The Abridged version:
- The proposed Village Farms housing development is on the June 2 ballot in Davis.
- Voters will be asked to approve or deny the baseline project features, which include 1,800 units of housing. The project has supporters and opponents. Both groups have set up active campaigns related to the development.
- Have questions about Measure V and what it would mean for Davis if approved or rejected? Ask our Yolo County reporter Daniel Hennessy in the form at the end of this story.
By June, Davis voters will decide the fate of the Village Farms housing development on the northern edge of town.
It will be listed on the ballot as Measure V, and a “yes” vote would approve the project, while a “no” vote would reject it. Because the proposed development would go in on land that is currently zoned for agricultural use, a basic majority of Davis voters would need to approve baseline features of the project.
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Baseline project features
Some of the baseline project features are:
- Up to 1,800 residential units can be built, including high-density, medium-density and low-density.
- The developer will set aside land and money for the construction of 360 deed-restricted affordable housing units. It will provide at least $6 million for the construction of those units and at least 100 lower-income units will start to be built by the time the 150th market-rate low-density unit is built.
- Land dedicated to Davis Joint Unified School District for Pre-K facilities and an educational farm.
- A community park, a neighborhood park, greenbelts, trails and bike paths.
- Landing sites for grade-separated bike and pedestrian crossings for F Street and Pole Line Road.
- Public open space, land for habitat conservation and land for agricultural uses.
Village Farms timeline
The Village Farms development was initially proposed in April 2023, but it took years of negotiation and adjustment of project specifics for it to reach its current form. In January of this year, the project had an expanded affordable housing plan, as well as a final environmental impact report. On Jan. 20, the Davis City Council approved the project and passed it to voters.
Developers can’t begin construction on the project unless it is approved by voters. Once it begins, development would be completed in phases over the course of multiple years.
If it is rejected by voters, the project in its current form will not move forward. If developers hope to build on the site, they will have to go through the approval process again with another plan.
Supporters and opponents
The project has attracted supporters and opponents, many of whom have been vocal at city council meetings throughout the approval process.
Supporters view the project as an opportunity to expand Davis’s housing stock and bolster DJUSD’s sagging enrollment rates by attracting new families to town.
‘Yes’ on Measure V statement
The following video is provided by Davis Media Access. Abridged by PBS KVIE is partnered with its civic media initiative, Yolo Local.
Campaigns supporting the project have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the latest available campaign finance disclosures. “Yes” on Measure V Davis, sponsored by the developer, has pumped more than $302,000 into the race, while a campaign supported by the California Association of Realtors has spent just over $13,000.
Opponents of the project have expressed concerns about the size of the development, the site’s proximity to the former Davis landfill, its location in a FEMA flood zone, impact on the environment and traffic.
‘No’ on Measure V statement
The following video is provided by Davis Media Access. Abridged by PBS KVIE is partnered with its civic media initiative, Yolo Local.
The “No” on Measure V campaign, which is being spearheaded by former Davis planning commissioner Eileen Samitz, has spent just over $21,000 in the race so far.
Environmental Impact Report
More information on the project, including the final environmental impact report, can be found here.
In the approved report, many of the issues related to environmental concerns are discussed, including the project’s impacts on soil quality, air quality, water quality, biological resources, vernal pools and agriculture. The report also includes mitigation measures that the developer will take to try to offset some of those impacts.
Have questions on Measure V? Ask our reporter
Ask your questions in the form below or click here. Daniel Hennessy may reach out to clarify your question or provide an answer.
You can also reach Daniel at dhennessy@kvie.org.
Another Davis housing development heads to the ballot
In November, Davis voters will be asked to consider another sprawling housing development — this one planned for 232 acres east of the Wildhorse neighborhood.
The Willowgrove housing project, which would bring 1,250 new units to Davis, is moving toward the Nov. 3 ballot after it was approved by the Davis City Council on May 5.
Daniel Hennessy joins Abridged from the California Local News Fellowship. He’s a reporter covering Yolo County.