Analyzing the Green Valley Mixed-Use II Project

(A1) The Proposal

The Green Valley Mixed-Use II Project is to build two double-story office buildings, one

five-story office building, two medical care service buildings, one restaurant/retail building, and

258 apartments on a currently undeveloped land space between Business Center Drive and

Suisun Valley Road in Fairfield, CA. It was proposed by the A.G Spanos Company to the City of

Fairfield who will make the final decision on the matter.

(A2) Context and Historical Background

The Green Valley Mixed-Use II Project is proposed in the Green Valley area of Fairfield,

CA which is primarily residential neighborhoods and a business park with very few retail areas.

Even though the project is in Green Valley, which has residential areas, the project location is in

the heart of the Business Park where not a lot of residential neighborhoods are. The project

would be visible from both Interstate 80 and Interstate 680. There was a Green Valley

Mixed-Use I Project which was the creation of the Verdant Apartments, a separate project from

the proposed 258 new apartments in the Green Valley Mixed-Use II Project. Green Valley

Mixed-Use II is about a mile away from the Green Valley Mixed-Use I Project, and it adds more

apartments to the area, as well as the office buildings, medical buildings, and restaurant/retail

building. Harvey Shine is the current owner of both lands, he is a real estate developer, and he

supports the project

My connection to the proposal is that it is in my hometown of Fairfield, CA. My first job

was right across the highway from the location of the proposed project, so I know the area well

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from driving to and from work for over a year. Because I worked at a restaurant in that area, I

was impacted by how little retail was in the area compared to the size of the Business Park and

neighborhoods as it made my place of work very crowded at times.

(A3) Other Key Details of the Proposal

The Green-Valley Mixed-Use II Project requires zoning changes “from current

designations of industrial business park to residential, very high density and public facility.”1 The

project sits on 13.32 acres of land2 in the heart of the Green Valley Business Park, which is why

it would require the zoning change. The project would also turn current Neitzel Road into an I-80

and I-680 on-ramp. The total amount of commercial space the project would take up is 22,600

square feet.3 Because the area is currently limited in retail space besides 1 shopping center,

Costco, and the Green Valley Junction which has many fast-food restaurants across the highway,

the project would bring more retail to an area otherwise limited on it. The apartments proposed

would range from “550 square feet to 1,310 square feet in size, with a mix of 48 studio units, 132

one-bedroom units, and 101 two-bedroom units.”4

(B) Arguments for the Proposal

One of the arguments in favor of the proposal is that the proposed retail/restaurant space

will bring more commercialism to an area currently dominated by Safeway, Costco, and fast

1
​Hansen, T. R. (2019). ​Green Valley project, Vacaville hotel rezone go before county airport panel.​ Fairfield, CA: Daily
Republic. Retrieved November 15, 2019, from
https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/fairfield/green-valley-project-vacaville-hotel-rezone-go-before-county-a
irport-panel/
2
IBID.
3
IBID​.
4
​Green Valley II.​ (2019). Fairfield, CA: City of Fairfield, California. Retrieved November 15, 2019, from
http://www.fairfield.ca.gov/gov/depts/cd/planning/green_valley_ii_mixed_use.asp

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food restaurants. Bringing more commercialism is a benefit because it creates more competition

for Safeway and Costco, and it also allows residents to have more shopping options without

having to drive farther away. Right now, the next closest retail store besides Safeway and Costco

is Target. The distance from Costco and Safeway to Target is about 5.7 miles away, which is

about an eleven minute drive on a day without traffic. The distance to the Solano Town Center

Mall, the heart of retail in Fairfield, is 6.8 miles from Costco, while Walmart is 8.7 miles away.

As you can see, these distances can be very inconvenient for many people to travel to on work

days, and can be even more inconvenient for those that take public transportation or are disabled.

Adding more retail to Green Valley can eliminate the inconvenience of travelling over 5 miles

for a different retail experience, and that is why some of those who live in Green Valley are in

favor of the Green Valley Mixed Use Project. This could also have positive effects on the

environment because having more retail be closer could lead to residents of Green Valley driving

less. Less driving leads to less carbon emissions from vehicles, which is critical in the current

environmental crisis.

Another argument in favor of the Green Valley Mixed-Use Project is that residents say it

could re-energize the Green Valley Business Park. Since the 2008 crash, the Business Park has

been in a slump, with high vacancy rates plaguing the area. According to the Daily Republic, the

local newspaper for Fairfield, “Fairfield is now experiencing a vacancy rate of approximately 3

percent, the lowest in Solano County.”5 ​It is said that the low vacancy rate is due to the

expansion of existing businesses in Fairfield, such as Jelly Belly and Berlin Packaging. ​Those in

5
​Skillman, W and Miller, B. (2018). ​Economic Notes: Fairfield attractive to US, international businesses.​ Fairfield, CA: Daily
Republic. Retrieved from
https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/solano-business/local-business-columnists/economic-notes-fairfield-attr
active-to-us-international-businesses/

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favor of the project believe that the proposed office spaces can bring more business to the park as

it creates the idea of a new start that is appealing to many businesses.

The proposed apartment building could also bring a positive effect to not only the Green

Valley area but Fairfield as a whole because it brings more housing to the currently overcrowded

Bay Area. In recent years, the average price of a home in the San Jose area reached one million

dollars. Prices in other parts of the Bay Area, such as Berkeley, Alameda, and Oakland are

almost at one million dollars as well. East Bay prices such as Concord, Pinole, and Martinez are

at an average of about half a million dollars, which is also a great increase for that area in recent

years. Because of the highly unaffordable housing prices in the suburbs of the Bay Area, many

people are being pushed into areas at the outskirts of the Bay Area that are closer to much more

affordable Sacramento, such as Fairfield. This is causing an increase in housing prices in

Fairfield to occur as well, with an increase from and average of $223,000 in November of 2012

to an average of $451,000 in November 2019.6 Those in favor of the Green Valley Mixed Use

Project agree that the creation of the proposed apartment complex has the ability to relieve some

of the pressure on the ever increasing housing market in Fairfield.

(C) Arguments Against the Proposal

One of the arguments against the Green Valley Mixed-Use II Project is the fact that the

apartments will increase school traffic. The Green Valley area and the Business Park especially

6
​Fairfield Home Prices & Values​. N.p.: Zillow. Retrieved from https://www.zillow.com/fairfield-ca/home-values/

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rely on a few main roads to get in and out, so many residents are worried about there being a

gridlock with school traffic. As Nora Dizon, a Green Valley resident, said in a comment on an

article about the project, “That means there will be more school traffic... dropping off and

picking up kids at Oakbrook or CHE [Cordelia Hills Elementary], GV [Green Valley] Middle

School, and Rodriguez HS.​”7 This is because there are essentially only four main roads that lead

out of the proposed project site: Neitzel Road, Suisun Valley Road, Business Center Drive, and

Mangels Boulevard. Also cause for concern is that with Neizel Road being turned into a freeway

on-ramp, there will in actuality only be three main roads that lead out of the proposed site, which

will create even more traffic. Not only are those the only main roads that lead out of the project

site, but they are also the main roads that lead to the nearby schools such as Nelda Mundy

Elementary School and Solano Community College. Therefore, not only will people be taking

these roads from the proposed apartments, but people that live in surrounding residential areas

will also be taking these roads.

Another main concern for current residents is the fact that the project includes no police

or fire substation. This is a cause for concern because it stretches the only police station and fire

substation in that area thin. This would allow more crime to occur because there is no law

enforcement to prevent it. Heather Ringo, a concerned citizen, comments, “Existing

infrastructure for our area is already overburdened. Adding another 250+ people would further

compound the spotty law enforcement response…”8 Currently, there is only one police station in

7
​Dizon, N. (2018). Comment on​: Mixed-use Fairfield project garners concerns over apartment buildings​. Fairfield, CA: Nora
Dizon. Retrieved November 20, 2019, from
https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/fairfield/mixed-use-fairfield-project-garners-concerns-over-apartment-b
uildings/
8
​Ringo, H. (2018). Comment On​: Mixed-use Fairfield project garners concerns over apartment buildings​. Fairfield, CA:
Heather Ringo. Retrieved November 20, 2019, from
https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/fairfield/mixed-use-fairfield-project-garners-concerns-over-apartment-b
uildings/

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Fairfield. It is 6.4 miles away from the proposed project site. There are five fire substations

scattered throughout the City of Fairfield. However, there is only one in the Green Valley area,

and it is 4 miles away from the proposed project site. This is problematic because the farther a

fire station is from residential neighborhoods, the longer the response time is. With more housing

being added to an area that already only has one fire station in a 4 mile radius, this can

potentially lead to even longer response times.

A major environmental concern is that the Green Valley Mixed-Use II Project has the

potential to lead to the abandonment of a group of Swaison’s Hawks’ nests. The California

Department of Fish and Wildlife determined that some Swaison’s Hawks nest within the project

site or with 0.25 miles of the project site. This is deemed an environmental problem because the

noises and sights created by the project have a great potential to disturb these hawks which will

cause them to abandon their nests. In addition to the noise and sights the project would cause,

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife says that, “the Project would remove

approximately 13.32 acres of potentially suitable Swaison’s hawk foraging habitat.”9 The

abandonment of the Swaison’s hawk nest is a very dangerous thing as this species

qualifies as threatened under the California Environmental Quality Act. In recent years the

Swaison’s hawk numbers have decreased in great numbers mostly due to habitat loss. The

Department of Fish and Wildlife recommend that the project be moved out of the nesting area, or

not be done at all. It is not just the Department of Fish and Wildlife that are concerned about the

environmental impacts of the project. Local residents are concerned as well. When asked her

opinion about the effect the project might have on the Swaison’s hawk nest, Brianna

9
​Erickson, G. (2019). Fairfield, CA: State of California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved from CEQA.

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Vandenhende, a resident of Fairfield, said, “Those in charge of this project should definitely

consider the local nesting sites… of the Sawison's hawks. If they are not careful enough then

they might wipe out the population in that area…”10 Brianna says she thinks that the company in

charge of the project should take precautions not to affect the Swaison’s hawks nesting sites.

Another environmental impact that may be caused by Green Valley Mixed-Use II is that

it can lead to the abandonment of burrowing owls’ nests. The draft EIR created by the project

leaders claim that there is no threat to the burrowing owl as there is no reporting of burrowing

owls in the project site area. However, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife claims

that there is in fact a threat on the burrowing owls’ nests on the grounds that, “there are

documented occurrences of the species within 5 miles of the project site.”11 Because burrowing

owls nest within 5 miles of the project site, it can be concluded that the project site is within the

owls’ mobility range, which can cause them to nest within the project site area. Even if they do

not nest within the site, they may use it for foraging instead. The Department of Fish and

Wildlife suggests that there should be permanent preservation of the two known breeding sites of

the burrowing owls, which leads to the Green Valley Mixed-Use II Project not being built.

This proposal could also adversely impact riparian habitat. This is because a stream

supporting riparian habitat is located west of Suisun Valley Road and Neitzel Roads, within the

project site. If the project were to be built, the plants and small animals living around the stream

could lose their habitat. According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, it could do this by,

“resulting in loss or degradation of this vulnerable habitat type.”12 Riparian habitats are

especially vulnerable and significant to our ecosystem because they are a home for many

10
​Vandenhende, B. (2019, November 21). Personal interview via email.
11
​Erickson, G. (2019). Fairfield, CA: State of California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved from CEQA.
12
​IBID.

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threatened and endangered species. Riparian habitats also contain a lot of biodiversity, which is

critical to habitats all around the area, not just the ones inside the project site. According to the

USDA, “People's most common disturbance to riparian areas involves clearing vegetation and

converting the area to other uses such as cropland and urban land.”13 Building the Green Valley

Mixed-Use II Project could make these species even more threatened and endangered because it

most definitely falls under the category of disturbing a riparian habitat by converting the area to

urban land.

(D) Annotated Bibliography

Hansen, T. R. (2019). ​Green Valley project, Vacaville hotel rezone go before county airport
panel.​ Fairfield, CA: Daily Republic. Retrieved November 15, 2019, from
https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/fairfield/green-valley-project-va
caville-hotel-rezone-go-before-county-airport-panel/
This is an article from Fairfield, CA’s local newspaper, the Daily Republic. It contains
information about multiple projects taking place in Solano County, one of which is the Green
Valley Mixed-Use II Project. Newspapers are a valuable source to include in a paper because it
includes unbiased information. Rather than including an opinion, the reporter just states the facts
of a situation.

Green Valley II​. (2019). Fairfield, CA: City of Fairfield, California. Retrieved November 15,
2019, from
http://www.fairfield.ca.gov/gov/depts/cd/planning/green_valley_ii_mixed_use.asp
This is a page on the City of Fairfield’s website about the Green Valley Mixed-Use II Project.
This source is reliable because it does not state any opinions about the project. It just gives the
numbers and statistics that the project will bring to the City of Fairfield.

Skillman, W and Miller, B. (2018). ​Economic Notes: Fairfield attractive to US, international
businesses.​ Fairfield, CA: Daily Republic. Retrieved from
https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/solano-business/local-business-c
olumnists/economic-notes-fairfield-attractive-to-us-international-businesses/
This is a newspaper article published by the Daily Republic as well. It gives news about
businesses in the City of Fairfield. However, this page is bias. It clearly gives the bias that the
City of Fairfield would be a great place to invest into and that building newer offices will bring

13
​Natural Resources Conservation Service. ​Riparian Areas Environmental Uniqueness, Functions, and Values.​ (1996). N.p.:
United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved November 20, 2019, from
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/technical/?cid=nrcs143_014199

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more businesses to the city. The political leanings in this article are in favor of the Green Valley
Mixed-Use II Project and it effects the authors’ writing by making Fairfield seem like a more
appealing place to build offices.

Fairfield Home Prices & Values​.. N.p.: Zillow. Retrieved from

https://www.zillow.com/fairfield-ca/home-values/
This is a page on the website Zillow, which gives home prices. This page gives information on
the average home price in Fairfield currently as well as in years past. This source is reliable
because it updates daily, so you are getting real time home prices. It also stores the real time
home prices so you get accurate information on previous home prices.

Dizon, N. (2018). Comment on​: Mixed-use Fairfield project garners concerns over apartment
buildings​. Fairfield, CA: Nora Dizon. Retrieved November 20, 2019, from
https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/fairfield/mixed-use-fairfield-proj
ect-garners-concerns-over-apartment-buildings​/
This source is a comment on an article about the Green Valley Mixed-Use II Project. The author,
Nora, is a concerned citizen of the Green Valley area. Her children go to school in this area and
she drives in the school traffic, which makes her a reliable source to gather information about
traffic in that area. However, Nora is bias. Her viewpoint is very clear that she is not in favor of
the project, which makes her written comment very emotionally-laden.

Ringo, H. (2018). Comment On​: Mixed-use Fairfield project garners concerns over apartment
buildings​. Fairfield, CA: Heather Ringo. Retrieved November 20, 2019, from
https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/fairfield/mixed-use-fairfield-proj
ect-garners-concerns-over-apartment-buildings​/
This source is also a comment on the same article as above. The author, Heather, is also a
concerned citizen of the Green Valley area. This makes her a reliable source to gather
information about the resources of the police and fire department in that area. However, Heather
is bias. ​Her viewpoint is very clear that she is not in favor of the project, which makes her
written comment very emotionally-laden.

Erickson, G. (2019). Fairfield, CA: State of California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Retrieved from CEQA.
Gregg Erickson is the regional manager of the Delta-Bay Region of the California Department of
Fish and Wildlife. This makes him a very reliable source because he is very knowledgeable on
flora and fauna in the area and what will and will not affect them. His writing contains a
professional background, which is a great source to have in a paper.

Vandenhende, B. (2019, November 21). Personal interview via email.

Brianna Vandenhende is a local resident of the city of Fairfield, California. This makes her a
reliable source to gather information on the opinions that local residents have about the project.
Having a personal interview with her also makes her a reliable source because it eliminates any
possibility of her opinion being falsely reported, as I am the one directly receiving her

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statements. Compared to taking a quote out of an article, it is more reliable as the reporter can
change the wording of a person’s quote to convey a different meaning.

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