FAQ
What is environmentally responsible development?
Environmentally responsible development has minimum impact on the land and environment in terms of energy use, water, traffic, air quality, and food production. This results in sustained quality of life for humans, wildlife and the environment.
Is this project affordable?
There are 191 homes at Wildhorse Ranch—apartments, townhomes and single-family detached homes.
• 40 apartment homes or 21% of the project will be affordable to very low income families.
• 78 townhomes will range in price from $350,000 to $450,000, with an average price of $425,000.
• 73 single-family homes will range in price from $450,000 to $550,000.
• The more expensive townhomes and single-family detached homes are similar in price to housing offered to university staff and faculty at West Village.
• All affordable apartment homes will be 100% accessible to mobility challenged residents and some of the single-family detached homes will be visitable.
Aren’t we losing land designated for agricultural use?
The land has not been used for agricultural production for decades. Twenty percent of the land is currently paved over. It cannot be profitably farmed, as it is too small, too close to homes and needs a buffer of at least 100 feet between the farmed land and the adjacent housing, stables, barns. By that time, there would be little left to farm. It also would be difficult to be farmed as organic, as it is right next to hundreds of acres of conventionally farmed land where pesticides are sprayed and there is pesticide drift.
Isn’t this over-building?
Approving small infill projects like this will take the pressure off for more housing on larger, peripheral properties that are productive farmland.
What about increased traffic?
If there are homes here that are affordable to people that are currently not able to live in Davis and who commute from other communities to a job here, then having them move here reduces that commuter travel.
There will be some increase in traffic locally from the project as with any project, infill or not, but the EIR showed no significant traffic impacts on roadways or intersections after mitigation measures. In fact, some intersections will function better than currently.
What about water?
This project will have a relatively small impact on water use in Davis, and will connect up to the existing city water system. There is also an on-site agricultural well that does not draw from the city water aquifer and that will be used for irrigating the “public” greenbelts and open spaces, including the buffers. There are also many water conservation features incorporated into the design.
How will habitat for Swainson’s hawks and burrowing owls be preserved?
The loss of habitat on site will be mitigated by setting aside habitat off-site that will be preserved in perpetuity via easements.
Won’t this project cost the city?
Affordable apartment housing does not generate any property taxes to cover the cost of services. However, the developer is providing sufficient funding to the city through various mechanisms and a Community Funding District (CFD) will be established so that it will bring this project close to breaking even for the city.
What is an infill project?
An infill project is on land that is already within the city boundaries or city limits. Generally the property is also already impacted by adjacent development. This is true for Wildhorse Ranch where three sides are adjacent to already developed urban uses.
Has this project taken into account neighbors’ concerns?
The developer and his team have been working with the neighbors and addressing their concerns for 5 years. At the July 28 city council meeting where the vote took place to put Wildhorse Ranch on the ballot, the chair of the adjacent neighborhood association acknowledged this and actually praised aspects of the project.
Is this project being pushed through too fast?
This project has been underway since April of 2004. The developer has been working with the neighbors, neighborhood associations and the community for five years. There have been a total of twenty-one announced public meetings with the neighbors and many public meeting with the commissions involved and the city council itself. There is still plenty of time for community discussion and input on this project prior to the Measure J vote in November.
Is the project too densely built, or not?
It is medium to high density, depending on how it is calculated. We have to move toward higher density projects, like this, for all future development if we are to preserve and protect our farm land and open spaces. We cannot continue with the old development model of paving over vast acres of farmland and habitat. That is not environmentally responsible development.
What is Measure J?
Measure J is a city ordinance that requires a vote of the people whenever land designated as agricultural or open space on the land use map is converted to urban uses.
How is this project different from the Covell Village Project?
Covell Village was a housing development on productive county agricultural land, with minimal green features, no affordable housing, large traffic impacts, and long-term costs to the city. This project is 1/10th the size in housing and 1/16th the size in acreage. It is higher density — not sprawl, on land that is not productive farmland, with affordable units, many green features, a 90% reduction in Green House Gases (GHG), water conservation features, and is cost-neutral to the city.
When is the election and who is paying for it?
The election is November 3, 2009. Parlin Development is paying the full cost of administering the election.
Who are the developers?
The developer is Parlin Development, which has an office at 430 D Street in Davis. The managing partner of Parlin Development is Masud Monfared who raised his family in Davis and plans one day to retire here.
