DAVIS, Calif. — The proposed Affordable Housing Plan for the Willowgrove development, a 232.4-acre subdivision planned for northeast Davis, is advancing through city review, with the Social Services Commission set to consider whether to recommend its approval to the Planning Commission and City Council.
According to a staff report from Social Services and Housing Director Dana Bailey and Affordable Housing Manager Iris Grace, staff is asking the Social Services Commission to review the staff presentation and the applicant’s presentation, consider the proposed Affordable Housing Plan as outlined in Attachment 1, recommend its approval to the Planning Commission and City Council, and offer any feedback on the issues identified in the report.
The Willowgrove project is going through review by several city commissions at the direction of the City Council. Their feedback will help staff shape its analysis and give the developer guidance on refining the project before it heads to the Planning Commission and City Council for formal hearings.
The Willowgrove project, formerly known as Shriners, proposes a new 232.4-acre subdivision with 1,250 dwelling units located in northeast Davis.
The development as currently proposed would include a mix of attached and detached single-family dwellings, townhomes, condominiums and deed-restricted affordable apartment units.
Among the amenities identified in the staff report are included a community park, mini park, dog park, greenbelts, a neighborhood retail site and an agricultural buffer referred to as an Urban Agricultural Transition Area.
The proposal also includes provisions to accommodate a two-acre site for a potential fire station in the residential high-density area, if the site is required.
The site is currently in unincorporated Yolo County, east of the Wildhorse neighborhood and north of Covell Boulevard, and is used for agricultural activities. Channel A, the city’s primary stormwater conveyance channel, flows from west to east across the site.
Under Davis Municipal Code, the project would be required to provide 141 affordable units based on the mix of market-rate housing types proposed.
The proposal exceeds the city’s current affordable housing requirements.
According to the plan, the city code “provides several avenues to fulfill affordable housing obligations, including the ‘[o]n-site construction of affordable rental units, if the developer voluntarily requests to satisfy its requirement through this alternative.’”
Willowgrove plans to meet its affordable housing obligation by building rental units on-site in partnership with Mutual Housing on a designated portion of the project site reserved for affordable housing.
The plan states that the affordable units will be “deed-restricted in perpetuity and will be leased at an affordable rent to low and very low income households with an average affordable price for each size category (number of bedrooms) at or below 65% of median income.”
A daycare facility is also proposed on the affordable housing site to serve residents.
Rather than dedicating land alone to meet the requirement — which would require 9.4 acres under the city’s formula — the developer proposes to construct 250 deed-restricted units in total, exceeding the minimum requirement by 109 units .
The plan states that this approach will ensure construction of the units “through partnership with an affordable housing developer with a proven track record in the City and surrounding region.”
The Affordable Housing Plan identifies Mutual Housing California and Alta California Regional Center as project partners.
According to the document, Willowgrove has partnered with those organizations “to provide inclusive housing for all, including individuals with limited income and intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.”
The plan adds that “through collaboration with Alta Regional, 8 to 10 units will support individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.”
Additional commitments are proposed through a Development Agreement to address timing and financing of the affordable units.
Among the proposed terms, Willowgrove would provide the construction-ready Affordable Site to Mutual Housing at no cost before issuance of the first production market-rate building permit.
The site would include a graded pad, stubbed utilities and internal perimeter roadways to allow Mutual Housing to begin pursuing state and federal financing.
The developer also proposes to contribute $1 million toward development of the affordable units.
According to the plan, “Upon issuance of each building permit, the builder will place $1,000 per market rate unit in an escrow account restricted to use for development of the affordable units at the Affordable Site (‘Affordable Housing Escrow Account’).”
The remaining balance necessary to reach the $1 million contribution would be deposited when Mutual Housing is ready to commence construction of the first affordable phase.
Under a separate Affordable Housing Agreement, Mutual Housing would submit applications for federal and state financing for Phase 1 within six months of acceptance of the Affordable Site.
The agreement states that Mutual Housing “will commence construction of the affordable Phase 1 no more than 5 years from its acceptance of the Affordable Site” and that Phase 1, including any subphases, will include 141 affordable units within the five-year trigger.
If construction does not commence within five years, the city may require conveyance of the Affordable Site and transfer of escrow funds to the city.
If construction of the remaining units up to the total of 250 is not commenced within 10 years, the city may require dedication of the remaining developable area and transfer of remaining escrow funds.
The project also requires approval of several discretionary land use entitlements by the City Council, including a pre-General Plan Amendment, Preliminary Planned Development, Affordable Housing Plan and Development Agreement.
Following City Council approval, the project would require voter approval under Measure J/R/D.
According to the staff report, Community Development staff anticipates that the City Council will consider the project by late spring 2026.
If approved, the project would proceed to a Measure J/R/D vote and would require additional actions, including negotiation of a tax-sharing agreement with Yolo County and annexation of the site into the city limits.
Staff is recommending that the Social Services Commission accept the proposed Affordable Housing Plan and forward it, with any relevant feedback, to the Planning Commission.
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What are the proposed and robust affordable transportation options? How can a climate flag waving and a bicycle flag waving city not start a development like this without a core public transportation solution so good that it essentially seduces people into leaving any owned motor vehicle at home? – by the way, “mobility hub” is not a technical term!
If this gets approved and the related marketing prominently features the benefits of a quick trip to the freeway, should the approving council members be reprimanded? if the marketing also says that the freeway has been newly widened, should they be required to abdicate? (A fair consolation prize for the aforementioned council members would be a stand-up paddleboard.)
That location is an even-easier commute to the freeway/Sacramento, than Covell Village is.
Then again, I personally took the bus to my job in Sacramento from East Davis for years (fully subsidized by my employer).
Prior to that, I drove from East Davis to my job in downtown Davis. Although I suspect that my employer might have also provided a complete subsidy to use public transit within Davis, there was free parking at the adjacent garage.
In other words, a “no-brainer” decision both times.
At this point in my life, I’m not that interested in white-collar jobs that don’t offer at least part-time telecommuting. I don’t want to drive, park, take a bus, or see any co-workers or supervisors on a daily basis.