The Davis City Council is considering the Village Farms project, which has been met with opposition due to flood risk concerns, but the project’s design meets or exceeds applicable safety standards and regulations, and the city’s flood risks are relatively modest compared to other cities in the Central Valley.
California’s state housing laws are beginning to generate housing, with 20 large proposed or master-planned housing developments across the state representing over 273,000 housing units, demonstrating the state’s efforts to address the housing crisis.
Davis Joint Unified School District’s enrollment projections show a decline in resident students over the next decade, which is expected to be partially offset by an increase in interdistrict transfers, but not enough to reverse the trend.
The Davis City Council meeting exposed a widening fault line in how the city approaches affordable housing, as the discussion shifted away from progress and toward demands for hard guarantees, which could potentially kill the project and discourage future developers from pursuing projects in Davis.
The City of Davis is considering revisions to the existing Measure J/R/D Affordable Housing exemption in order to meet the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) targets and maintain control over housing development.
The Davis Planning Commission voted 5-2 to recommend the City Council certify the Village Farms Environmental Impact Report and move the proposed 1,800-unit development toward a June 2026 ballot measure, despite some commissioners’ concerns about the project’s potential environmental and safety impacts.
The Davis City Council is divided over how to guarantee affordable housing in a proposed development, with some councilmembers arguing for baseline guarantees and others advocating for a development agreement that could be amended in the future.
The Village Farms proposal and its PIP are not sufficiently clarified and do not meet the necessary requirements to be certified or approved, including the lack of moderate income ownership units, unclear funding streams, and the need for more 2 and 3 bedroom units.
The Davis City Council discussed the proposed Village Farms project, which includes 1,800 housing units, 280 of which would be affordable, and the need for long-term maintenance funding, with some councilmembers expressing support and others expressing concerns about the project’s affordability and environmental impact.
The City of Davis has released a partial draft response to comments on the Village Farms Davis project’s Environmental Impact Report, which addresses concerns raised by residents, environmental groups, housing advocates and regional agencies regarding the conversion of farmland, traffic, flood risk, hazardous materials and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Davis City Council and Planning Commission should amend the Village Farms project to remove any references to a fourth fire station, as the city can save money by repositioning existing fire stations and using the land for affordable housing.
The Davis Planning Commission is holding a public hearing on December 17 to consider the proposed Village Farms Davis project, a residential development that would add up to 1,800 homes on nearly 500 acres in north Davis.
The Upper Westside Specific Plan in Sacramento County is a large-scale housing proposal that has been met with opposition, but is still in the process of being approved and could significantly impact the region’s housing numbers if completed.
The Davis City Council has deferred ballot action on Measure J/R/D, instead focusing on affordable housing production and climate-related standards, and has not yet decided on a timeline for any future changes.
The Davis City Council is considering changes to Measure J to address the city’s growing housing needs, but the process is complicated by political and economic factors, and the city is bracing for the possibility of a legal challenge.
Despite the challenges of the statewide housing mandates, California cities are making progress in increasing housing production, as evidenced by the recent approval of the first project under San José’s new streamlined infill policy and the progress of Fresno’s Southeast Development Area plan.
The Davis City Council is discussing potential amendments to Measure J/R/D, a voter-approved ordinance that requires citywide elections before agricultural or open space land can be converted to urban use, with the goal of exempting certain types of projects, such as affordable housing, and potentially reducing costs by placing the measure on the November 2026 general election ballot.
The Planning Commission will continue the public hearing for the proposed Village Farms Davis project to December 17, 2025 to finalize negotiations tied to the project’s draft development agreement.
The DJUSD School Closure and District-Wide Redesign Plan lacks financial information and alternatives, leaving parents with many unanswered questions and concerns.
The Vanguard covers housing because it is the root of many of the community’s biggest challenges, such as education, equity, public health, economic inclusion, aging in place, sustainability, transportation, and criminal justice.