DIXON, CA (MPG) - It looks like North First Street won’t be a straight road of commercial businesses after all.

A new 13-acre parcel across from Tractor Supply will get 100 small, detached homes aimed at first-time homebuyers and workplace professionals of the industrial area nearby. It will also have a gas station/convenience store on the corner of North Lincoln.

After eight years of entertaining various versions to put the land to use, Lewis Land Developers has spent the last three years on the large lot on North First Street, the formal application was received in fall of 2020 and was put on hold until the completion of the General Plan which was done in spring of 2021 and then changed from straight commercial to mixed use along Highway 113, according to Raffi Boloyan, Community Development Director.

Ultimately, there will be 101 lots: one commercial lot for the gas station with a car wash and 100 zoned residential for the homes. Rotten Robbie is a family-owned company that will own and operate the corner gas station.

The project was approved at the last City Planning Commission after it had already satisfied a litany of impact reports including sound and many questions by those commissioners, passing 6-1 (one commissioner was absent.) There have also been public meetings without opposition.

Several citizens near Schooner Ridge expressed concern over privacy since the homes are 2-story and will easily overlook the backyards of the residents that back up to that area. Some said they were not notified, and Boloyan listed the various dates and sources utilized to inform the public. There were also concerns of security and traffic; however, all of those issues were brought up in the Planning Commission Meeting on March 8 and the developer did resolve most of those.

District 4 Rep Don Hendershot empathized with the concerns of the residents but said they are the same concerns in any neighborhood, and that he has a daughter and a pool that can be seen by neighbors. He told those concerned that he planted trees and used decorative fencing to afford privacy.

Dist. 3 Rep Kevin Johnson, a long-time Realtor and former Planning Commissioner took some time to explain his decision to favor the development mainly due to California facing a housing shortage and to have affordable housing for younger generations or for families who wanted to stay in Dixon. He also warned lots of possible noisy, potentially invasive businesses that could go in there if this one was not approved.

Opposition comments were made by both former Councilmen Herb Cross and Mike Ceremello who were concerned that it was a “quick fix” and not in alignment with the original General Plan for the city.

It has been heard in the past at many meetings from newer residents who would like to close the doors on any other growth because they moved here ‘for the small town.’ A Dixon High School student speaking for other students also expressed that sentiment.

Johnson made an amendment of removing the proposed easement in the back because it would be difficult to enforce as well as changing the fencing outside the park to a more open type to protect children and the motion passed 4-0. Councilman Jim Ernest was absent.

In other city news, two firefighters, Battalion Chief Jason Barker and Engineer Taylor McAbee were promoted and given public recognition at the meeting. We will also be getting a new ‘Welcome to Dixon’ sign near the Lincoln/Highway 113 corner.