This is a draft of a clearer and easier to read version of the Covell Village page, as discussed on the talk page. This page will not be broken into pro and con sections, and instead will attempt to present all information side-by-side. Please contribute ! — just leave your opinions at the door! :)
Overview
Covell Village is a proposal to convert a ~400 acre plot of land north of East Covell Boulevard, between Pole Line Road and F Street, into residential and commercial sites. As per Measure J, which mandiates a citizen vote on any project that requires annexation of agricultural land into the city, the development requires a vote by the community. The baseline propossal for the development cannot change without another vote by the people. However, changes outside of the scope of the baseline may occur without a vote, with approval from the City of Davis Planning Department or City Council. In July of 2004, the City Council voted 4-1 (with Sue Greenwald voting "No") to approve the Covell Village project. The Covell Village proposal appeared on the November 2005 Yolo County ballot as Measure X and failed with 59.9% "No" to 40.0% "Yes."
For specifics of the project, see the City of Davis summary as well as the actual baseline that will be on the ballot.
The Covell Village proposal spawned a lively and sometimes nasty campaign.
History of the project
The Covell Village applications were approved by the City Council in June 2005. The Covell Village applications are the first submitted to the voters under the requirements of Measure J, the Citizen's Right to Vote on Future Use of Open Space and Agricultural Lands Ordinance. The Measure J election, which requires a majority vote, will determine whether the Council's approval of the Covell Village applications will go into effect. Ref. Davis Focus Newsletter Fall 2005
Development plan
The development would be placed on an agricultural site between Pole Line and F St. and would include mixed types of residential housing as well as commercial sites. There will be 1,864 housing units in total, built over 17 years. The development is planned to have a "new urbanism" design.
Basic layout drawing showing the breakdown of the major types of residential sites.
Housing prices
Market-priced Housing: 750 ownership units, including 150 senior only homes. 24 co-housing townhouses, 34 work-live units, 262 market apartments, including 50 in the Village Center. Some of these units may be built as condominiums or coverted after construction
Affordable Housing: 244 apartments for low-income households (currently up to $48,000 per year). 21 of the units will be reserved for clients of the Yolo Community Care Continuum.
150 homes for purchase by moderate-income households (currently $48,320 to $72,480 for a four-person household).
400 homes for "middle income" households. The middle-income units will have four tiers of 100 units each. The lowest tier will be targeted to household with incomes up to $80,500 per year, with a purchase price not to exceed $342,000. The highest tier will be targeted to households with incomes up to $119,600 per year, with a purchase price not to exceed $614,000.
All of these income limits and purchase prices will be adjusted to reflect local incomes at the time the homes are sold1.
Note: these homes will be built at a rate of 150 homes per year total. The report did not state which type of units would be built each year over 17 years.)
Environmental impact
Traffic and Roadways
The EIR identified impacts to the following intersections: Covell & Pole Line, Covell & L Street, Pole Line & Picasso, Pole Line & Donner, Pole Line & Moore Blvd. (intersections directly adjacent to the project. ed.) All of these intersection impacts would be mitigated as a requirement of the project approvals.
The EIR identified impacts to the following roadway segments: Pole Line south of Covell, Covell between F & Pole Line, Pole Line between Covell and Moore. Impacts to Covell and parts of Pole Line Road would not be mitigated.
Water, stormwater
Water for the development would primarily come from one or two new deep-aquifer wells to be drilled on the site.
Portions of the project site are within the 100-year floodplain. Construction in these areas will require improved storm drainage channels and elevation of the building pads to a height above the "base flood elevation" Ref: Davis Focus Newsletter Fall 2005
Alternatives
Footnotes
1. Davis Focus Newsletter Fall 2005
