{"id":296056,"date":"2026-05-02T03:45:33","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T03:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/296056\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T03:45:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T03:45:33","slug":"the-sacramento-bee-picks-sides-on-davis-housing-measure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/296056\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sacramento Bee picks sides on Davis housing measure"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2000, voters in the City of Davis approved a measure<\/a> requiring a public vote on any proposal to expand city development into neighboring farmland. Ever since, voters have not approved a single project with new family housing.<\/p>\n

Enrollment at UC Davis, meanwhile, has grown by more than 50%. The lack of new local housing<\/a> has led to long commutes, high housing prices and declining school enrollment.<\/p>\n

Measure V<\/a> on the Davis ballot calls for development<\/a> of about 400 acres of land off Covell Boulevard with about 1,800 residences suited for varying income levels. The project, called Village Farms, would be surrounded on three sides by existing neighborhoods. Where else should Davis possibly expand?<\/p>\n

Measure V represents a logical expansion of the city\u2019s urban footprint. If passed, it would signal that Davis\u2019 intense system of democracy<\/a> can function in a modern California desperate for more housing.<\/p>\n

The Bee recommends Davis voters approve Measure V.<\/p>\n

THE BEE\u2019S VOTER GUIDE: Your Voter Guide to Davis Measure V.<\/a><\/p>\n

It is a smarter version of a housing proposal for the same land, known as Covell Village, that was put to a vote in 2005. Back then, public voting on developments was still new, with widespread civic fear that one expansion would lead to another. The Bee supported Covell Village then, saying at the time: \u201cIf voters reject this one, it may be a long time before they see anything \u2014 good, perfect or otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

How right we sadly were. It took the landowners nearly a generation to muster the courage to propose Village Farms. In the meantime, voters have approved only two expansions: a senior community that has already been constructed and a student housing complex that hasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Village Farms has gone through the wringer in the city\u2019s exhaustive planning and public processes. The project includes affordable housing, townhomes and small single-family residences. Half the land is open space. After securing one concession after another, the Davis City Council unanimously approved the project before sending it to voters.<\/p>\n

Some of the same activists who opposed Covell Village 21 years ago oppose Village Farms today for many of the same reasons, claiming that this intensely analyzed project did not identify risks from toxics, flooding and traffic.<\/p>\n

Village Farms won\u2019t ruin Davis as we know it. The concern about traffic is particularly backward. The no-growth tradition in Davis for the last quarter-century has led to long commutes for thousands of people working at the university. It makes all the sense in the world for this university community to accommodate its faculty, staff and students. If anything, Village Farms should have been more aggressive at ushering in denser and more affordable forms of housing.<\/p>\n

Residents should be the city losing control of its own housing destiny. State housing officials have been watching Davis closely. The dearth of adequate affordable housing has led the city council to pledge placing a measure on the ballot to exempt from affordable housing from a public vote.<\/p>\n

But the council has avoided placing this before voters twice. It clearly fears rejection by voters.<\/p>\n

Measure V is a test of whether the city can confront its self-created housing crisis with a sensible expansion that its leaders fully support. Voting Yes represents a much-needed shift in what is politically possible when it comes to new housing in Davis.<\/p>\n

BEHIND THE STORY MORE <\/a> What are editorials, and who writes them? <\/p>\n

Editorials represent the collective views of the editorial boards of McClatchy Media\u2019s California opinion teams.<\/p>\n

They do not reflect the individual opinions of board members or the views of reporters in the news sections of The Sacramento Bee and its sister publication, the San Luis Obispo Tribune. Reporters do not participate in editorial board deliberations or weigh in on board decisions.<\/p>\n

In Sacramento, the board includes Executive Editor Chris Fusco, California Opinion Editor Marcos Breton, opinion writers Robin Epley, Tom Philp, LeBron Antonio Hill, Cathie Anderson and op-ed editor Hannah Holzer.<\/p>\n

In San Luis Obispo, it includes Opinion Editor Stephanie Finucane.<\/p>\n

We base our opinions on reporting by our colleagues in the news section, and our own reporting and interviews. Our members attend public meetings, call people and follow-up on story ideas from readers just as news reporters do.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.<\/p>\n

Tell us what you think <\/p>\n

You may or may not agree with our perspective. We believe disagreement is healthy and necessary for a functioning democracy. If you would like to share your own views on events important to California, you may write a letter to the editor (150 words or less) using this form<\/a>, or email an op-ed (650-750 words) to opinion@sacbee.com<\/a>. Due to a high volume of submissions, we are not able to publish everything we receive.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 5:00 AM.<\/p>\n

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