughly 40 residents, an increase of 6.5%.

Vacaville is a family-oriented community, with roughly 23% of its population under the age of 18.

Approximately 41% of Vacaville residents are between the age of 25 and 54, and almost 28% of Vacaville residents are 55 or older.

1. U.S. Census Table DP05, 2022: ACS 5-Year Estimates

2. U.S. Census Table DP05, 2010: ACS 5-Year Estimates

3. U.S. Census Table S1101, 2022: ACS 5-Year Estimates
Housing
As of 2022, there were approximately 33,723 households in Vacaville.3 The average household size is 2.83 persons per household. Over 75% of Vacaville’s housing stock is single-family, with the remaining 25% being a mix of duplexes, other multifamily dwellings, and mobile homes. Approximately two-thirds (66.2%) of Vacaville households are owners, and 33.8% are renters.

Downtown Vacaville’s housing stock is reﬂective of the rest of Vacaville, with 76% of all housing units being single-family homes. Multifamily housing in the Plan Area consists of smaller housing units, such as duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes. Downtown’s housing stock is also notably older than the rest of Vacaville, with approximately 34% of homes being built between 1950 and 1959.

Education
Of Vacaville residents 25 years or older, almost 25% have high school as their highest level of education.

Another 29% have had some college education but no degree. About 26% of Vacaville’s population has obtained a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Vacaville is served by the Vacaville Uniﬁed School District (VUSD) and the Travis Uniﬁed School District (TUSD). Additionally, Solano Community College’s Vacaville Center located in the North Village neighborhood offers 40,000 sq. ft. of science and computer laboratories and is the main headquarters of the College’s Bachelor degree program in Biomanufacturing.

Vacaville is also home to a number of private schools and colleges, including the Academy of 21st Century Learning, Vacaville Christian Academy, Blake Austin College (a private medical school), and the Milan Institute of Cosmetology. Given its regional location, Vacaville is also located within commuting distance of several universities, including UC Davis, UC Berkeley, California Maritime Academy (CSU), Sacramento State University (CSU), CSU East Bay (Concord), and Sonoma State University (CSU). 38 25
Race and Ethnicity
Solano County is one of the United States’ most diverse counties, ranking 1st among all California counties in the 2020 U.S. Census’s Diversity Index and 6th among all counties in the country according to U.S.News and World Report.1,2 Vacaville is no exception, with a majority of residents identifying as Hispanic/Latino or people of color. As of 2022, 47.5% of Vacaville residents were non-Hispanic white, 26.1% identiﬁed as Hispanic/ Latino of any race, 9.4% of residents identiﬁed as Asian, 8.3% identiﬁed as Black or African American, and

7.2% identiﬁed as two or more races.3
Vacaville also has a number of households that speak languages other than English, with almost 13% speaking Spanish, 5% speaking Asian/Paciﬁc Island languages, and 2% speaking other Indo-European languages.4

1. Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census , United States Census Bureau, 12 August 2021.

2. Hubbard, Kaia. The 15 Most Diverse Counties in America, U.S. News and World Report, 24 August 2021.

3. U.S. Census Table DP05, 2022: ACS 5-Year Estimates

4. U.S. Census Table S1601, 2022: ACS 5-Year Estimates
39 26

1. U.S. Census Table S0801, 2022: ACS 5-Year
Estimates

2. U.S. Census Bureau OnTheMap, 2021
Commuting
Vacaville is a car-centric city, with almost
80% of commuters driving alone to work.1
Only about 7% of commuters carpool, and
only 1.5% walk or bike to work.

Approximately 9.7% of Vacaville residents
are able to work-from-home.

Almost 78.8% of Vacaville residents work
outside of Vacaville.2 Outside of Vacaville,
about 16.9% work in other Solano County
cities (Fairﬁeld, Vallejo, Benicia), 11.2%
commute to Bay Area cities outside
Solano, and 5.7% commute to
Sacramento.

The average commute time for Vacaville
residents is almost 29 minutes. While
about 34% of Vacaville residents commute
for 15 minutes or less, approximately 37%
face commute times over 30 minutes. In
fact, 14% of Vacaville residents face
commute times of over an hour.

Top 10 Cities Where Vacaville Residents Work
Fairﬁeld 12.8%
Sacramento 5.7%
San Francisco 3.8%
Vallejo 2.4%
Oakland 2.3%
Napa 2.1%
Benicia 1.7%
Concord 1.7%
San José 1.3%
U.S. Census Bureau, OnTheMap, 2021
40 27

DOWNTOWN VACAVILLE
Economy
Employment Types and Trends
Vacaville has a diversiﬁed economy, with
about 24% working in education and
healthcare, 11.5% working in retail, 10%
working in construction, 9.7% working in arts
and entertainment, and 9.1% working in
professional or STEM-related careers.1
About one-ﬁfth of Vacaville’s employees are
government workers. Major public-sector
employers include the California State
Department of Corrections, the Vacaville
Uniﬁed School District, the City of Vacaville,
and the State Compensation Insurance
Fund.

The City has ﬁve economic centers:

Industrial Park, which consists of the
Interchange and Golden Hills Industrial
Parks; Biotechnology Cluster; Retail Cluster,
which consists of Nut Tree Village and the
Vacaville Premium Outlets; Downtown; and
the future Ascend @ Lagoon Valley
development.

In the Vallejo-Fairﬁeld metropolitan area,
which includes Vacaville, the unemployment
rate is 5.3%.2

1. U.S. Census Table DP03, 2022: ACS 5-Year Estimates

2. Metropolitan area unemployment rates, March 2024, not seasonally adjusted , U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Accessed 2 May 2024.

3. U.S. Census Table S1901, 2022: ACS 5-Year Estimates
Top 10 Vacaville Employers
Kaiser Permanente
(healthcare) 1,282
Amazon
(retail and logistics) 1,157
Genentech
(life sciences) 790
EPSI 650
Blue Mountain
Construction
(construction)
610
Thistle Health 580
Simonton Windows 320
Mariani Packing
(food manufacturing) 315
Costco
(retail and logistics) 280
Alza Corporation
(life sciences) 250
City of Vacaville Finance Department, 2022
Income
According to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), in 2023, the median income for a four-person household in Solano County was $112,600. In 2022, about 54% of Vacaville households had an income of $100,000 or more.3 Approximately 27.2% made between $50,000 and $99,999, and about 18.5% made less than $50,000.

In Downtown, only 23% of households had incomes higher than $100,000. About 40% of Downtown households had incomes between $25,000 and $75,000. Data published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) indicate higher concentrations of lower-income households in the Plan Area than in the rest of Vacaville, with nearly 40% of Plan Area households falling in the “low-income” category. 41 28

DOWNTOWN VACAVILLE
Housing
Housing Market and Trends
Vacaville is Solano County’s third largest
City, just behind Fairﬁeld and Vacaville. In
2023, the City issued 473 new residential
permits - 223 single-family homes, 236
multifamily units, and 24 ADUs. During the
previous Housing Element cycle (2015-
2022), the City issued 3,338 residential
building permits, including 2,572 single-
family units, 691 multifamily homes, and 75
ADUs. Over the next eight years, Vacaville is
expected to build at least 2,595 new
residential units.

Vacaville Regional Housing Needs Allocation
2023-2031
Extremely Low Income
(< 30% AMI) 338
Very Low Income
(30% - 49% AMI) 339
Low Income
(50% - 79% AMI) 404
Moderate Income
(80% - 120% AMI) 409
Above Moderate Income
(> 120% AMI) 1,105
Income Category Units
Total 2,595
Source: 2023-2031 Vacaville Housing Element
Housing in Downtown
Downtown Vacaville is predominantly single-
family (76%); the remaining housing stock
consists of smaller multifamily products,
including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes,
multiplexes, and other missing middle
housing forms. Almost 34% of housing in
Downtown was built between 1950 and
1959, which contributes to the Plan Area’s
historic character but also presents
challenges for repair and renovation.

Residential sale prices and rental rates in the
Plan Area tend to be lower than those in the
city and region, making the Plan Area a more
affordable housing submarket. That said, the
majority of housing in the Plan Area is
affordable only for moderate– and above-
moderate households, highlighting the need
for additional housing that is affordable for
low-income households.

Unlike the rest of Vacaville, over half of
Downtown households are renters.

A triplex in Downtown Vacaville
42 29
Special Housing Needs
Travis Air Force Base Families - Because of Vacaville’s proximity to Travis Air Force Base, the City has a need to provide market-rate housing for families and rental housing for younger aviators. Every month, approximately 90 to 150 new people arrive at the Base, including aviators and their families.

Persons with Family and Friends in Prison - Vacaville is home to the California State Prison and California Medical Facility. Families sometimes move to Vacaville to be nearer to incarcerated relatives for daily visitation.

Executives and High-Income Earners - The number of professional and high-paying jobs in Vacaville continues to increase, with employers such as Genentech, Kaiser Permanente, NorthBay Healthcare, Travis Credit Union, and the State Compensation Insurance Fund providing good jobs for local residents. A lack of executive-style housing makes it diﬃcult to attract executive workers at both existing and future companies located in Vacaville.

Young Adults - Nearly 28% of Vacaville residents are aged 15 to 35. A high proportion of young adults generally indicated a need for rental units, ADUs/JADUs, and entry-level homebuyer opportunities, including condominiums, townhomes, and smaller single-family homes. Residents have indicated a concern regarding the inability for their young adult children to reside in Vacaville after graduating from high school, vocational schools, or college.

1. Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI). Accessed 6 May 2024.

2. Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI). Accessed 6 May 2024.

Trends in Sales Prices and Rents
Since 2020, home values in Vacaville have increased dramatically, with the typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentiles increasing from around $480,000 at the start of 2020 to about $615,000 by March 2024.1 Rents in Vacaville have seen a similar increase, going from an average of about $2,060 per month at the start of 2020 to approximately $2,570 by March 2024.2
A multiplex in
Downtown Vacaville
43 30
Residential Development in Other Neighborhoods and Cities Outside of Downtown, Vacaville and the wider Solano County region has seen a lot of new residential development that may draw people away from Downtown.

In Vacaville, new single-family homes are being built at Farmstead Square by Taylor Morrison, Villages at Vanden Meadows by Meritage Homes, Foxboro Knoll by Pulte Home, Vandengate and Vanden Cove by Discovery Builders, and Sagebrush/Sweetbay at Southtown by KB Home. New homes are also under construction in the Roberts’ Ranch subdivision by KB Home, Taylor Morrison, and Crowne Communities.

Overall, there are over 1,545 new homes currently under construction or approved.

Vacaville also has a number of new single-family communities in the pipeline. These include the Farm at Alamo Creek Speciﬁc Plan, the Greentree Speciﬁc Plan, the North Village Speciﬁc Plan, and the Lower Lagoon Valley Policy Plan. Lennar is set to break ground soon on new homes in Lower Lagoon Valley.

Multifamily development is also underway in Vacaville. The Peabody Apartments and Greentree Apartments projects are currently being built and will provide new housing in a walkable, mixed-use setting away from Downtown. The Allison Apartments and Oak Grove Apartments will provide new affordable housing in proximity to shopping and transit.

Away from Vacaville, new construction may also take people away from Downtown Vacaville. This includes the One Lake master-planned community in Fairﬁeld, the Villages at Fairﬁeld community, the Homestead master-planned community in Dixon, Sutton at Parklane in Dixon, the Lawler apartments project in Suisun City, the Meridian community in Suisun City, Enclave at Cordelia in Fairﬁeld, and Cadence at Gold Hill in Fairﬁeld.

New Residential Development in Downtown
Compared to other areas in Vacaville, Downtown does not have many new entitled residential projects. The main “star” of Downtown is 700 PARC on Main, a mixed-use development spread across three sites located in Downtown’s East Main District. The project is currently under construction and, when completed, will add 81 new townhomes and 4,000 sq. ft. of new commercial space to Downtown.

Other notable residential projects in Downtown include the Always Best Care Senior Services mixed-use project, which will add two new units off Davis Street. 700 PARC on Main by Blackpine Communities
44 FAIRFIELD
DIXON
SUISUN

VACAVILLE

VALLEJO

SUISUN BAY

DOWNTOWN

VACAVILLE
NORTH

VILLAGE

HOMESTEAD

PARKLANE

GREENTREE

THE FARM AT

ALAMO CREEK
ROBERTS’
RANCH

LOWER LAGOON
VALLEY

ONE LAKE

VILLAGES AT

FAIRFIELD

ENCLAVE AT

CORDELIA

CADENCE AT

GOLD HILL

MERIDIAN
LAWLER

APARTMENTS

ALLISON

APARTMENTS

FARMSTEAD
SQUARE

OAK GROVE

APARTMENTS

VILLAGES AT
VANDEN

PEABODY

APARTMENTS
Other Residential Development
45 32

DOWNTOWN VACAVILLE
Commercial Development
Regional Retail Market
Vacaville has approximately 6.3 million sq. ft. of retail space, 12% of which is located in Downtown. However, there are a number of other regionally important commercial centers. In Vacaville, these include Nut Tree Village, Vacaville Premium Outlets, Vacaville Commons, and Power Plaza. In nearby cities, other commercial centers include Solano Town Center in Fairﬁeld and Gateway Plaza in Vallejo. Other cities also have downtowns that may compete with Downtown Vacaville, including Downtown Fairﬁeld, Downtown Winters, and Downtown Davis.

FAIRFIELD

VALLEJO

VACAVILLE
DAVIS

WINTERS

SOLANO TOWN
CENTER

NUT TREE

VILLAGE

PREMIUM

OUTLETS

DOWNTOWN

FAIRFIELD

GATEWAY
PLAZA

DOWNTOWN

WINTERS

DOWNTOWN
DAVIS

DOWNTOWN

VACAVILLE

SUISUN BAY SAN PABLO
BAY

DOWNTOWN
NAPA
NAPA
46 33
Retail in Downtown
The DTSP Plan Area features approximately 763,000 sq. ft. of retail space. The Downtown retail inventory is quite diverse, including a variety of drinking and dining establishments, entertainment venues, personal services, boutique retailers, and resident services (e.g. gyms) in the core downtown along Main Street and Merchant Street. Entertainment uses and ancillary retail are located along Davis Street. “Big box” retail is located at the Vista Crossing shopping center at the northwest corner of Depot Street and East Monte Vista Avenue, anchored by Lucky’s. Lainey’s Furniture and the old CVS site represent additional auto-oriented retail, located at the northwest corner of Dobbins Street and East Monte Vista Avenue. 47 34
The Mason Street Centre is one of Downtown Vacaville’s main retail clusters, home to Brenden Theatres, Vacaville Ice Sports, Outback Steakhouse, and McDonalds.
48 35

DOWNTOWN VACAVILLE
Entertainment
Recreation
Vacaville Ice Sports provides indoor ice skating
opportunities for residents across Solano County. Residents and visitors looking for other indoor sports can ﬁnd it at the Georgie Duke Sports Center or at local Downtown gyms,
such as Maximum Fitness, Fitness Explosion Elite Training, Joy2BWell Fitness Studio, Kaia Fit Vacaville, DJK Fitness, or Apex Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy. Those looking for
outdoor recreation can also visit Andrews Park or exercise along Ulatis Creek.

Art
Downtown Vacaville has a number of entertainment
opportunities and potential. One of Vacaville’s main libraries, Town Square Library, is located Downtown. Vacaville’s
primary movie theater, Brenden Theatres, is located along Davis Street. Journey Downtown, in partnership with
OnStageVacaville, provides local performances at the old Theatre DeVille. J&S Performing Arts Center and Starbound Theatre also provide opportunities for those looking to perform in theatre shows.

Those learning music can also learn Downtown at School of Rock, the Young Artists Conservatory of Music, or at Tweed Hut Music Store. The restaurant Mäskē also provides live entertainment, including a dueling piano. Those looking to host events can also go to the Vacaville Opera House.

Food and Restaurants
Downtown is home to a number of Vacaville restaurants,
many of which are concentrated along Main Street and
Merchant Street. These restaurants include La Guagua,
Merchant and Main, Pietro’s No. 1, Heritage House Café, Los Reyes, Backdoor Bistro, Fuso, La Borgata Italian Deli, Journey Downtown, Vasquez Delicatessen, Tacos Jalisco,
Taqueria Los Arcos, Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop, and
Mountain Mike’s Pizza.

A number of restaurants are also located in Downtown’s two commercial shopping centers. At Mason Street Centre,
popular eating establishments include Outback Steakhouse, McDonald’s, Umi Sushi, Ike’s Love & Sandwiches, Mary’s
Pizza Shack, and Starbucks. At the Vista Crossings
shopping center, residents and visitors can dine at Bag O’ Crab, Domino’s Pizza, Chef Chen’s Chinese, Little Caesars Pizza, or Paleteria La Guadalajara.

Ulatis Creek Creekwalk near Davis Street Plaza
49 36
Downtown Events
The Vacaville Parks and Recreation Department holds various events in Downtown Vacaville every year.

Around the Easter holiday, the City hosts the Bunnies & Bonnets event in Andrews Park. This family-friendly event features many fun activities for kids, including an egg hunt, a petting zoo, and wagon races. Every summer, the City hosts the annual CreekWalk Concert Series in Andrews Park, where local and national music performers play every Friday night. The 2023 CreekWalk Concert Series was attended by approximately 9,400 people (excluding children) during the nine-week event. On the 4th of July, the City holds an outdoor ﬁreworks celebration with spaces for outdoor food trucks and food stands. In 2023, this event was attended by approximately 10,000 people (excluding children). On August 17, 2024, the City will be hosting another outdoor concert at Andrews Park featuring Club Nouveau and Quad City DJs. In October, the City hosts the Howl-O-Ween Pet Parade and Costume Contest, where community members can dress up their dogs to compete for various costume categories. About 250 people participate in Howl-O-Ween. In November, the City hosts a celebration for Día de los Muertos, providing a space for the community to honor their loved ones with food, drinks, and celebration. This event is typically attended by about 600 people. Recently, the City has taken the reins on organizing the annual Merriment on Main event, which happens every December. This Downtown Vacaville tradition features the lighting of a 50 ft. tall Christmas tree, along with outdoor music, and is attended by approximately 10,000 people.

The Downtown Vacaville Business Improvement District (DVBID) also hosts events in Downtown Vacaville.

Every Thursday, DVBID hosts three hours of outdoor music in Town Square. Every Saturday, the DVBID hosts an outdoor Farmers’ Market at Creekwalk Plaza in Andrews Park. In Spring, DVBID holds a Spring Fling Stroll, which is a group stroll through Downtown Vacaville where participants can sample wine, beer, mocktails, and appetizers. DVBID also hosts an annual Oktoberfest celebration, featuring beers, brats, pretzels, and German music. A Halloween Stroll takes place in October at Town Square. In November/December, DVBID hosts the annual Holly Days Crafts Fair, where community members can shop from various vendors along Merchant Street.

Merriment on Main in Downtown Vacaville
50 37

GOVERNMENT
Federal Government
The City of Vacaville and its residents are represented by the following U.S. oﬃcials:

Joseph Biden, President
Kamala Harris, Vice President
Alex Padilla, Senator
Laphonza Butler, Senator
Mike Thompson, 4th District House Representative
John Garamendi, 8th District House Representative
The City of Vacaville is located in proximity of Travis Air Force Base and is subject to airport compatibility regulations. Travis is a key component of Vacaville and Solano County’s economy, and the City and the Base work closely to ensure the viability of Travis.

Ulatis Creek runs through Andrews Park and much of Downtown. The City coordinates with the Army Corp of Engineers to ensure protection and preservation of Ulatis Creek.

State Government
The City of Vacaville and its residents are represented by the following California oﬃcials:

Gavin Newsom, Governor
Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant Governor
Bill Dodd, 3rd District State Senator
Lori Wilson, 11th District State Assemblymember
The City of Vacaville is served by two interstate freeways: Interstate 80, which provides direct access to Downtown, and Interstate 505. The City coordinates closely with Caltrans District 4 to ensure that freeway operations continue to serve Vacaville residents and visitors. Most recently, the City worked with Caltrans on the I-80 Managed Lanes project, which will widen Interstate 80 and construct 10 miles of new express lanes.

Prior to 2011, the City had a Redevelopment Agency. The City Council serves as the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency.

Regional Government
The City of Vacaville is located within the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Bay Area Metro, comprised of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), provides support for regional land use and transportation planning, working closely with local jurisdictions to prepare the region’s sustainable communities strategy: Plan Bay Area 2050. The City of Vacaville has worked with MTC/ABAG to nominate Downtown as a Priority Development Area (PDA). PDAs are part of the Bay Area’s regional growth framework and are comprised of locally-nominated neighborhoods that are well- served by transit and suited for new homes, jobs, and community amenities.

Tribal Government
The City of Vacaville is located within the aboriginal territories of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. The City works closely with Yocha Dehe Wintun to ensure development does not impact tribal cultural resources. 51 38
City Government
The City of Vacaville is a general law city operated under a City Council/City Manager form of local government. Aaron Busch, City Manager, and City staff are responsible for implementing City Council direction and ensuring that City programs and services are eﬃciently and effectively provided. The Vacaville City Council is comprised of seven members: one at-large mayor and six councilmembers representing each City Council district.

John Carli, Mayor
Roy Stockton, Councilmember - District 1
Gregory Ritchie, Vice Mayor - District 2
Michael Silva, Councilmember - District 3
Sarah Chapman, Councilmember - District 4
Jason Roberts, Councilmember - District 5
Jeanette Wylie, Councilmember - District 6
The DTSP Plan Area is located in District 3.

The City Council also appoints Vacaville residents to serve on the City’s Planning Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission. The Planning Commission is responsible for the implementation of various Planning entitlements, including major new development in Downtown. The Parks and Recreation Commission is responsible for advising the City Council related to parks development, including Andrews Park, Ulatis Creek, the Downtown Creekwalk Concert Series, and public art.

County Government
The City of Vacaville is located within Solano County, which provides government services in unincorporated areas. Vacaville residents are represented on the Solano County Board of Supervisors by:

John Vasquez, Supervisor - District 4
Mitch Mashburn, Supervisor - District 5
The City also works with the Solano Transportation Authority (STA), which coordinates transportation planning initiatives between Solano County’s seven cities. Most recently, the City has worked with STA on the Solano I-80 Managed Lanes project, which will construct new express lanes on the freeway corridor connecting to Downtown.
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City Revenue
The Vacaville General Fund is the primary revenue source and operating fund for most City services, including public safety, street maintenance, parks and recreation, and administration. The major sources of funding for the General Fund are property taxes and sales taxes, which comprise approximately 65% of all General Fund revenues. Taxes overall provide the largest funding source to the General Fund at 83%. The City receives property taxes, sales and use taxes, Measure M funds, franchise fees, paramedic tax, excise taxes, transient occupancy tax, real property transfer tax, business license tax, and public safety sales tax.

Current Plans in Downtown
The Vacaville Parks and Recreation Department is currently preparing an Arts and Culture Master Plan, which will
address the vision for arts and culture, public art, and cultural engagement experiences in Vacaville. The
preparation of this plan is one of the actions identiﬁed in the DTSP, and the plan will ultimately address new public art in Downtown. Additionally, in 2023, the Community
Development Department created procedures for public art proposed on private property. These actions will help
facilitate new public art in Downtown Vacaville.

In 2021, the City adopted the Parks and Recreation Master Plan (PRMP), which identiﬁes policies and standards for parks in Vacaville. The PRMP identiﬁes future improvements to enhance Andrews Park, Ulatis Creek, the George Duke
Sports Center, the McBride Senior Center, and Town Square.

The City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) identiﬁes
future improvements to be made in Downtown. These
include connecting the Ulatis Creek Trail in Andrews Park to the Elmira Road and underground infrastructure
improvements (i.e. water and sewer).

Top Sales Tax Producers (2022)
Source: 2021-2022 Popular Annual Financial
Report
All Weather Architectural Aluminum
Amazon
Amaars Toyota Vacaville
Best Buy
Buick GMC
Camping World RV
Coach
Costco Wholesale
Dodge Chrysler Jeep of Vacaville
GE Healthcare Bio Sciences
Home Depot
Lowes
Mazzei Chevorlet
Millipore
Nakedwines.com
Nike
Nissan of Vacaville
Sam’s Club
Simonton Windows
Target
Texaco
Vaca Valley Travel Center
Vacaville Honda
Vans
Walmart
Special Downtown Policies
Downtown Vacaville is governed by the Downtown Speciﬁc Plan, which outlines guidelines, standards, and procedures for new development in Downtown. There are a number of development requirements unique to Downtown:

Prototype Development - The DTSP identiﬁes different development prototypes that can be developed in certain zones in Downtown. These development prototypes include Neighborhood Multiplex, Townhouse/ Rowhouse, Apartment/Condominium, and Mixed-Use. Projects that comply with the objective standards in the DTSP are subject to streamlined review. Speciﬁcally, projects with 10 units or less and mixed-use projects of 25,000 sq. ft. or less are subject to ministerial review. Projects that do not meet that criteria are subject to staff-level administrative review.
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DMU Mixed Use Requirement - All development within the Downtown Mixed Use (DMU) zoning district must contain at least two different uses, one of which shall be residential. This requirement applies speciﬁcally to the Old CVS Site at the northwest corner of East Monte Vista Avenue and Dobbins Street. Development may be in a vertical mixed-use conﬁguration or in a horizontal mixed-use conﬁguration.

Priority Pedestrian Frontage - Within the Priority Pedestrian Frontage, certain non-active uses are prohibited from establishing on the ﬁrst ﬂoor directly fronting key streets, including portions of Main Street, East Main Street, Parker Street, Merchant Street, and Dobbins Street. Non-active uses include residential uses, schools, community assemblies, banks, and oﬃces.

Prohibition on Drive-Throughs - Within the Downtown Core (DC) and the Downtown Mixed Use (DMU) zoning districts, drive-through businesses are not allowed.

Safety Plans - Bars, nightclubs, lounges, and restaurants that have hours of exclusive alcohol service are required to prepare a Safety Plan, subject to review and approval by the Vacaville Police Department.

Maximum Setbacks - Most zoning districts under the DTSP have reduced minimum setbacks. Unlike other zoning districts in Vacaville, development in Downtown is also subject to maximum setback requirements to foster a walkable environment.

Relevant Departments and Agencies
The Community Development Department is responsible for processing development applications in Downtown, including planning entitlements and building permits. The Economic Development Department is responsible for attracting, engaging, and retaining businesses in Downtown. The Public Works Department is responsible for the engineering of development projects and the maintenance of Downtown facilities. The Housing and Community Services Department is responsible for working with private entities wishing to develop affordable housing or develop City-owned land, including navigation of the Surplus Land Act. The Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for development and programming at City-owned recreational facilities, including Andrews Park, Georgie Duke Sports Center, and the McBride Senior Center.

Local Political Representation
The Downtown Vacaville Business Improvement District (DVBID) is a nonproﬁt business-based assessment district whose mission is to activate Downtown Vacaville. DVBID is comprised of various members who seek to beautify and support Downtown. DVBID also hosts Downtown events, such as the Downtown Farmer’s Market, Holly Days Craft Fair, and Oktoberfest.

The Vacaville Chamber of Commerce is a business membership organization that represents over 500 businesses in Vacaville. The Vacaville Chamber seeks to improve the overall business climate in the community, including through advocacy, networking, education, and promotion.

The Vacaville Heritage Council and Solano County Historical Society are nonproﬁt organizations dedicated to preserving Solano County history.

The Old CVS Site is envisioned for new mixed-use development. 54 41

PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT
Neighborhood Associations
In 2023, the City launched Neighborhood Associations. Neighborhood Associations are a group of people that organize to identify issues, improve conditions, and accomplish speciﬁc goals in their neighborhood. Members can include residents and representatives from businesses, schools, and nonproﬁt organizations within deﬁned neighborhood boundaries.

There are no registered Neighborhood Associations within Downtown Vacaville.

Downtown Vacaville Institutions
There are many schools located within and around the DTSP Plan Area. Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy is located within the Plan Area next to Andrews Park. Blake Austin College, which is located in the Mason Street Centre, provides higher level medical education. Just outside the Plan Area are Vacaville High School and Kairos Public Charter School.

At Mason Street Centre, the Sutter Health Medical Plaza provides medical oﬃce services, including diabetes care, fertility and gynecology services, podiatry, primary care, urology, and vision care.

A number of religious organizations are also located in Downtown. These include Chabad of Solano County, Christ Church of the Valley, Church of God at Vacaville, Church of the Epiphany, First Church of Christ Scientist, Grace Community Church, Islamic Center of Vacaville, Living Waters Worship Center, Real Life Church, Shiloh Baptist Church, Solid Rock Ministry Center, St. Matthew Baptist Church, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, The Pentecostals of Vacaville, The Potter’s House Christian Church, The Refuge, and Vaca Valley Christian Life Center.

Major ﬁnancial institutions in Downtown include Bank of America, BMO, First Northern Bank, Travis Credit Union, Umpqua Bank, and U.S. Bank.

Sutter Health Medical Plaza and Blake Austin College
55 An unreinforced masonry building in
Downtown Vacaville across Town Square.
12 56
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CITY OF VACAVILLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
650 MERCHANT STREET
VACAVILLE, CA 95688
(707) 449-5430
[email protected]
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Vacaville City CouncilAugust 13, 2024

Vacaville City Council
August 13, 2024