Planning Commission to discuss entertainment zones
The Vacaville Planning Commission will meet Tuesday evening to discuss the possibility of entertainment zones in Downtown Vacaville, conduct a General Plan Consistency Review for the Capital Improvement Program, amend the Vandengate Development Agreement, and discuss the Orange Apartments and Retail Development Project.
In 2024, the state legislature passed State Bill 969, which authorized cities to establish "entertainment zones" where licensed businesses could be allowed to sell alcoholic beverages on public streets, sidewalks or public rights-of-way. The Vacaville city staff have been working on a pilot program for months across multiple departments.
"City staff is proposing a pilot program exclusively for the CreekWalk Concert Series in Summer 2026 with a sunset date of January 1, 2027," the staff report reads. "The timing and program zones can be adjusted based on feedback received from the Planning Commission, City Council, and in coordination with the Vacaville Police Department."
The developers of the Vandengate proposal have asked the city to amend the development agreement to remove a Community Benefit Contribution (CBC) fee of $8,370 for each single-family home proposed in the subdivision. The Vacaville City Council agreed on that fee in 2018 to fund the construction of the Southtown Fire Station 75 and for equipment for that station, or for any other capital improvement or land acquisition considered a community-wide benefit by the Vacaville City Council.
The staff reports states that in October 2020, the City repaid all construction loan costs associated with Fire Station No. 75.
In 2022, the city council adopted the current DIF program and discontinued the collection of all CBC fees.
The Orange Apartments and Retail Development Project aims to construct a 73-unit apartment complex and a 9,600 square foot retail building on a currently vacant 3.76-acre site south of Orange Drive and East of Leisure Town Road.
According to the staff report, the project includes a request to subdivide the main site into two parcels: 2.76 acres for the apartments and 1.00 acres for the retail building. Access to the retail building would be provided on Leisure Town Road, and access to the apartment site would be provided on Orange Drive.
The apartment complex would have both two and three-story buildings and would contain 36 one-bedroom venues, 30 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom units. The retail building would include a single-story building with seven tenant spaces. Amenities could include a 2,035 square foot clubhouse, an outdoor pool, and a dog park.
"The site plan would provide 121 on-site parking spaces for the apartments and 36 spaces for the retail building," the staff report reads.
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