Milk Farm redevelopment proposal presented to Dixon City Council

A regional commercial and transportation hub with a possible sit-down restaurant. That is what the California Capital Investment Group is proposing for the site of the old Milk Farm Restaurant, a local eatery that was a favorite among residents and Interstate 80 travelers alike throughout much of the 20th century.

California Capital, based out of Oakland, has entered into a contract to buy the property at the corner of Currey and Milk Farm roads. While nothing is official, and it could take years for the project to come into fruition if it is approved, members of the Dixon City Council seemed enthused at Tuesday’s meeting — the first since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Ross Hillesheim, partner and chief financial officer of California Capital, presented his proposal for the site, which was home to a roadside restaurant that operated from 1928 to 1986 and was razed in 2000.

Hillesheim said he was simply going to present some ideas and get feedback from the council.

“I’m not here to present a specific project,” he said. “I want to converse and potentially get some of your comments about our high-level ideas.”

Hillesheim answered one question that a lot of residents are sure to ask: Will the towering roadside sign of the cow jumping over the moon, the one remaining element of the original Milk Farm, still be in place? Hillesheim assured it would.

“We want to keep the Milk Farm sign and will restore and redevelop the Milk Farm Restaurant with the same similar ideas historically,” he said.

Hillesheim’s vision is a sit-down restaurant for highway travelers with a “rural-farm feel” for passersby along Interstate 80. Other potential uses could include include travel-oriented businesses such as a deli, retail market and ice cream parlor.

As an example, Hillesheim cited Casa de Fruta in Hollister.

“It was started about the same time by a farmer, and it has now progressed today to a travel plaza for people coming from the Valley to the Bay Area to stop to pick up a basket of oranges, to pick up some fruit, to fill up their tank of gas and to get out and stretch their legs,” he said. “That is something very similar that we would be proposing here at this site.”

The other major vision for the site is a regional transportation hub with fueling stations and truck canopies. Hillesheim said California Capital was working with a company but could not disclose who it was — just that it was “the world’s largest e-commerce retailer” as well as a major energy company in Northern California.

“Those two companies have teamed up to provide clean fueling and charging facilities for the fleet,” he said.

Hillesheim said California Capital has also worked with Solano Transportation Authority for discussions on the truck mitigation services.

“We have not come to a full agreement on our ideas yet, but they really like the way things are progressing,” he said. “Their initiative is to electrify the I-80 corridor, and I think they and we can work together on the Milk Farm to help electrify the I-80 corridor for vehicles and freight traffic.”

Hillesheim said the proposal could provide many benefits to the area, including employment opportunities, tax revenue, the reestablishment of a city landmark and providing sustainable elements such as solar canopies and electric vehicle charging stations.

However, Hillesheim said there would be a number of infrastructure constraints. One is the two traffic exits, constructed in the ’60s, that would need to be reconfigured. He also said the site would need to be served by the city’s water system, which would require going underneath the freeway.

“(It’s) doable, but it’s gonna take a lot of coordination between me and staff and Caltrans to get that done,” he said.

Hillesheim also said drainage would be an issue, with possible solutions including connecting to the city’s storm drains or having an on-site detention pond.

Mayor Steve Bird said he liked the idea of a travel plaza with a Milk Farm theme.

“I think there’s a lot of potential for something like this in our community,” he said. “By keeping that theme, you’re going down the right path to generate some support.”

Councilman Scott Pederson said he supported the proposal but did not want a detention pond.

“When you have a detention pond, you have unusable places and unusable ground,” he said.

Councilman Kevin Johnson said he would like to have a site with fun things for families to do.

“Anything that gives people a reason to stop in Dixon and to learn more about Dixon and some of our history is a great thing,” he said.

Councilman Don Hendershot said he was impressed so far.

“I know it’s gonna be a long road,” he said. “You’re right when you say we’ve all got to work together to try and do something like that. More ideas will come and go, and it’s a good start.”

In a public comment, resident Dary Hintz said she lives not far from the site and was concerned about how the project could affect traffic.

“This would be a huge impact to us,” she said.

Hintz requested the issue of traffic be strongly considered before going forward with such a project.

No action was taken on the item, as the council’s role was strictly to provide feedback.

“It’s an idea, it’s out there,” Bird said. “It’s a long way to go before this thing could become a reality.”

In other business, the council voted 4-0 to appoint Mark Cooley, co-founder of Cool Patch Pumpkins, to the Planning Commission. Vice Mayor Jim Ernest was absent.