Are farmers being forced out by development, and should the City stop building on farmland?

Land use changes in Dixon usually happen through a combination of long-range planning and individual property owner decisions. The City cannot require a landowner to sell their property for development. In most cases, if farmland is being considered for a different use, it is because the property owner has chosen to pursue that option and requested a change in land use designation through the City’s planning process.

Any landowner can request a General Plan Amendment, whether the property is inside city limits or in the broader planning area. Those requests are then reviewed through public hearings and evaluated based on the City’s long-term growth plans.

At the same time, preserving agricultural land is an important consideration in how Dixon plans for the future. The City looks at where growth makes sense over time while also considering how to maintain open space and farming where appropriate. This is part of a broader effort to guide growth in a planned and orderly way rather than on a case-by-case basis without context.

It is also worth noting that land outside city limits is governed by the County, which has its own approval process and land use designations. That means agricultural land can still be affected by different types of development decisions even if it is not annexed into the City.