Fairfield council backs study to remake Cordelia Cissoon Valley Gateway for North Bay Health campus

The Fairfield City Council on April 7 signaled unanimous support to pursue a change to the city’s general plan so a proposed North Bay Health medical campus and related commercial development can move forward at the Cordelia‑Cissoon Valley Gateway site. The council asked staff to open a robust public‑engagement phase and to set high design standards for a project that council members described as a possible “gateway” to the city.

The study session examined two proposals for roughly 44 acres at the southeastern corner of Cissoon Valley Road and Business Center Drive: Discovery Builders’ commercial concept with drive‑throughs, a service station and surface retail, and North Bay Health’s proposal for a 30‑acre medical campus with a medical office building, surface and underground parking, gardens and a rooftop helipad. “We’re looking at this as a destination,” said Larry Schol, chief strategy officer at North Bay Health, describing plans to relocate some services from the system’s downtown site to a larger campus.

City staff told council the adopted Fairfield Forward 2050 general plan currently envisions a walkable mixed‑use lifestyle center at the site; the two proposals do not align with that prior vision. Jonathan Atkinson, principal planner, asked whether council was open to a new vision that could include auto‑oriented uses or health‑care uses. After questions from council about traffic, ambulance access, parking and how the old North Bay facility might be reused, members responded that a medical‑focused use was acceptable provided the council directs a high level of public outreach and sets robust design expectations.

Discovery Builders and North Bay representatives said they had worked together on shared circulation and design concepts and that they expect strong market interest in commercial uses if a hospital anchors the campus. Lewis Parsons of Discovery Builders said the developers envision a carefully curated retail and plaza area to connect the campus to the surrounding community.

Council members said they favored targetting destination‑oriented uses rather than purely auto‑oriented development, and asked staff to return with a public‑engagement plan, traffic and environmental analysis scope and a recommended approach to a general‑plan amendment. “We want top‑quality architecture and plazas — this must be an exceptional gateway,” said Vice Mayor Bertani.

Next steps: staff will begin community outreach and refine scope and traffic/environmental analyses; no entitlement is approved and no votes were taken on specific development applications at this session.