Lisa Thomas

As a UC Davis staff member and lifelong resident of Davis, I seek to finally purchase a residence to call home.  I carefully assessed the design and community engagement attributes of Wildhorse Ranch; a modest slice of land offering the best of green landscape architecture and smart, green construction.  Wildhorse Ranch is an attainable option because it provides a variety of unit sizes at affordable prices. Most of my university colleagues commute.  Faculty and staff need affordable housing options in order to decrease the commute traffic that damages the very environment our town is known for preserving.  Join with me and represent Davis’ green living ideology: buy local at a slow growth pace. It’s a great compromise for all.

Tansy Thomas

I am a long time community activist, a retired state worker, a senior and a member of the Senior Citizens Commission.  Most importantly, I reside in one of Davis’ affordable housing complexes.  My neighbors are a diverse group of ethnicities, religions, races and other retired folks.  Some are graduate students with families and low wage employees of Davis businesses and UC Davis.

Measure P’s affordable units have the same green features as the rest of the housing in Wildhorse Ranch, resulting in very low utility bills.  They are accessible to public bus transportation.  The option of living in Davis means a lot to many low income and minimum wage workers who really cannot afford to commute.

Time will tell again just how advanced the voters of Davis are.  Will they seize the opportunity to vote “Yes” and resume their leadership on smart growth and the environment?

Here are some excerpts from their editorial.

“When the city of Davis doesn’t build enough housing to accommodate its work force, the rest of the region suffers. It means more traffic, more air pollution and more stress on people who have to commute long distances to work in Davis.” …

“Wildhorse Ranch, the small housing development Davis voters are being asked to approve Tuesday, will not provide all the housing Davis needs, but it is a step in the right direction and deserves a “yes” vote.” …

“Opponents say Davis is growing fast enough and that this development, on the outer edge of the city, would lead to more sprawl. Wildhorse Ranch proponents counter that this is a small, compact development within city limits, surrounded on three sides by housing. It includes apartments that would be affordable to people of low and very low incomes, and design features that will conserve water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“In this debate, proponents have more than made their case. Anywhere else in the state, Wildhorse Ranch would be hailed as a model.” …

“Davis needs housing for non-university middle- and low-income workers, teachers, police officers, retail clerks and plumbers. It needs to embrace well-planned projects that are sensitive to Davis’ quality of life.

That’s why, on Tuesday, the The Bee recommends a “yes” vote on Measure P.”

All registered voters living in Davis are invited to vote on Measure P on or before Nov. 3. Measure P, if passed, would change the land-use designation for the Wildhorse Ranch from agriculture to residential uses and permit the development of 191 dwelling units on the 25.8-acre property.

The developer, Parlin Development, plans to build 40 apartments, 78 townhomes and 73 single-family homes. Also, the developer has pledged to provide funds so the project will break even financially for the city. The essence of the project is the establishment of environmentally favorable ‘green’ building practices. Solar energy systems are promised to significantly reduce energy use.

The city of Davis has a plan to grow at or below 1 percent per year. This amounts to about 250 residential units per year and offers modest growth for our city. The Wildhorse Ranch project is likely to fit our needs. However, opponents object that the units are not affordable, not green enough and not needed. Furthermore, they say the project did not receive enough discussion.

Wildhorse Ranch has received the endorsement of the Sierra Club for the environmentally favorable components of the plan. One hundred percent of the homes will be powered by solar energy systems. The Sierra Club endorsement came from the Yolano Group (Davis) and the Mother Lode Chapter, with the approval of the statewide committee. This action is a singular, impressive vote of confidence in the project’s green design.

Opponents of the project state that the average housing unit, at $451,000, is unaffordable. Of course, the 40 apartments are affordable to low-income families. The $450,000 average price is consistent with other new homes built in Davis and similar older, up-to-date homes. Davis has relatively higher costs due to its attractive features and its significant building fees.

Some opponents seem to believe this project was rushed to a vote. The plans were discussed over years with the neighbors, then were fully aired before the Planning Commission. Finally, the City Council held a three-hour discussion. More discussion might have been useful if some issue was overlooked. However, the project seemed to be fully aired and is now a matter for the voters.

The no on P group has touted its Web site  and the issue of a potential 2,000 unbuilt homes deserves review. They state that city staff report 2,000 entitled homes in Davis. They get to that figure by including 541 units in the city and 1,500 units on the UC Davis campus.

Note that 1,025 campus units are restricted to students and 475 starter homes are restricted to faculty and staff. These housing units are needed for the growth of a first-rate, world-class university.

Changing from an agricultural land designation is probably appropriate for this small parcel that was a horse ranch and is surrounded on three sides by houses.

Nevertheless, Davis residents may be reluctant to pass Measure P so they can protect the value of their homes. Houses are selling slowly and prices have fallen in Davis. As the real estate bubble grew from 2000 to 2006, average prices in Davis hit about $600,000. In 2009, the average price is about $500,000. Residents who are counting on selling their homes over the next year may be reluctant to vote for any new housing.

Some people use the stock market as a barometer of their financial health. Others use the value of their house as a measure of their wealth. Housing is more complicated than the stock market, since people benefit directly by living in their home and enjoying all its benefits.

Our economy is shifting from manufacturing and toward idea-driven creative industries. UCD is a center for this transformation and we should support this transformational change. I am pleased that we have in this project a small step forward toward ‘green housing’ in Davis.

As Davis emerges as one of the top 10 models for the college city of the future, we should encourage innovative housing. The innovative project for 191 housing units called the Wildhorse Ranch deserves our support. Please join me in voting yes on Measure P.   – Dick Dorf is a Davis resident; his column appears every other week. Reach him at dorf@dcn.org

By Pam Nieberg and Carolyn Hinshaw | Special to The Enterprise | October 03, 2009

On Nov. 3, the voters of Davis will have the opportunity to approve one of the most energy-efficient residential projects in Davis history.

The Sierra Club is not known for its support of housing developments, but we are urging you to vote yes on Measure P, the Wildhorse Ranch project.

Wildhorse Ranch meets the majority of the Sierra Club’s guidelines for smart growth. It is one of the most sustainable and innovative projects ever proposed for Davis. We believe it will set a new standard for green development in Davis and in the region.

Wildhorse Ranch is a small-footprint housing project with 191 units on 25.8 acres located within the Davis city limits. It will be compact, with 78 townhomes, 73 single-family homes and a 40-unit apartment complex, 38 units of which will be affordable to low- and very low-income families. The affordable apartments will be 100 percent handicap-accessible.

The developer of Wildhorse Ranch has worked with local solar and energy-efficiency professionals to design a project that will greatly limit on-site greenhouse gas emissions. Wildhorse Ranch housing units will produce just 10 percent of the GHG emissions of a typical Davis home – 0.5 metric tons per year instead of 5.5. This will be accomplished through a combination of passive solar design to reduce energy demand and extensive use of photovoltaics on every home, on parking covers and on similar structures, to reach an average of 2.4 kWs per household for a total of 458 kWs of clean solar power.

The homes will incorporate the latest technology in green construction and design including insulation, wall and roofing materials, and recycled construction products. The project will utilize high-efficiency heating and air-conditioning, highly reflective roof and wall colors to reduce solar gain, high-efficiency lighting, solar or high-efficiency water heaters, and Energy Star appliances.

To further reduce air-conditioning demand, the project will utilize a system that introduces cool, filtered outside air into the homes at night. Residents of Wildhorse Ranch will be able to monitor and adjust their energy usage 24/7 through smart metering. Wildhorse Ranch will exceed California’s energy efficiency standards by 50 percent.

We also applaud features of the project that will reduce water consumption: water-efficient irrigation, water-saving fixtures and the use of California native and drought-tolerant species throughout the landscaping. This will include the planting of native trees to help reduce temperatures and capture and sequester carbon.

An existing agricultural well that does not draw from the city drinking water aquifer will be used for watering the public greenbelts and open spaces. Project streets will be narrower to limit pavement, and storm water runoff will be slowed and infiltration increased by the use of bioswales – landscape elements designed to remove silt and pollution.

In 2006, the city of Davis joined the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which called for local and national action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to combat climate change. And in 2007, the City Council voted unanimously to adopt a strategy to reduce citywide GHG emissions. Davis has since established GHG emission thresholds, standards and mitigation guidelines for new residential development. The Wildhorse Ranch project is planned to exceed Davis standards for new residential projects by 100 percent.

For years, developers have been claiming that building truly energy-conscious homes is uneconomical and simply unrealistic. But with the global climate crisis upon us, it is this business-as-usual attitude that is unrealistic. We need a clear statement that the times have changed. The Sierra Club believes we must support and encourage developers who demonstrate that building energy-efficient residences can be accomplished while still keeping home prices realistic.

The energy-efficiency and water-conserving features built into the Wildhorse Ranch project will raise the standard for future development and make daily living more affordable for the homeowners for many years to come. As such, it will provide a model for other communities to examine as they grapple with the difficult issue of how we can reduce greenhouse gases without a significant lifestyle sacrifice.

The opportunity to go forward with a project that clearly and effectively addresses today’s primary environmental threat is here.  This is a big-picture vote and we urge you to vote yes on Measure P.

- Pam Nieberg and Carolyn Hinshaw are Davis residents and Sierra Club leaders

Dear Davis Enterprise Editor,

With much regret the Davis League of Women Voters board members have decided to cancel our debate on Measure P.  It is the policy of the League of Women Voters to select the speakers to represent a balanced forum on ballot initiatives/measures.  Measure P, which seeks the communities approval for a change in zoning required by Measure J, was approved by the City Council for the Nov. 3rd ballot.  The League was not able to come to agreement with the No on Measure P campaign group and has, therefore, decided that there will be no League of Women Voters sponsored debate on the matter.  The League’s board members have come to the conclusion that it would best for the League’s reputation for fairness to withdraw our offer to provide a debate.

Please be sure to check your Davis Enterprise for Yes/No Measure P “op ed” articles.

Sincerely,

Joan Moses, President of the Davis League of Women Voters
Jean Canary, Vice President and Moderator