Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Vacaville council approves general‑plan and zoning changes for Harvest Ridge but withholds subdivision approval
Summary
The council voted to adopt general plan and zoning map amendments for the 9.91‑acre Harvest Ridge site at Leisure Town Road and Redstone Parkway but declined to approve the developer’s tentative subdivision map, citing safety concerns with the proposed 5‑foot driveway deviations. Council asked staff and the applicant to redesign and return.
Vacaville’s City Council voted Feb. 24 to adopt a general plan amendment and a zoning map amendment for a 9.91‑acre remnant parcel in the Southtown area, but stopped short of approving the developer’s tentative subdivision map.
Senior planner Albert Veil told the council staff supports changing the site from high‑density to medium‑density residential and noted the proposal would yield about 134 lots (roughly 13.5 units per acre). He said the project meets many standards but that the developer requested multiple deviations from city rules — the most significant being a reduction of the garage‑to‑front‑property‑line setback from the city standard of 18 feet down to 5 feet on much of the interior streets. Staff, along with the police, fire and city attorney’s offices, described that reduction as a serious sight‑distance and pedestrian‑safety concern that would increase enforcement and liability risks.
The applicant said the shorter driveways are needed to deliver “missing middle” workforce housing at lower price points and proposed mitigations including deeper driveways along the busier frontage streets, garage windows to improve rear visibility, a homeowners association to manage parking, and additional on‑street parking credits. The applicant also pointed to examples in other jurisdictions and argued modern rear‑view cameras make some traditional sight‑distance assumptions conservative.
Public commenters were split. Several neighbors and the police and fire chiefs warned that 5‑foot driveways that dump directly onto public sidewalks and streets would obscure motorists’ views and push pedestrians into the roadway; others who visited comparable developments in Livermore said short‑driveway designs had not produced the predicted problems there.
After extended council discussion, Councilmember Chapman moved to approve only the general plan and zoning changes and to withhold approval of the tentative subdivision map so the applicant can redesign elements that raise public‑safety concerns. The motion passed on roll call: Stockton yes; Ritchie no; Chapman yes; Wiley yes; Vice Mayor Silva yes; Mayor yes.
Council directed staff to continue working with the applicant on alternative designs (for example, alleyway or cluster lot approaches, different driveway configurations, or private‑street/HOA options) and to return with a revised tentative map. The council’s action locks the site’s land‑use designation at medium density but does not authorize construction of the 134‑lot layout as proposed.
What happens next: staff and the applicant will meet to produce a revised tentative map addressing sight‑distance, emergency access, parking, and open‑space concerns. The council did not set a new hearing date; staff said it will return with design options and alternatives once available.
