Community Invited to Help Create Fairgrounds Vision

VALLEJO, CALIF.—(March 16, 2009)—The first in a series of community workshops aimed at soliciting public input for potential future uses of the Solano County Fairgrounds will be held on March 18, the County’s master development team announced today. The workshops are part of a broad community outreach program that includes community interviews, a website and online survey, and meetings with groups county-wide. Brooks Street, an experienced Vallejo-based master development company, has been hired by the County of Solano to help create a vision for the 152-acre property located at the intersection of Interstate 80 and Highway 37.

Community Workshop
The first workshop will be held Wednesday, March 18, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the County Building at the Solano County Fairgrounds, 900 Fairgrounds Drive, Vallejo. The session will include an introduction of the project team, overview of the visioning process and discussion of the Guiding Principles and potential future land uses.

Members of the project team will be on hand to answer questions and gather public input. In addition to Brooks Street, the project team includes the award-winning land planning firm of SWA Group and the economic/market consulting firm of ERA.

Guiding Principles
The County and the City of Vallejo recently voted to adopt the following principles to guide the planning process:

• Generate revenues for Solano County and the City of Vallejo, create jobs and ensure long-term economic sustainability.
• Establish a unique place with an unmistakable identity that serves as a destination for visitors as well as a pedestrian-friendly community gathering place.
• Explore a mix of complementary land uses, including retail, commercial, hospitality, recreational, residential, family- and youth-oriented, educational, and public.
• Provide pedestrian, bicycle, vehicular and transit facilities that foster easy access to, from and within the site.
• Explore increased physical connectivity and synergy with Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, downtown Vallejo, the waterfront and other existing commercial operations.
• Incorporate sustainable and green principles in all aspects of the development.

Solano360 Website
A new website (www.Solano360.org) has been launched to support the community outreach effort. It provides an overview of the planning process, gallery of images, calendar of events and an online survey.

Meet the Project Manager
The public is invited to meet with Brooks Street project manager Wanda Chihak from 9 a.m. to noon every Monday at the Community Outreach Office, 401 Amador Street, Vallejo. To schedule an appointment, please contact Ms. Chihak at 707-558-0222.

Background
Planning for the future of the Fairgrounds property has been a priority of both the County and City for nearly a decade. On July 25, 2000, the Solano County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution directing the development of a common vision for the redevelopment of the Fairgrounds property. The resolution cited the desire to support the continuation of the annual Fair as well as explore better utilization of the site. In 2001, the City of Vallejo adopted a resolution to “encourage and support development of the Fairgrounds to a higher and better use.”

On September 30, 2008, the Solano County Board of Supervisors voted to conduct a visioning process for the future of the Solano County Fairgrounds.

Recently, the County and the City approved a Memorandum of Understanding for the purpose of partnering to pursue the redevelopment of the Fairgrounds. This cooperative effort is underway and is exploring a range of potential land uses and economic development opportunities that can benefit the entire community.

For more information about creating a new vision of the Solano County Fairgrounds for the benefit of the community, please visit www.Solano360.org.