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Update Log
The City hosted five in-person roundtable workshops across all council districts to gather direct resident input. As part of the workshops, the City shared a proposed revised Notice of Preparation map for direct feedback from the community regarding the study areas for potential environmental impact.
The Dixon Grown initiative officially debuted to the public with the launch of DixonGrown.com and a virtual workshop.
The City launched a community-wide survey to gauge resident priorities and began finalizing the Dixon Grown outreach and branding strategy.
The City issued the initial Notice of Preparation (NOP) to officially begin defining the scope of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed development areas.
The City received its first application for a major development project, establishing the need for the structured community outreach campaign that became Dixon Grown.
Glossary
- AnnexationThe legal process of moving land from the County’s jurisdiction into the City’s. This allows the City to provide services (like police, water and sewer) and gain control over how that land is developed and taxed.
- Builder’s RemedyA penalty under California state law. If a city does not have a state-approved housing element, developers can bypass local zoning and density rules to build almost any housing project they want, as long as it includes some affordable units. It effectively strips the City of its power to say “no” to any development standards like height limits, or setbacks.
- CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act)A state law that requires the City to study and disclose the potential environmental impacts of a project (traffic, noise, air quality, water usage) before it can be approved. This process includes periods for the public to review and comment on the findings.
- CFD (Community Facilities District)Often called a “Mello-Roos” district. It is a special tax district created to fund the long-term maintenance of a specific new neighborhood (like its parks, streetlights and landscaping). Only the residents living in that new area pay this fee; it does not increase taxes for existing Dixon residents.
- Developer Impact FeesOne-time payments made by a developer to the City and School District for every new home or commercial buildings or additions to an existing development. These fees are legally required to fund the new infrastructure needed to support that growth, such as new fire engines, sewer plant expansions and school classrooms.
- EIR (Environmental Impact Report)The most detailed type of environmental study required by CEQA. It identifies significant impacts of a project and proposes ways to mitigate (reduce or fix) them.
- General PlanDixon’s “Constitution” for growth. It is a long-term policy document that maps out where homes, shops, parks and industry should go over the next 20 years. All new projects must be consistent with this plan.
- LAFCo (Local Agency Formation Commission)A county-wide oversight agency that must approve any city annexation. Their job is to ensure that cities grow in an orderly way and that they have the financial ability to provide services to the new land.
- NOP (Notice of Preparation)The official “starting gun” for the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). It notifies the public and agencies that a study is beginning and asks for input on what specific issues (like a certain intersection’s traffic) should be studied.
- RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Allocation)Pronounced “Ree-na.” This is the number of housing units the State of California mandates that Dixon must plan for every eight years. The City doesn’t have to build them, but it must zone enough land to make building them possible.
- SOI (Sphere of Influence)A boundary outside the current City limits that represents Dixon’s probable future physical boundary. Land inside the SOI gets earmarked as the area where the City could eventually grow.
- ZoningThe specific rules for what can be built on a piece of land, such as “Highway Commercial” (gas stations/hotels) or “Low-Density Residential” (single-family homes). Zoning also controls things like how tall a building can be or how many parking spots it needs.
Notice of Preparation Map Comparison: July 2025 vs. April 2026
This map comparison shows how the City’s project area has evolved between the Initial Notice of Preparation (NOP) issued in July 2025 and the Proposed Revised City map from April 2026. A Notice of Preparation is an early step in the environmental review process under CEQA where the City announces that it will prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and begins defining the scope of what will be studied.
This side-by-side comparison displays the changes in the proposed project boundaries and study areas, including a reduction in the study area informed by community feedback on the initial July 2025 map. The April 2026 revised map is a draft for consideration and has not been formally released. Any configuration shown is intended solely for environmental analysis and does not represent a final project approval or adoption. Final project design, boundaries and decisions will be determined at a later stage through environmental review, public input and the City’s formal review and approval process.
Left side shows the initial notice of preparation map. Right side shows the proposed revised city boundary map.