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Conceptual art of what the pool area will look like

Location
The Viridian Apartments @ West Village
Address
Leasing office: 409 Third Street, Suite B Davis, CA 95616
Hours
Monday-Friday: 9am-6pm
Saturday: 10am-5pm
Sunday:Closed
Community Manager
Janine Hunter
Contact Info
Phone: 530-753-2447
[email protected]
Website
http://www.ucdaviswestvillage.com/viridian

The Viridian Apartments is the second apartment complex at West Village. It opened in September of 2011. It is privately owned and managed by the Bay Area firm Carmel Partners.

Offering: 1br/1ba; 2br/2ba; 3br/3ba.  Application fee is $40.  Alumni association membership (CAAA, Aggie Parents Association and SAA) is valuable in this case: you get this fee waived when you have your membership card at time of application.

The complex began pre-leasing for Fall 2011 on March 30th, 2011. The original Leasing Center was located at 409 Third Street, Suite B before the complex opened.

We can only hope they won't take after Viridian Dynamics.

Please Note: The Viridian is not part of UC Davis Student Housing.

Features & Amenities

This new West Village student housing community uses green building technologies and design principles.

Apartment Features

The rental offices located Downtown while Viridian was under construction.

  • Full Size Washer and Dryer (GE)
  • Electricity and High-Speed Internet Included*
  • State-of-the-Art Kitchen Cabinetry and Eco-Friendly Countertops?
  • Loft-Style Living Areas
  • Private Balconies
  • Oversized Windows and Natural Light
  • Energy Efficient Appliances (GE)
  • Parking ($10 a month for unreserved spots that complex guests utilize as well, $18 for tandem spots, $20 a month for personal reserved spots)
  • Walk-In Closets
  • Located on The Village Square

The Center Amenities

  • Large fitness center with yoga room/floor with a mirror
  • Sand volleyball court
  • Outdoor kitchens and grilling areas
  • Outdoor fireplace with seating
  • Study lounges and conference rooms with current technology
  • Recreation pool, heated lap pool, and a hot tub
  • Wireless internet connected to MoobileNet

Being LEED certified, Viridian features eco-conscious design throughout. Floor plans feature interiors and appliances that are both convenient for everyday life and are energy efficient. Just across The Village Square, is The Center, featuring unexpected touches such as a yoga room and free Wi-Fi connected to the MOObile network.

Rooms leased individually and Roommate Matching Provided

Pet Friendly Community

Net Zero Energy

The Viridian is being designed as a model community for energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. Energy efficient building design and technologies have been incorporated throughout to decrease energy consumption dramatically. In theory, The Viridian is designed to use 50% less energy than traditionally-constructed buildings. The Viridian works both sides of the energy equation by reducing energy demand while converting sun into energy to power the community, essentially eliminating its energy footprint for a net zero energy impact (after initial building energy costs). But in reality Viridian sucks & residents are given zero incentive not to run every appliance and amenity 24/7 as a middle finger to the carmel partner & their silent Colorado paymasters

Mobility

Public Transportation - The Apartments are located on Unitrans V bus line. Several Yolobus routes stop nearby.

Bicycle - You can get to the Davis Bike Loop. The UC Davis campus is about half a mile away. There are bike lanes/connectors on all/some of the surrounding streets.

Parking - Covered and uncovered parking provided. Pay per space. (from $10 per month for roadside - up to $35 per month for double-space covered parking)

Floor Plans

Photos

 

Comments:

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2011-03-16 18:37:55   "Parking - Covered and uncovered parking provided. Pay per space." — what is the price? —SeabassM

2011-03-28 13:31:15   So is it the Viridian or the Ramble? —ARWENNHOLD

2011-03-28 14:01:37   This is the new page for the Viridian...currenly under construction...hope to have all prices and floor plans uploaded within the next day or two. Let us know if you have any questions about the community. —FranThompson

2011-03-28 14:09:49   Are these apartments strictly for students or for staff and other affiliates also? —ARWENNHOLD

2011-03-29 11:01:13   The Viridian will start leasing tomorrow! —FranThompson

2011-03-30 15:10:40   Doesn't allow couples to move in together. The hell? —EliottSherman

  • Maybe they are concerned about the damage to your immortal soul if you live in sin, because... wait. No, you're right. The hell? -jw

  • To explain: unless you are married, it is strictly one person per bedroom; meaning no couples, no roommates. This may work for Carmel Partners in San Francisco, but I don't know how many single bachelors Davis has that are willing to spend $1500 on a single bedroom, but I know the students/grad students won't be able to afford it. - es

    • Wow, interesting. Must be targeted more toward faculty and staff. —TomGarberson

    • In California, it is illegal to discriminate rentals on the basis of marital status. It seems to me that allowing married couples to share a room, while now allowing unmarried couples to share a room, constitutes rental discrimination on the basis of marital status. (Note that I am only offering my personal opinion, not a legal opinion). —CovertProfessor

2011-04-07 15:01:31   Thank you for posting a comment. Your feedback is important to us. We apologize for your frustration with our occupancy guidelines. In order to be fair, consistent, and maintain our occupancy standards, we only allow one person per bedroom. Please keep in mind that Viridian offers many amenities that cater to the student lifestyle in Davis! We offer one, two and three bedroom homes with the latest in interior design. Please feel free to contact the team in the office to help answer any questions or address any further concerns you may have. We are happy to help. Thank you.

—FranThompson

  • "In order to be fair, consistent, and maintain our occupancy standards, we only allow one person per bedroom."

    What does this have to do with fairness and consistency? And referencing your "occupancy standards" is purely tautological. Your company sets the standards; referencing them isn't an explanation for them. How about you either try again without giving a non-answer or come out and just say, "that's the way it is, sorry"? —WilliamLewis

2011-04-07 15:41:33   Preventing multiple consenting adults from cohabiting a single bedroom seems like pretty much the opposite of "eco-conscious" or "environmental stewardship", in addition to everything else being said. —JoePomidor

  • Grrrreeeennn wassshhhhh...... This looks like it endorses the 'technological fix' business-as-usual mentality. I don't see anything "environmental" about clearing land and putting "energy efficient" buildings in it's place. If you want environmental stewardship then attempt to change behaviours not mold buildings around human behaviour. Also, have more water efficient plants, a food garden/food forest and waste management facilities (not just garbage cans but recycling and composting aswell).

2011-04-07 19:39:34   Can you please post all of the rules regarding number of residents, occupancy, gender, and marital status, so that we all understand them? Thanks! —IDoNotExist

2011-05-07 03:34:03   Echoing what CovertProfessor said, I believe the California Fair Employment and Housing Act states that landlords "cannot charge a higher rent, require a higher income, or impose different interest rates because of your marital status." (Source: http://www.housing.org/pdf_docs/Marital%20Status%20Discrimination.pdf) By allowing ONLY married couples to split the rent, they are violating the law by charging a higher rent for non-married couples. —TimJ

2011-06-07 15:39:03   I called to try and contact someone regarding daily evite emails even after I had removed myself from the mailing list. I was greeted by an automated voice system which fired off a 12+ digit phone number for me to call to speak with a representative and then immediately hung up without giving me time to write it down. That's really great, guys. —Jimtamberly

2011-08-08 23:57:56   A review of the Viridian so far: They told us our apartment would be ready for move-in by August 4th, which was great for graduate students at UC Davis that need to be in town before the usual September leases that most the town seems to run on. Due to construction set backs, our apartment won't be done until Aug 19th, so they placed us in an apartment at the Ramble until our place is done. I understand construction delays but 2 weeks is missing the mark by quite a lot, especially when it means us having to move again during the first week or so of grad school starting and not getting to settle in at our actual apartment (which for people moving to a new town would really have been nice). Secondly, the Viridian is supposed to pay for our internet and upon move-in to our temporary apartment there has so far been no internet up and running. For people trying to buy things and find stuff in a new town, this is a big inconvenience and I don't think can be excused by "construction delays", but maybe I'm wrong. They do seem to be really trying to get the construction of our buildings done (working saturdays and all), the people in the office are nice, and I'm excited to be living here, but they certainly promised some things they couldn't deliver on and I can only hope these will be the last of the disappointments at the Viridian. —OhHey

2011-08-13 11:06:22   Students in Davis can hardly afford one bedroom apartments at about $800(which is already really expensive for a studio or one bed). I don't know how they expect students to afford a one bedroom for $1000+. I think that's even much too pricey for graduate students and staff. —ThUn

2011-09-08 15:05:43   This is a review based on our experience as staff and faculty at UC Davis with the Viridian apartments in the West Village, student experience may be different. We were told we'd be moving in September 3rd, then September 9th, then 10th and now we are up to September 15. Meanwhile we were given only one bedroom at a hotel (because we are a couple) even though we have a two bedroom at the Viridian with separate leases. Although the new Hyatt place is nice, it's not comparable housing. We have no additional rooms, kitchen, living room, laundry etc. Furthermore, we paid for covered parking and now our car is outside in 100 degree heat with our stuff cooking inside. When we first went to the Viridian office, we were told, "since you guys are on the later move-in schedule, if there is a problem, you'll find out well in advance, but there is just very little chance." Then even when we spoke to the office a day or two before move-in date, we were told that the move was set for September 3rd. My husband and I ruined the long weekend plans to orchestrate this move, and were told a day before move day that we'd be moving sometime in mid September. The Viridian lease with the construction addendum is a Contract of Adhesion where the lessee has little choice. The Addendum offers 'bed space' not comparable housing yet the lessee must not seek reduction in rent or constructive eviction remedies at law. Today we were told that the Viridian folks want to move us to a different hotel in a few days, no doubt to save a few dollars. This has been a horrible experience as new transplants to the region. To think Campbell properties is trying to get support at the UC to build housing for faculty and staff for purchase! I can't trust the people working on this project and would never recommend people invest their time and money into their joke of a development project. As far as the quality of housing, finally checked out the model. It's nothing to write home about. Bedrooms are smaller than I expected them to be, the closet space is average at best and the choice of colors (more like the mandatory 'accent' colors) look hideous. At $1900 a month, we made a terrible bargain. In retrospect not a day goes by that we don't regret signing this lease, especially now that we've discovered there are other areas we could have lived in in and outside of Davis, which would have been less expensive and comparable. One last word of advice to staff and faculty, the housing development is mostly geared toward students, even though our building was misrepresented to us as and 'all faculty and staff' building. The common areas resemble a nice dorm not an apartment for working professionals. I wouldn't feel comfortable using any of the amenities since they are mostly full of undergraduates and the vibe is definitely not comfortable for staff and faculty. —ZeeZee

2011-09-29 22:24:06   The office staff here is seriously incompetent. They are super friendly, but are a bunch of muppets. They never have correct information to give you, they do not communicate anything that is going on with the property so you have to find things out for yourself or not at all, and they do not get back to you regarding any concerns in a timely manner. The apartments are nice, but super overpriced. The best thing about the place is the pool and gym, so if you want to pay a ton for nice amenities, small apartments, and terrible customer service, then these are great apartments for you to live in. —Madelyn

2011-10-05 14:16:20   Today construction workers entered my balcony, with access to my apartment without them notifying me. The idiots who work for Viridian aren't just annoying they can be dangerous. How well do they know the constructions workers that the residents' safety can be trusted to them without any notice. I wish the city of Davis had better housing downtown so staff, faculty and students at the university were not at the mercy of developers like Carmel properties. —ZeeZee

2011-10-07 09:57:50   I was all set to move there until I saw this page and became concerned. I went into the office to ask some questions and the general manager was incredibly rude to me and the other employee working there. Luckily I hadn't signed my lease yet, for one of the 1000 sq ft 1 bedrooms for $1650/mo, though it does look like I am out $180 for the deposit and application fee. But I figured if they treated me like this before I signed a lease, what would it be like afterward? —Allegro

2011-10-15 17:28:49   "Student residences will be competitively priced, as compared to other rental options in the City of Davis or on campus, based on location and amenities."... Really?!? I find them to be ridiculously overpriced. Not to mention we were told that parking would be $10 a month - not from $10 a month for parking that is curbside and far away from our apartment. But they have plenty of double parks that are right next to our apartment (because they are super necessary…) for around $35 a month. No thank you. Why can't we park where the retail parks are until they are operating? Because that doesn't seem to be happening any time soon. There needs to be compost and a vegetable garden. They make it seem more difficult than it needs to be. West Village seems too concerned with their marketing and aesthetics and not enough about “environmental stewardship” and “sustainability”. I’d like to suggest a big comments, complaints and suggestions box outside the office or in the student study area. There seems to be a lot of people frustrated on here with no feedback or response from West Village. There must be a way of getting the message directly to them without having to speak to younger staff members with no influence. Any one else want to get organized and figure this out?

—ConsciousConsumer

    2011-10-16 19:26:08   I just want to throw this out there as well. As energy efficient as their appliances may be, they are all General Electric, which I personally consider to be one of the most unethical companies in the world. They must have made thousands from this project. —ConsciousConsumer

    2011-10-19 18:29:07   I commented after I first moved into the West Village back in August because I generally was pissed about having to move twice when they didnt finish the buildings on time and the internet didn't work, so I thought I'd update now that I've been here a few months. The people in the office are always nice to me even though sometimes I think they have a lot going on they are trying to deal with so sometimes they can be a little short. I specifically live at the Viridian and I can say that Amber, who seems to be in charge of the Viridian part of the West Village, is awesome. She is always super friendly and helpful. We've had some hiccups since we moved into our actual apartment, the internet wasnt up for a few days at the beginning, and its gone down twice in the last couple months. Also they've come to do repairs 3 times in 2 months which is annoying because these arent repairs I so much as them finishing up things that they didnt have time to get right before we moved in. But I dont consider these to be that bad considering the Viridan people Ive dealt with are fairly responsive and polite. Its great living in a new apartment and while $963 a month to live in a two bedroom isnt cheap for Davis as far as I can tell (the Viridian is the only place in Davis I've lived), its really nice not to have to deal with paying for gas, water, electric, and internet separately. Plus this is the only place I looked at in Davis with a fairly legitimate gym so I'm saving on the cost of a gym membership (I dont have access to the UC Davis gym). Furthermore I like the security of living on a property associated with the university. —OhHey

    2011-11-15 21:54:34   So I was laying in bed a few days ago when I heard a knock on the door. I decided not to answer it because I was tired and was having a sleep in. So I hear them yell out "maintenance!". I didn't sign the permission slip for them to come in because I'm tired of them doing stuff that they should have done before we moved in. Anyway, without me saying anything or getting out of bed, the maintenance guy uses his own key to get into my apartment, opens the door and was like "maintenance!". So i yell back and he says that he'll give me a few minutes and move on to the next apartment. I felt pretty violated to have someone just march into my apartment like that. I recognize that they are just doing their job, but if I wasn't home were they just going to come in anyway? What is the point of the permission slip if it is mandatory? Do I get a say in whether or not I want extra bits done in my apartment that I don't really care to be done? —ConsciousConsumer

    • By law, they only have to give you at least 24-hour notice "to make necessary or agreed-upon repairs, decorations, alterations, or other improvements." No doubt they'd say that the alterations (or whatever) were "necessary," thus not requiring them to be "agreed-upon." As for why they give you a permission slip to sign, I don't know. I never had that in any of the apartments I've lived in. —CovertProfessor

    • CP is right. They don't need you to sign anything, but they are required to post a notice on your door to say that a repair will take place. I think this is the case nationwide. It certainly was everywhere that I've lived. It may help, when receiving such a notice, to try to schedule an appointment with them to do the work. You've also got the right to be there when it happens, if you care about that. But you could also try to arrange it for when you know you won't be there, if you prefer to avoid the disruption. —IDoNotExist

      • It's not nationwide. I was startled by it when I moved to California. -jw

        • Thanks for the clarification. I've never lived somewhere where they can just do that. I'm still annoyed that they are working on stuff that should've been done before we moved in. - ConsciousConsumer

    • Whereas you do not have to consent to the entry, the required contents of the notice are dictated by the California Civil Code. Viridian has repeatedly violated the civil code by not providing an approximate time of entry. During business hours is not sufficient, the civil code requires an approximate time to be given in addition to taking placing only during business hours. See Here (Section 1954) An 8+ hour window is not an approximate time by anyone's definition. If you'll recall the initial installation of the water meters was rescheduled. This was because residents complained about this violation, and management canceled the entry and promised to provide a date AND time for the new entry to take place about a week later. Then a week later the new notices were identical to the old ones. Every entry Viridian has undertaken has been illegal by definition of the law, and they don't care. —Tabernack

    • Did anyone do something in response? It might be the law, but unless there is accountability, it won't make a difference. —IDoNotExist

    2011-11-23 14:32:50   All notices posted by Viridian staff are approved California Apartment Association forms and abide by all sections of Civil Code 1950. As there is no definition of an approximate time the approximate time stated on each notice is not in violation of said code. When the water meters were being installed additional parts where needed in order for complete installation. Instead of entering units a second time we decided to reschedule the work so that we did not need to enter the unit an additional time for the same purpose. Our office never stated that our notices were incorrect or that we would edit them and repost them, the work was simply rescheduled due to additional parts that were needed. If any resident would like to be present when said work is being done our office would be happy to set an appointment whenever possible. When work is being completed on every unit a larger window of time is stated on each notice to ensure that residents are aware of the possible entry of their unit. When a notice is posted for a specific unit or if a service order is being completed a smaller more exact window if time is stated whenever possible. Hopefully this offers some clarification. We encourage all of our residents to bring any concerns directly to our Management staff so that we can improve on our customer service on an indivdual level. Please contact our Assistant Property Manager, Elicia Gonzales at (530)753-2447 or by calling or stopping in the office. We are happy to help with any resident questions and concerns. —HardHatHeff

    "2011-11-29 15:44:27"

    In response to the reply by HardHatHeff,

    "All notices posted by Viridian staff are approved California Apartment Association forms and abide by all sections of Civil Code 1950."
    • This may be true, but is the equivalent of saying that if a person uses IRS approved forms to file taxes they are incapable of committing tax fraud. The content is at question, not the form. Furthermore the Civil Code itself trumps any form regardless of origin.
    "As there is no definition of an approximate time the approximate time stated on each notice is not in violation of said code."
    • The Civil Code states both that a landlord may "enter only during normal business hours", and "The notice shall include the date, approximate time"
    • Multiple notices, including the first one to which residents complained, give no approximate time whatsover. (Proven with copies of documents below)
    • "business hours" does not constitute an approximate time as it too is undefined
    • The Cilvil Code states “approximate time”, singular … not time-range.
    • The Civil Code states that both must be given. Stating an approximate time identical to business hours (or even simply defining business hours) would not constitute giving an approximate time of entry.
    • “approximate” may not be explicitly defined under the Civil Code, but that doesn’t mean there are not limits. An 8-hour range is not approximate … the typically lampooned “cable guy” does a better job of stating when they’ll show up.
    "When the water meters were being installed additional parts where needed in order for complete installation. Instead of entering units a second time we decided to reschedule the work so that we did not need to enter the unit an additional time for the same purpose. Our office never stated that our notices were incorrect or that we would edit them and repost them, the work was simply rescheduled due to additional parts that were needed."

    To respond to this part, allow me to elaborate on the progression of these incidents with the following documents. Only resident names/addresses have been redacted, they are otherwise untouched.

    10/5/2011 - Notice of Entry #1 (Delivered to doors) This notice (see attached) was given regarding entry to take place on 10/10/2011.

    • This notice does not state an approximate time of any kind, specifying only the ambiguous “during normal business hours”.
    • It also states simply “necessary or agreed repairs”. The repairs were not agreed, and since they were in no way defined in the notice then they were arguably not necessary either.

    Resident response (see attached) This is one response collectively drafted and submitted by several residents. Others are welcome to contribute similar communications.

    10/10/2011 - Notice of Entry Cancellation (Email)

    This email from Viridian (see attached), cancelling the entry, was made at 4:05pm on the day of the planned entry.

    • If additional parts were needed, it should have been stated in the email, it isn’t.
    • The language of this response is eerily similar to the complaints addressed by residents. Specifically the letter promises that the “date and time” of the next entry will be given, and it defines what the maintenance is for the first time. Both of which were demanded.
    • The letter was sent near 4pm and, by the email’s own text, maintenance to both buildings was fully cancelled. A lack of parts as you say would have then been discovered that morning or prior (otherwise work would have started), and yet residents were not notified until late evening.

    You’re welcome to contend that the cancellation had nothing to do with resident complaints, but I think the information points to another conclusion. In the event you are correct, that means that the corporation flat-out ignored the complaints.

    Your office did in-fact make promises regarding the future maintenance in that email response. It promised a “date and time” and that notifications would be given 72 hours in advance of the next entry.

    10/26/2011 - Notice of Entry #2 (Many were not delivered to doors until after 2pm on 10/27)

    This notice (see attached) is in regards to the rescheduled maintenance, to take place on 10/28.

    • It is dated 10/26, so it was not generated until just 48 hours before the next entry, and in many (perhaps most) cases wasn’t delivered until late evening on the 27th, for maintenance which started the morning of the 28th.
    • Viridian promised 72 hours notice, it certainly didn’t follow though on that promise. However, the Civil Code doe only requires 24 hours notice; but since the notices were delivered Thursday evening, for entries taking place Friday morning, this too was a violation.
    • A “date and time” were also promised, and this notice like the first states no time whatsoever.

    Further notes on first two notices

    Consider for a moment the true nature of the problem many residents are complaining about. It’s not that maintenance needs to take place, it’s not the maintenance itself, the problem is not knowing when Viridian is going to show up to do it. Not all residents work 8-5 M-F, many were home on the days these took place (and more recent ones took place on holidays). Which means that residents are constantly wondering when the crew will show.

    These are just some examples of the problems caused by this:

    • When no time is given, then residents who wake up after 8am are reluctant to take a shower insofar as they don’t want to walk out of the bathroom to find a maintenance worker in their house/bedroom.
    • Some residents work late and don’t want to have to be up at 8am “just in case” they’re first on the list. If they know they are that’s one thing, but in some cases residents got up earlier than normal, only to have the crews show up late in the day.
    • You can’t have a private conversation, or call, or Skype with loved ones or work colleagues without fear of interruption.

    I’m using 8am as an example because the first two notices didn’t given any time range what-so-ever, and that’s likely the earliest time that “business hours” would allow.

    You’ve stated the first entry was rescheduled to avoid the need to enter twice. Was this simply to save the crew work, or is your implication that it was to reduce the inconvenience of residents? If the latter then consider the fact that the notices of cancellation didn’t go out until 4pm the day of. You would have been better off entering twice, because at least residents would have known they were clear after the crew showed.

    More recent events:

    There have been two more notices (and entries) since the initial round.

    11/10/2011 - Notice of Entry #3

    Notice regarding entry to install Greenwave devices (see attached), to take place on “11/11/11 and 11/14/11”.

    • Entries on 11/11 took place on a Federal holiday, which is arguably not covered under “business hours”. Particularly given the affiliation with UC Davis, which was closed.
    • Two days of maintenance were scheduled, only one was used. It wasn’t 11/11 “and” 11/14, in execution it was 11/11 “or” 11/14. Much like on 10/10/11, many residents wondered all day when the crew would show and interrupt their day, in this case a holiday.
    • This notice does state a time range, “9:00 am to 5:00 pm”, which is basically the equivalent of business hours, and not an approximate time of entry.

    11/23/2011 - Notice of Entry #4

    Notice regarding entry to remove Greenwave devices (see attached), to take place on “11/25/11 and 11/27/11”. Similar problems as with previous entry.

    • Two days reserved, only one day used.
    • “11/25” was a holiday for the University (and many others) and likely wouldn’t constitute business hours.
    • 7-hour time-range given in lieu of approximate time.

    Further notes on two recent notices

    Taken as a whole, Viridian as a landlord has thus reserved the right to:

    • Schedule maintenance without defining what it is.
    • Scheduling an entry without showing up. Either by cancelling after the maintenance would have taken place, or scheduling multiple days with the knowledge it only needed one.
    • Scheduling entry with a broad time range that allows the crew to enter at any time during the day.

    Honestly, if this sort of thing were permissible under law … what would stop a landlord from scheduling maintenance for 365-days a year so that they could enter resident homes any time they pleased? I mean, if you don’t have to show up on the set dates (2nd two notices), and don’t have to give a reasonable time (all notices), or say what you’re doing (first two notices), how is that any different? Point being nothing would prevent that scenario, which would clearly be inappropriate, which is why Viridian’s interpretation and execution of the Cilvil Code is very much lapse.

    "When work is being completed on every unit a larger window of time is stated on each notice to ensure that residents are aware of the possible entry of their unit. When a notice is posted for a specific unit or if a service order is being completed a smaller more exact window if time is stated whenever possible."

    The inability of Viridian to predict entry time is not an excuse, and not a niche carved out of the law. It’s unfortunate these units were incomplete when they were released to tenants, but that’s not the tenant’s responsibility. These laws exist for a reason. I realize it may be terribly expensive to plan such large-scale maintenance properly, but it’s supposed to be, to discourage trampling your tenant’s rights. Viridian may be affiliated with the university, but these are not dorms, we are leased tenants, Viridian needs to follow the law. UC Davis may be an Aggie school, but we are not cattle, and don’t appreciate being treated as such.

    "If any resident would like to be present when said work is being done our office would be happy to set an appointment whenever possible."

    This is a nice gesture but misplaced. It’s the equivalent of stating that you’re not denying tenant’s their rights, because they just have to ask for them. No person needs to ask to be protected under the law, and the policies in question are not “suggestions” they are steadfast requirements expected of all landlords.

    "We encourage all of our residents to bring any concerns directly to our Management staff so that we can improve on our customer service on an indivdual level."

    This is not simply a matter of residents disliking a decision that management made, but to which it was at management’s discretion to make. Many of us have asserted that you are breaking the law, and have provided solid reasoning as to why. There are two possibilities regarding the initial planned entry, either the company was unaware (to which we then made it aware prior to), or it made a calculated risk that it would save more money breaking the law, and paying any fines, than it would cost to follow it. At this point, only the latter would seem to still apply. What resident in their right mind wants to make themselves a target to a corporation that appears to have such disregard?

    In closing,

    Viridian would do well to consider the implications of its actions. At worst it has repeatedly violated California law, and at best it’s operating in an a very grey-area. Ignoring tenants complaints thus far has already resulted in this information making it to Davis Wiki, a premiere place for residents evaluating businesses, and especially future housing. Who wants to live in a place where the landlord comes and goes as they please several times a month? Granted 24-hour notice is being given (most of the time), but otherwise that is exactly what is happening here, considering the lax timeframes and often missing descriptions of work to be performed.

    If entries like this continue how much damage will a future newspaper article or even a 5-minute news segment do? Let alone if residents actually file complaints with local authorities and/or bring suit. Given recent unfortunate events Davis is under a microscope right now. UC Davis may not have direct oversight on Carmel Partners, but its name is plastered all over the West Village. I doubt highly they will be pleased with this kind of PR.

    Be thankful that residents have tried to maintain any dialog at all, given the circumstance. External remedies could have been pursued immediately, but many have tried to get the corporation to act more responsibly.

    While I can’t speak for everyone, I can say in limited capacity that the goal here is for Viridian to respect the rights of its tenants, and follow the law. When mass-maintenance situations arise, that do not qualify as ‘emergencies’, Viridian should be giving a true approximate time of entry, without tenants needing to request it. Reasonably the company can’t get it exactly right for every apartment … but it can do far better than basically saying: we’ll show up at some point on one of these random days.

    Giving a small time range (I’d say 2-3 hours) specific to the building/floor of each apartment would be a vast improvement in the situation. This is more planning, but it is reasonable, and would act as a deterrent to the haphazard entries that have taken place. Either print that specific time range on each notice (it seems to be a mail-merge anyway), or publish a table with the notice such-that residents can easily determine when they can expect the crew based on apartment number. One way or another this needs to change, and hopefully it’s voluntary. If Viridian does change, I’ll be the first one to come back to Davis Wiki and praise it for it. If it doesn’t then this issue is likely to become much more public. —Tabernack

    2012-01-09 11:16:35   Does anyone know exactly what the green stuff is that they are spraying on the lawns? I noticed it on some weeds a few weeks ago but then today I see they are spraying it all over the central green lawn and it kinda looks like they are painting the lawn green after it has died off a bit. They have protective gloves on but no facial protection. Any guesses? —ConsciousConsumer

    It sounds like grass seed. It's a mix of fertilizers keyed to encourage growth, seed and a goop that keeps it in place (so wind and rain doesn't push all the seeds off to a mat on one side of the area). It's colored so that they can apply it evenly, and green because... well, probably because that's what you want to have there. It is pretty common and also comes in blue. If it's being sprayed on thriving grass, it's likely just fertilizer. -jw

    So.... we haven't had any substantial rain here in weeks, and none is forecast. Maybe DonShor can speak to this, but seems to me like an odd time to be putting down grass seed. —CovertProfessor

    Curious: How many people are renewing their lease? We've been getting all sorts of emails and letters offering this and that for signing another lease. It a running joke in our household that pretty soon they'll be offering hookers and crack to renew the lease. After living her for about 4 months I've also realized that the apartments were built using the cheapest quality products out there. The paint on the cabinets the counter tops is already chipping and the stoves get easily damaged even by the most gentle use. We can't wait to leave this place! People ask all the time if we'd recommend these apartments for young faculty, post docs and grad students, and the answer is always a resounding No. —ZeeZee

    This place is a joke. It's not better than the ramble, even though its more expensive. DO NOT RENEW YOUR LEASE. Don't be stupid. Once you sign a lease, you're screwed for a year. And I agree with ZeeZee, they're gonna start offering us drugs and free booze to renew our leases. It's ridiculous. I feel the apartments are going to collapse soon. Let's not get started about reliability of their staff. Come on, they are one of the worst management teams in all of Davis. They have no experience and don't know what customer service means. —JamesHendrick

    2012-02-21 08:25:49   Wow! After reading the comments here and speaking with a *many* residents, I will definitely NOT live here. UCD students should also be aware of another issue: parking passes for campus. If you live here, you are a UC Davis housing resident and thus are not eligible to purchase a parking pass for campus, i.e. if you live here you MUST bike or bus to campus. I don't care how "green" and new this place is; it is seriously over-priced and under-managed. —UCD4Me

    2012-05-21 21:25:22   Has anyone here had a bad experience trying to get Comcast television set up? The Viridian has a bulk package with Comcast so if we want tv we have to get it through them. I tried to set mine up today and it isn't working so they are sending a tech out in a few days. Additionally the customer service rep said I will have to pay $15 to activate my livingroom connection?? —OhHey

    2013-12-02 15:44:45   I just called and was informed that the rent for a one bedroom apartment starts at $1611 a month :|

    —HadiTab

    2013-12-08 17:25:14   COMPLETE SHIT HOLE! Absolute scam its ridiculous! They are constantly turning off the internet, water and power in the viridian due to nonstop construction and no compensation for the renters. We pay a ridiculous amount to live in what they try to sell you as "Top of the line" student living but in reality your shower doesn't get hot, your internet is iffy, the staff doesn't answer the phones when you call for any maintenance request. The online portal does not work. The interiors are completely cheap, as if they ran out of money after building the rambles. The floors are not insulated for noise so it sounds as if two giantly obese people walking around in heels live above you. The car traffic is incredibly noisy due to all the rice rockets. The equipment in the gym half the time is broken or out of service. Parking is hard to come by. and I'm sure theres more I'm forgetting, and its just ABSURDLY EXPENSIVE!! for what? a cold shower, noisy nights, no staff help, no parking, broken gym equipment, barely working wifi. Complete joke, DONT waste your money here. and when you think you're ready to move out they charge you an arm and leg to "repaint" bc why? the walls are perfect but they'll charge you an additional 500$ just to leave haha complete scammers don't get hooked into their leases. —KristinaK

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