by Ken Wagstaff –
by Ken Wagstaff –Yes. And using their Measure J power, almost 60 percent of the voters rejected the 2005 Covell Village (CV) proposal precisely because it was not sufficiently innovative or beneficial.
The best? Its solar units would’ve generated only 5% of CV’s energy requirements.
A massive concentration of large, expensive homes on small lots, 90% of CV’s for-sale housing would’ve been unaffordable to Davis mid-income families.
Most beneficial? CV’s touted $60 million for schools was NOT a developer gift!
This was a TAX to be levied on future CV residents, limited by law to capital improvements. Davis residents would have paid the operating costs. $25 million to the City was partly for fire & police services required by the development- again, not a gift.
Despite the “gift” of a fire station, taxpayers were to pay for long-term maintenance, operations & salaries. 1864 housing units would’ve doubled Covell Blvd. traffic to 40,000 cars daily.
The Finance and Budget Commission didn’t support CV, citing risk to the City’s fiscal stability. CV assumed a housing price increase rate of 5% over the next 15 years.
Even small rate decreases would put the City at financial risk. We know what happened to the housing market. The developers should thank voters for stopping Covell Village.
Whitcombe says in five years 6,000 new people will be added to the city, claiming because of Measure J there is no plan to offset services and infrastructure costs. But UCD’s West Village brings 4,000 of these people (3/4 are students), so UCD pays the costs.
Whitcombe says Measure J increased school class sizes. Elsewhere he states that J caused school enrollment declines, harming the District budget. Which is it?
Measure J challenges developers to plan projects that Davis needs, then convince the community. That’s real community planning. Let’s continue Measure J by voting YES on Measure R. Ken
And This IS Why We Liked Ken Wagstaff Enough to Vote Him Mayor
Thank you Ken for the clear thinking and analysis. After Davis has suffered through developer lovin’ Auntie Ruth, the Postal Guy and now the Pool Guy… I hope citizens reflect back to the excellent and responsible job Ken Wagstaff did for Davis.
Ken Wagstaff in 2012 or Saylor’s Empty Chair?
Ken, I hope you will consider running to fill Saylor’s seat if voters get the opportunity… or in 2012 when we need to make a huge change on the council.
David Greenwald correctly points out this is a different POST real estate BUBBLE world. The credit markets are different, the massive malinvestment in housing makes it different. Cali faces a continuing wave of foreclosures and distressed sales to unwind the damage done to the economy.
When housing demand returns, developers need to be charged full fees for the impact of their development… not special deals and price cuts now to try and pull forward demand… for whose benefit?
Davis needs smart thinkers with foresight who SEE the big picture… not the next pocket lining campaign contribution. Citizens must reject the crony system of Auntie Ruth and her developer and political pals with agendas that are good for them… but negative for the majority of Davis citizens.
And by the way Ken… I run into Mr. Sherman on campus and around the Farmers Market and I am sure he misses you too… How could you possibly pass that kind of opportunity up…