Summer 2008

Commission Profile

Both Advisor and Decision Maker: Fairfield Planning Commission

The recent lowdown in California's housing market has allowed the Fairfield Planning Commission to catch its breath and focus on the longer term needs of the city. With several studies under way, this seven-member commission is delving into issues concerning urban design, density, infill, and transit-oriented development, as well as new commercial and industrial development.

Situated between Sacramento and San Francisco, southeast of the Napa Valley wine country, Fairfield is home to some 105,000 people. Travis Air Force Base, with its 15,000 military and civilian workers, is the city's largest employer.

The planning commission is an advisory body for zoning and general plan amendments and the deciding body for use permit applications, design and development reviews, tentative subdivision maps, and variances.

"Several years ago we went through a streamlining of the development review process," says Eve Somjen, Fairfield's director of community development. "Now, some items don't go on to the city council unless they're appealed."

"The planning commission serves as a filter for the city council," adds George Curry, the commission's vice chair. "We handle a lot of the preliminary approvals for projects. If the project is big enough or significant enough, it eventually makes its way to the council for approval. We do the groundwork and make recommendations."

Planning commissioners are appointed by the mayor and endorsed by the city council and may serve up to two four-year terms. A variety of backgrounds and interests are represented. On the current commission, for example, are an attorney, a physician, a retired traffic engineer, an IT specialist, an architect/real estate advisor, a trade union executive, and an electrical contractor.

The commission meets twice a month and meetings are broadcast on the local cable channel. "You can also view us on the city's website," says Gary Laski, chair of the planning commission.

Commissioners receive packets with staff reports and recommendations on the Friday before the Wednesday meeting. "We usually spend a couple of hours reading the materials," says Laski. "If there's an EIR [environmental impact report] involved it can take several more hours. And, if I'm not familiar with a site, I do go out and visit — usually the same day as the hearing."

Laski, an American Planning Association member for more than a decade, notes that Fairfield sends commissioners to the League of California Cities Planners Institute each year. The commission chair frequently uses APA's website to research issues. "When we had hearings regarding a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter, I looked up the PAS Report on Meeting the Big Box Challenge," he says. "I like to see how other cities deal with development issues."

Field trips are a popular learning tool. As part of its work on a train station master plan for the city's east side, Fairfield's commissioners visited other communities in Northern California to see how transit-oriented development and issues surrounding high-density development were handled, says Laski. "It was great to actually walk around and experience it firsthand, see how things worked out, and compare what other cities have done with similar projects," he says.

Sidebar: Fairfield's Future Under Development

"Fairfield is moving away from being a suburban bedroom community and toward being a more self-sufficient city," says Gary Laski. "Like most suburbs, we were designed around the car. But, as we grow, we need to include more urban planning principles as part of future development projects. How we handle that transition is our number one issue."

With several major studies under way, Fairfield is positioning itself to make that leap. This fall, the commission will consider a Train Station Specific Plan for the city's growing east side. Funding for a station along Amtrak's Capitol Corridor line has been secured and the commission is looking at transit-oriented development around the site. "We see it as a transportation village," says George Curry. "There will be a variety of residential and commercial options with different densities. Implementation will take years."

"This is an excellent opportunity to use the principles of new urbanism," says Laski. "We can incorporate pedestrian-friendly street design with a mix of shops and residences to create a sustainable neighborhood where people can live, work, and shop without having to drive all over town."

The master planning effort encompasses an area within a half-mile radius of the planned train station. Much of the land is vacant and would be annexed into the city, Eve Somjen explains.

Another planning study — known as the 80 to 80 Corridor Project — is scheduled for review later this year. It involves Fairfield's main thoroughfare, Texas Street, which is situated between two exits on Interstate 80. "We're looking at this old commercial corridor and seeing how we can redevelop and rezone the area," Somjen says. A market analysis indicated limited opportunity for additional retail and suggested the corridor's long-term viability is best served through the addition of higher density infill housing. The planning staff is working on an updated vision and strategic action plan for the corridor.

"The area presents opportunities for redevelopment with different intensities," says Somjen. "Increased residential activity will help support commercial activity in the central core of downtown. Then we can work with local businesses on some mixed use projects to strengthen the commercial core."

Sustainability is a concern for the planning commission. "The commission is getting more involved in terms of design and understanding its impact on the long-term viability of a project," says Erin Beavers, Fairfield's assistant director of community development. "They want it to stand the test of time."

"More growth is coming," says Laski, "and we see this as an opportunity to ensure that future developments are well designed and make good planning sense. There are many in the community who want to classify the commission as pro-growth or no-growth. The fact is that most of us on the commission are in favor of balanced growth — growth that will help make our city a much better place to live, work, shop, and play."