The Abridged version:
- The Willowgrove housing project, which would bring 1,250 new units to Davis, is moving toward approval by the Davis City Council.
- At their meeting on Tuesday, members and residents expressed support for the project.
- If approved by the council on May 5, the project will go to Davis voters in November.
After roughly five years of planning, another large Davis housing development is working its way through the city’s final approval stages.
During its meeting Tuesday, the Davis City Council discussed the Willowgrove project, which is planned for 232 acres east of the Wildhorse neighborhood. If approved, the development would add 1,250 units to the Davis housing stock, including single family homes, townhomes, condominiums and affordable rentals.
But the project still has a couple of hurdles to overcome before it gets the green light.
Along with Village Farms, which is scheduled to go to voters in June, Willowgrove represents an expansion of city limits and is therefore subject to a Measure J/R/D vote. Should the city council recommend the project to voters at its May 5 meeting, it will likely be on the ballot in November.
Years of planning
The details of the Willowgrove project have been ironed out over years of negotiation between the city and the developer, Davis Eastside.
“It’s been four or five years in the making,” said city planner Eric Lee.
Part of that process included public outreach and review by six city commissions.
The result is a project that includes green space, recreational facilities and hundreds of units of affordable housing, 250 of which will be built in a single phase without city loans or grants.
“This is a great affordable housing plan,” said councilmember Bapu Vaitla.
“That’s what makes development projects work, it’s listening to the community,” Mayor Donna Neville said.
In addition to affordable housing, which includes a range of units for different income levels, the developer estimates the project will lead to 728 new students in the Davis Joint Unified School District.
Many of the public commenters at the meeting identified a need to fix sagging enrollment at Davis schools as a priority.
“Families want the chance to be in Davis. We need to give it to them,” Davis parent Eugene Rubin said. “This will help make Davis more affordable and bring new families to town.”
“When we build thoughtfully planned communities, families come,” said Davis parent Katie Dooley-Hedrick.
Davis voters get the final say
Discussions about the Willowgrove project come on the heels of the city council’s approval of Village Farms, which is planned for north Davis. During the public hearing for that project, dozens of public speakers expressed concern about some of the development details, including its location, size and affordable housing plan.
During Tuesday’s meeting, very few residents voiced similar concerns about the Willowgrove project, which is about the same size. Most speakers spoke positively about the plans and the developer’s willingness to engage with surrounding neighborhoods.
“You do get the best product when everybody comes together and you get community input,” said councilmember Gloria Partida.
If approved by the council on May 5, the Willowgrove project’s fate will be in the hands of Davis voters at the Nov. 3 election.
Daniel Hennessy joins Abridged from the California Local News Fellowship. He’s a reporter covering Yolo County.