Project Update: as of 07/1/09
On December 6, 2006, the Fairfield City Council approved the Wal-Mart Supercenter project.
In January 2007, a lawsuit was filed alleging that the Environmental Impact Report ("EIR)" prepared by the City did not adequately evaluate project impacts as required by California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"). In September 2007, the Solano County Superior Court ruled in favor of the City, determining that the EIR meets all requirements of CEQA. The plaintiffs chose not to appeal the Court's decision.
In July 2008, Wal-Mart submitted an application for building permits, along with plans for demolition and construction. Wal-Mart completed the plan check process in late Spring 2009, and is now preparing the site for demolition and construction. This work is expected to begin in July 2009. Wal-Mart anticipates that the project will take a minimum of one-year to complete. The General Contractor for the project is EMJ Corportation of Sacramento.
Project Overview
The Supercenter is proposed on the approximately 18-acre site of the former Mission Village Shopping Center, on the west side of North Texas Street between Atlantic Avenue and Hawthorne Drive. The project would involve demolition of most of the existing center, and new construction of an approximately 185,000 square foot retail building and 16,000 square foot outdoor garden center at the north end of the site. In addition to space for general retail sales, the Wal-Mart Supercenter building would include a full grocery store. Approximately 48,000 square feet of the original center would be retained at the south end of the site. Uses to be retained include Liberty Christian Center and adjacent retail spaces fronting on Atlantic Avenue. Project plans may be viewed at the Department of Community Development, 1000 Webster Street in Fairfield.
A detailed overview of the project may be viewed by clicking on the link to the right labeled CH 3, Project Description.
Environmental Impact Report
In March 2006, the City released a draft EIR for the project. The draft EIR analyzes the project for potentially significant effects on the environment. Where feasible, the draft EIR also identifies mitigations that should be imposed upon the project to reduce significant effects to a less-than-significant level.
Each chapter of the draft EIR and its appendices can be viewed or printed by clicking on the links on the right side of this page. Chapter 3 presents a detailed project description. Chapter 2 presents a summary of significant environmental impacts and proposed mitigations. Detailed analysis of individual impact topics is contained in Chapter 4. To speed downloading, Chapter 4 has been divided here into two parts. Part 1 contains an analysis of impacts related to Land Use, Population, and Traffic. Part 2 contains an analysis of impacts related to Air Quality, Noise, Geology, Hydrology, Hazards, Public Services, Utilities, Visual Resources, Cultural Resources and Urban Decay.
The draft EIR was available for public comment for a 45-day period following its release. During the comment period, the City received comments from six public agencies and 89 individuals or organizations. These comments, along with written responses to the comments, and any revisions to the Draft EIR may be viewed by clicking on the "Final EIR" link to the right. In addition to being available on this web page, printed copies are available for review in two locations: the Department of Community Development, on the second floor of City Hall at 1000 Webster Street, and the Information Desk of the Fairfield Library at 1150 Kentucky Street.
Economic Impact Analysis
In addition to studying the environmental impacts of the project, the City has completed an analysis of the project?s economic impacts. The economic impact analysis is also available for downloading by clicking on the link to the right labeled Economic Impact Analysis. The economic impact analysis is also "Appendix E." to the EIR. An analysis of impacts to grocery stores can be viewed by clicking on the link at right labeled "Appendices", and then clicking on "Appendix F - Supermarket Impact Analysis" on the Appendices page.
Questions about the Project
If you have a question about the project or environmental impact report, you may contact Dave Feinstein, Senior Planner with the Department of Community Development by phone at (707) 428-7448 or by email at dfeinstein@ci.fairfield.ca.us.
For questions about the project's building permit application or the plan check process, contact the City's Building Division at (707) 428-7451.
For questions specifically about the Economic Impact Analysis (EIR Appendix E), contact Joe Lucchio, Economic Development Project Manager with the Department of Community Development by phone at (707) 428-7647 or by email at jlucchio@ci.fairfield.ca.us.
