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Houses But there’s another possible future for Suisun Valley. It could become a location for homes on large lots, no longer a commercial farming area, but not a city either. Ed Biggs has 50 acres planted with grapes that he tries to sell. He hasn’t made money after seven years and lost $450,000 the first three years, he said. Unless things get better next year, the vineyard is coming out, he said. “You’re not going to make it in Suisun Valley farming, I can tell you right now,” Biggs said. He’d like to see the land nearest to Fairfield developed into neighborhoods. Other places in the valley could be rural residential, with five-acre parcels, he said. “At least they could keep it in mini-farms,” Biggs said. Ferrari is looking at dividing 140 acres of his land into 10- acre parcels that could be rural residential homes. He’s hoping the county will recognize a 1909 subdivision map, one made long before the current zoning of 40-acre parcels to promote commercial farming. “We’re looking at all the avenues and how we can make some sense out of the whole deal,” Ferrari said. “Otherwise, the weeds are growing all over out there . . . it lays fallow and weeds.” Even some of the long-time farming families are willing to at least consider smaller lots in the valley because of the tough financial times. Farmer Suzy Parker said lots of 10 acres to 20 acres wouldn’t be real crowded. |
“It might be a necessity for a
lot of these farmers,” she said.
Steve Spencer of Gateway Realty and Premier Commercial thinks there would be a market for 10-acre parcels in Suisun Valley. “They’ve sold 10-acre parcels north of Vacaville for half a million dollars apiece,” Spencer said. “Ten-acre parcels in Suisun Valley would probably sell for more than that. Probably three-quarter of a million apiece, maybe a little bit more. “They’d sell like hotcakes.” So the demand is likely there. The will among at least some landowners to subdivide and sell their property is there. But the zoning is missing. The county Much of what happens in Suisun Valley will be up to the county Board of Supervisors. It governs the rural valley and must approve the revised General Plan. Supervisor Duane Kromm has long fought to preserve farmland in Solano County. He wants Suisun Valley to remain in some type of agriculture, though he’ll leave it up to the farmers what type, he said. “There are few places in the world with soil as good as Suisun Valley and with access to high-quality and more-than-adequate water,” Kromm said. Kromm can’t envision commercial farming on five-acre properties. |
“That is not farming,”
Kromm said. “You’d be zoning
it to create a McMansion neighborhood.” He acknowledges farming has been financially difficult. But he isn’t ready to give up on Suisun Valley. “At the end of the day, if people just throw up their hands and say, ‘Nothing works, pave it over’ – I would never support it,” Kromm said. Suisun Valley isn’t being preserved for the view, Supervisor Mike Reagan said. It’s being preserved for an industry – farming. The right type of infrastructure needs to be developed, whether its grape and olive oil presses or whatever else, he said. The agricultural industry must be able to make money in Suisun Valley, he said. “Would you condemn people to poverty just because suburbanites want to drive by and look at the view?” he said. Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or beberling@dailyrepublic.net. |