Latest news with #SuisunCity
CBS News
4 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
California Forever offers Suisun City $1.5 million for some downtown properties
The Solano County land acquisition firm California Forever made an unsolicited offer to purchase up to $1.5 million worth of property owned by Suisun City in a formal letter to the city this week. The offer from California Forever comes about a week ahead of talks between the city and the company on whether the city will annex land owned by the company, which initially planned on building a new city on some of the more than 65,000 acres in the southeast part of the county that it acquired since 2018. The pitch, made in a letter Tuesday to the mayor, City Council and city manager, also included an offer to give a grant to the city for $55,000 to prevent the cancellation of community celebrations such as Fourth of July fireworks, a Sunday jazz concert series and other events that are at risk of elimination given the city's projected $1.3 million budget shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year. The letter was sent by California Forever founder and CEO Jan Sramek, who wrote that the company was interested in acquiring the downtown block containing the Lawler House property at 718 Main St., the Suisun Harbor Theatre next to it, and a building at 701 Main St., across the street. The city in 2023 put out requests for proposals to acquire and develop the Lawler House parcel. The house is a historic ranch house built in 1857 but was moved from its original site to the current site decades ago and has fallen into disrepair. An outside consultant appraised the property as worth $100,000 with the current structure, which needs to be torn down. The parcel was appraised for $150,000 if it was undeveloped. Suisun City and the city of Rio Vista are both looking to annex land that California Forever has purchased on the borders of both cities. The two cities have signed a memorandum of understanding with each other on long-term planning and have independently engaged California Forever in talks about annexation of property that the company owns. The company spent years buying up farmland before suddenly announcing a plan to incorporate a new city east of Travis Air Force Base. The company pulled its planned ballot measure in 2024 ahead of November's election that would have asked voters in Solano County to rezone part of the county to allow the city to be built. The company was criticized by community groups and lawmakers for its secrecy. More recently, the company has pursued a shipbuilding facility in the unincorporated bayfront community of Collinsville. Prior to annexation talks, California Forever's investors were still planning on developing a new city but agreed to complete an environmental impact report and development agreement with the county before putting a measure before voters. Suisun City City Manager Bret Prebula said he approached the company in January with a proposal to incorporate much of their planned development area into the city limits of Suisun City. The company indicated it was interested in such a deal, and an agreement for the company to reimburse the city for staff time and other costs associated with the process is being drafted, along with details about the annexation plan. Prebula said the agreement would likely include the city incorporating roughly 15,000 to 20,000 acres, including the area of the company's proposed East Solano Plan, but said those talks were still in the early stages. The land would be incorporated over 40 years, which Prebula said would lead to measured growth. "If we grow by 10,000 people in 10 years, I'll be a happy camper," Prebula said. He said it would take decades for the city to be anywhere near the population of nearby cities such as Fairfield and Vacaville. Prebula said the properties the company approached the city about had all been up for sale and had long been vacant or in disrepair. He was unsure if the theater, Lawler House, or a brick building at 701 Main St., which previously had iterations as a bank and a restaurant, could be made useable. Sramek said the company wanted to collaborate with Suisun City and its community to "design something wonderful" to "enhance the vibrancy of the downtown." But he hedged on whether such development would actually materialize. "We want to be upfront and clear that we cannot commit to constructing a downtown property on a standalone basis, as we do not yet know whether we can identify a project that meets the city's requirements, that the community is excited about, and that can be commercially built," he wrote. "As you know, many of the cities in Solano County have been looking to redevelop lands in their downtowns, but generally it has been challenging for any such projects to be commercially viable," Sramek's letter said. The City Council is scheduled to consider the annexation reimbursement agreement with the company at its next meeting on Tuesday. If finalized, the annexation process would begin in earnest and would probably take between 18-24 months before a plan is finalized for consideration by the county's Local Agency Formation Commission. The company's offer to purchase the properties downtown will be considered sometime this fall.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Families displaced by Suisun City house fires
(KRON) — Two families were displaced by a three-alarm house fire on the 700 block of Madonna Drive in Suisun City Sunday evening. The house fire broke out near a shed around 6:40 p.m. and was burning dangerously close to nearby homes, the Suisun City Fire Department said. A propane tank explosion was reported soon after and more firefighters were sent to the fire. Mountain lion sighting in Solano County 'Upon arrival, fire crews encountered heavy smoke and flames threatening two residential homes on either side of the fire,' the Suisun City Fire Department said. '… Due to increased wind speeds of 10 to 15 mph, the fire intensified rapidly, forcing firefighters to take a defensive strategy.' The fire spread to the attic of one nearby home and then spread to another. All nearby residents evacuated safely before firefighters arrived at the scene. Spring heat: 90-degree temperatures possible in the Bay Area this week Approximately 30 firefighters from the Fairfield Fire Department, Travis Air Force Base Fire Department, Vacaville City Fire Department, Vallejo Fire Department worked to extinguish the fire. Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control and stop it from spreading to more homes within 30 minutes of arriving at the scene. Both homes suffered significant damage, Suisun City Fire Chief Brad Lopez said. Families were displaced from each home. However, no one was injured by the fire. 'This was a fast-moving fire intensified by wind and the proximity of combustible materials and nearby structures,' Lopez said. 'Thanks to the coordinated efforts of multiple agencies, we were able to contain the fire quickly and, most importantly, ensure that all residents were evacuated without injury.' Emergency services are working with local organizations to give the families temporary housing. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
3 guns, knife found in Suisun City arrest: PD
(KRON) – Three firearms and a knife were found on two Napa men on Thursday, the Suisun City Police Department said. Around 2:20 a.m., a resident contacted authorities regarding suspicious activity in the 400 block of Amber Drive. The resident informed police they saw 'multiple individuals possibly attempting to break into a nearby pickup truck.' Suisun City police officers responded to the scene and witnessed two men standing near the described vehicle. According to SCPD, a firearm was protruding from one of the suspects' waistbands. There were open containers of alcohol on the bed of the truck. This caused the duo to be detained. 'Upset,' drunk San Francisco man punched bar's window over closing time: police In apprehending the suspects, authorities found that one of the suspects was carrying three guns. The other suspect was carrying a dirk/dagger and a fake California identification card. Police said both men displayed signs of alcohol intoxication. The two 20-year-old Napa residents were arrested and booked into the Solano County Detention Center. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
08-05-2025
- CBS News
Pedestrian killed by train on Capitol Corridor route in Suisun City
SUISUN CITY — Suisun City police said a pedestrian was hit and killed by a train Wednesday evening. The collision with the pedestrian happened in the area of Sunset and Railroad avenues. The Intercity Rail Map, which shows the status of Amtrak trains, shows Train 540 on the Capitol Corridor route toward Sacramento was stopped due to a service disruption, just east of the Suisun-Fairfield station. A spokesperson for the Capitol Corridor service said shortly before 7:30 p.m. that they were making arrangements for passengers of the 540 train to transfer to a different train due to the ongoing investigation on the tracks. Suisun City police said they would release more details when they are available.
