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Board approves consultant contract to restart Pleasant Valley agritourism overlay work after earlier pause
Summary
Solano County approved a professional services agreement with PlaceWorks to resume planning for a Pleasant Valley Agricultural Tourism Overlay that staff and local farmers say should prioritize low‑impact agritourism and direct‑to‑consumer models.
The Solano County Board of Supervisors approved a professional services agreement with PlaceWorks to resume work on a Pleasant Valley Agricultural Tourism Overlay, an effort the county says will prioritize low‑impact, direct‑to‑consumer agritourism and economic development for working farms.
The work resumes a visioning effort that began in 2021 and was paused after public concerns and the pandemic. James Busek, director of Resource Management, and planning manager Alan Calder told the board that the county intends to reengage the consultant to produce a community‑informed framework emphasizing farm stays, u‑pick operations, workshops and other small‑scale agritourism uses that support farm viability without encouraging large commercial development.
Alexis Kofed, president of the Pleasant Valley Agriculture Association, urged the county to keep the overlay focused on working farms rather than hotels, gas stations and other high‑impact commercial uses, and to prioritize niche farms and low‑impact direct‑to‑consumer models. Staff said the scope of work includes two public meetings and broad stakeholder outreach.
The item was brought forward on the consent calendar and approved as part of the consent vote (5‑0). Staff said PlaceWorks had previously worked on elements of the project in 2021 and was rehired for continuity and to follow the board’s prior direction.
