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Davis residents should vote NO on MEASURE X during the November 8, 2005 election.
The Sierra Club Yolano Group opposes the Covell Village subdivision. Covell Village is the largest subdivision ever proposed for Davis. It would be a sprawling development of big, expensive homes on tiny lots. Six times larger, twice as dense, this is no Village Homes.
Covell Village is a proposal to build 1,864 housing units and other traffic-generating development on 422 acres of prime Yolo County farmland at the corner of Covell Boulevard and Pole Line Road. This land is not part of the city of Davis. Approval of this project will require a vote of the citizens of Davis (Measure X) in November. Covell Village would have many adverse impacts on our community, and it is in direct conflict with Davis' 2001 Citizens' General Plan. With such significant impacts Covell Village would do little for middle-income Davis families, renters or students.
Facts according to the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and City consultant reports:
TRAFFIC CONGESTION - The subdivision would degrade Covell Boulevard, Pole Line Road and other streets to Level of Service "F", defined as "…high delays, high volumes and
extensive queuing. Conditions are intolerable for most drivers." Traffic on Covell Boulevard would almost double to 40,000 cars per day and on Pole Line Road it would more than double to almost 27,000 cars per day. The increased traffic would use up 97% of the capacity on the Mace Boulevard over crossing access to I-80. The Pole Line over crossing would be gridlock at peak hours.
CITY BUDGET IMPACTS - Even with optimistic assumptions, Covell Village poses significant financial risks to the city. The City's own Finance and Budget Commission did not support Covell Village because of the "magnitude of risk that this project poses to the goal of fiscal stability" for Davis.
UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING - The developers claim that 2/3 of the subdivision will be affordable. This claim is untrue. The City's own fiscal analysis projections indicate that the average for-sale home in Covell Village, including single family, condominiums and townhouses, would cost nearly $700,000 at the time of sale. City studies show that this is almost twice what middle-income working families can afford. Middle income families-our fire fighters, police officers, and teachers- making less than $96,000 a year cannot afford housing that costs more than $400,000. Yet, 92% of the homes in Covell Village would cost more than $400,000.
COVELL VILLAGE WILL NOT IMPROVE DAVIS SCHOOLS - Covell Village would bring no new money for existing schools or school programs, nor would it provide for personnel or maintenance costs. Rather than a developer contribution, the $60 million that the developers claim the subdivision would bring is actually a tax that residents would pay.
Where will the traffic go?
The previous proposal for the Covell Village parcel named Covell Center could not mitigate
the traffic for 688 housing units. Now the Covell Village partners are
proposing more than 1,864 housing units on the same site!
WHO WILL PAY FOR THE ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE? PLUS THE STAFF
AND OPERATIONAL COSTS TO RUN THESE FACILITIES TRIGGERED BY THIS SUDDEN
GROWTH?
. NONE of these high-cost infrastructure projects are needed without
the new fast-growth policy supported by the City Council majority.
. Average residential growth does not pay for itself longterm; in fact
it would exacerbate our City budgetary problems.
. The Council majority pro-growth policies are in direct conflict with
the Citizen's General Plan just adopted in 2001. This legal document was
created after years of work by more than 200 Davis residents and
community review.
The Consequences
-Our Schools are overcrowded
-Our Streets are congested with traffic
-Our City Services are overburdened
WHAT DOES MORE ACCELERATED GROWTH MEAN FOR
DAVIS TAXPAYERS?
THE COST OF:
-More School Bonds
-More Local Taxes and Fees.
-More infrastructure needs
- A higher fair share growth assignment from SACOG
- More infrastructure and City service costs triggered by poorly planned developments.
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