DIXON, CA (MPG) - During public comment at the March 18 Dixon City Council meeting, a resident shared ongoing concerns about the need for a stop sign at the intersection of 4th Street and A Street.

The resident said there have been many near-collisions between cars and pedestrians in that crosswalk and that five children have been hit by cars at that location in the last year, with one occurring just that day. She said the neighborhood has asked for a stop sign for years but were told by city staff that there wasn’t enough traffic to justify it.

“You need to re-examine this issue. People are going to keep getting hurt,” she said.

Two residents shared concerns about potential U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids breaking up local families. Dixon is an agricultural city, with many farms employing Hispanic and Latino workers. Those workers are now living in fear that they will be taken away from their homes and families, the residents said.

“Aside from the fact that our economy largely depends on migrant labor, these are your neighbors. These are our children’s and grandchildren’s schoolmates. These are the owners of your favorite restaurants. They are an integral part of Dixon in countless ways. … No one deserves to live in fear. Not my family and not my city,” one woman said.

Both speakers asked the council to consider taking steps to make Dixon a sanctuary city.

Dixon City Manager Jim Lindley addressed the child hit at the intersection of 4th and A streets: “A juvenile was on an electric scooter, riding it illegally on the sidewalk, apparently going faster than the law allows, and actually went into the intersection and struck a car, not the other way around.” 

Lindley said the child wasn’t wearing a helmet and that there have been several similar incidents recently. As a result, Lindley said, the Dixon Police Department will issue tickets and fines instead of warnings “to try to get people to understand their responsibility and the rules of the road.”

Vice-Mayor Thom Bogue said he was glad there would be more enforcement and he also supported revisiting the possibility of a stop sign at that intersection. 

Councilmember Kevin Johnson agreed that the council should reexamine the need for a stop sign at 4th and A. He said he would also like to learn more about the designation of a sanctuary city, so the city attorney offered to hold a meeting with two councilmembers and the city manager to explain the details.

Johnson said to the speakers, “We are listening.” 

The council then considered a proposal by Dixon Venture, LLC, for a mixed-use development called The Campus. Planned for approximately 257 acres of undeveloped farmland west of Pedrick Road, the project would construct up to 1,041 residential units in villages of various density, as well as a Dixon Opportunity Center for warehouses, offices and other commercial uses. Parks, paseos and green spaces would interconnect the site with the intention of creating a walkable neighborhood where residents both live and work. 

The project was filed under the protections of Senate Bill (SB) 330, the Housing Accountability Act, which aims to address the housing crisis by limiting cities’ ability to disapprove of residential development proposals. However, staff explained that the applicant waived many of the legal challenges allowed under SB 330 and collaborated with the city to achieve a mutually beneficial and financially feasible project. 

The applicant also made various modifications to the plan after hearing concerns from the public and local stakeholders. For example, after concerns from Campbell’s tomato processing center, which is located east of the project site, the applicant moved the storm drainage detention basis to that side of the project to provide a buffer zone between the processing center and the planned residential spaces. 

Staff found that the project is consistent with the city’s General Plan and Zoning Code but it would result in significant and unavoidable environmental impacts. The staff recommendation contends that those impacts are outweighed by the benefits of increased housing opportunities and new job generation. 

The plan also includes a partnership obligation between the city and the owners’ group that the industrial area be marketed for development with ongoing input and oversight by City Council. The cost of infrastructure improvements will be supported by the residential component of the project, making the commercial area shovel-ready and highly attractive to new developers. A $2-million Public Benefit Fee will be paid to the City of Dixon from building permit fees collected from the first 80 residential units, funds which the city has already earmarked for a new fire station. 

During public hearing, some members of local unions expressed disappointment that the applicant hasn’t agreed to exclusively use union labor for the project. 

Representatives from Campbell’s said they appreciate that the applicant took their concerns into account but want more assurance that future development wouldn’t encroach into the buffer zone. 

Other residents were concerned about the environmental impact, the potential traffic increases and the impact on existing infrastructure, with some asking if Dixon was trying to grow at an unsustainable rate. 

The applicant said that compromises were offered with the labor groups to guarantee some portions of the project would use union labor but a full union agreement would make the project financially infeasible. 

Councilmember Jim Ernest made it clear that the buffer zone will be owned by the city as part of the new public park area and the agreement is “ironclad,” so it cannot be turned into housing in the future. He added that much of Dixon’s workforce commutes to other areas, so it would be a great benefit to bring more jobs to the city. Ernest said the new parks and detention ponds will offer usable amenities to residents, so this project is “something that could actually work.” 

Councilmember Johnson said he is always an advocate for increasing the amount of park space and affordable housing, adding that the residential improvements will bring the infrastructure necessary to attract commercial developers: “We’re creating a situation that is not there now. Right now, we have dirt.” He said the project will be an overall benefit for Dixon. 

Councilmember Don Hendershot said he appreciated how responsive the applicant has been to addressing concerns from the public. 

Vice-Mayor Bogue said he appreciates the potential to attract new industries to the city and to help Dixon meet housing mandates. 

Mayor Steven Bird said the applicant “made a lot of significant changes that they didn’t have to do. But they did it to be a good neighbor, to come here and work side by side with existing businesses.” 

The council voted unanimously to approve The Campus proposal. 

The next Dixon City Council meeting is scheduled for April 1.