City of Fairfield 2023-2031 Housing Element Update

City of Fairfield 2023-2031 Housing Element Update

For the 2023-2031 housing cycle, Solano County has been assigned a RHNA of 10,992 housing units with Fairfield receiving an allocation of 3,069 units at five income levels (Extremely Low, Very Low, Low, Moderate, and Above Moderate). While current zoning within the City’s specific plan areas permit higher densities (ranging from 8 to 80 dwelling units in the Heart of Fairfield Specific Plan area, and up to 50 dwelling units per acre in the Train Station Specific Plan area) and some commercial areas with Mixed Commercial zoning permit 32-50 dwelling units per acre, the HEU includes actions to spur infill on smaller lots in these areas and revise zoning in selected nonresidential zones to allow higher density housing and affirmatively further fair housing. Through implementation of the housing programs, potential housing sites were identified in the Sites Inventory to show the City’s ability to accommodate its RHNA allocation. Specifically, the HEU identifies that there are sufficient housing sites to accommodate its share of affordable housing through its inventory of potential housing sites located within vacant and underutilized non-vacant opportunity sites which promote infill development and are served by adequate infrastructure. The housing sites have been identified as part of the City’s coordinated planning actions underway for the comprehensive update of the City’s General Plan, which envisions new development concentrated in the downtown core (the Heart of Fairfield Specific Plan Area), near the Fairfield Train Station (Train Station Specific Plan area), near the Fairfield Transportation Center, along key corridors such as North Texas Street, and other infill areas throughout the City. These areas will contain a mix of uses around major streets with good access to transit and will include housing, employment, and neighborhood commercial uses. The HEU demonstrates that through implementation of the housing programs there will be sufficient housing sites to accommodate the City’s fair share of affordable housing especially along commercial corridors, in specific plan areas, and infill sites where there are no infrastructure deficiencies. These sites will allow residential development with expected densities ranging from 15 to 64 dwelling units per acre. Affordable housing development in these target areas will be enhanced through the City’s actions to create sustainable revenue streams for affordable housing; infill housing and small-lot development incentives; development of design standards for ‘missing middle’ housing; permitting of sites included in prior cycles to develop with affordable housing by right; and rezoning to allow higher densities on certain parcels in areas that are more moderately resourced. To affirmatively further fair housing in more moderately-resourced areas, the City will rezone seven parcels in the Cordelia area and east of Oliver Road. The remainder of sites utilize Fairfield’s existing land use and zoning classifications. The HEU demonstrates that through implementation of the housing programs there will be sufficient housing sites to accommodate the City’s fair share of affordable housing especially along commercial corridors, downtown, and infill sites where there are no infrastructure deficiencies. These sites will allow residential development with expected densities of up to 44 dwelling units per acre. Affordable housing development in these target areas will be enhanced through the City’s streamlined review of affordable housing pursuant to the requirements of Senate Bill (SB) 35. Such procedures to expedite review and approval may include the development of an application process and SB 35 eligibility checklist that allows completely affordable housing projects to be reviewed through an administrative process.

City of Fairfield, Fairfield

Solano

Citywide

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marin Region 7 (CDFW), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Transportation, District 4 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Planning (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Fish and Game Commission (CDFGC), California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Natural Resources Agency, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region 2 (RWQCB), California State Lands Commission (SLC), Delta Protection Commission, Delta Stewardship Council, Office of Historic Preservation, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, District 4, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality, California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Delta Region 3 (CDFW)

California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Delta Region 3 (CDFW)

Residential (Units 4188, Acres 177920)

Housing Element Update

Aesthetics, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Cumulative Effects, Economics/Jobs, Energy, Flood Plain/Flooding, Geology/Soils, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Land Use/Planning, Mandatory Findings of Significance, Mineral Resources, Noise, Population/Housing, Public Services, Recreation, Sewer Capacity, Transportation, Tribal Cultural Resources, Utilities/Service Systems, Wildfire