Solutions: AT A GLANCE
If approved for the ballot by the City Council, and then approved by the citizens of Davis, Willowgrove will add 1250 units of badly needed housing to the City of Davis. It will significantly exceed the affordable housing requirement as set forth by the City, and will provide over 70 acres of green space, bike trails, and parks, connected to a pre-existing, grade-separated undercrossing, providing multiple safe routes to schools. It will also provide a community center with indoor basketball courts, a coffee shop, and modular retail options to serve the neighborhood and existing Davis residents.
The Property
Davis Eastside, LLC is excited to announce the official name change of Shriners Property to Willowgrove. Although the name has changed, the development team and our ongoing dedication to building a community of the highest quality remains the same. This rebranding reflects our continued commitment to creating a vibrant and welcoming community, inspired by the serenity and strength of willow trees.
Willowgrove (formerly referred to as Shriners Property) consists of approximately 234 acres located adjacent to the northeastern boundary of the City of Davis, adjacent and east of the Wildhorse community and north of Mace Ranch. Harper Junior High School is directly southeast of the property. With the city’s existing greenbelt system, the development will create a safe route to schools, Downtown, and the University. The site will also connect to existing wildlife trails and buffer through Wildhorse and to the northeast of the property. The City recently secured a public trail easement on the Gill Orchard property, with plans to ultimately connect that trail to the Wildhorse system. In the southwestern corner of the project, a site for the existing grade separated crossing of East Covell Boulevard was provided years ago by the ownership group, creating safe pedestrian access to the bikeway and trail systems on both sides of Covell Boulevard. This property is an ideal location for much needed housing for our city.
(Image from Google Earth)
The Objectives
1. Provide a meaningful number of critically needed housing for the City, in a balanced and wide variety of densities, products, and price points.
2. Provide 20% of the total residential units for the construction of “Capital A” affordable housing for low, very low, and extremely low-income households.
3. Provide more attainable homeownership opportunities for the “missing middle” and young
families with 23% of the total residential units offering higher density condominiums/
townhomes that are more affordable and attainable by design.
4. Prioritize the use of high and medium density housing for the missing middle and young families who are currently unable to find or afford housing in Davis.
5. Create the type of housing that will encourage young families to buy and live in Davis, increasing the number of children attending DJUSD schools.
6. Encourage people living outside and commuting in to Davis to live in Davis, thereby reducing vehicle miles traveled and their associated environmental impacts.
7. Respect existing agricultural uses by providing buffers that create a transitional space and encourage residents to appreciate the value of both uses coexisting together while establishing a thoughtfully designed urban City boundary.
8. Develop an inclusive community for all, including those with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) with independent housing, recreation, and employment opportunities designed to meet the unique needs of that cohort.
9. Provide a vibrant community park with badly needed active ballfields, inclusive play areas, and an indoor gymnasium, proximate to existing residents as well as new homeowners.
10. Provide a transit station and stops, allowing easy access to transit for neighborhood residents and visitors and reducing the use of individual automobiles.
11. Create outdoor educational and recreational opportunities for various age groups and abilities, which encourage exploration and complement existing programs within the City.
12. Expand the City’s existing bikeway and pedestrian trail system and provide important
connections to new off-site bikeways.
13. Support existing City retailers by avoiding the construction of city-wide serving brick-and-mortar retail and instead providing an eclectic neighborhood retail and entertainment area with opportunities to incorporate a Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) program for persons living with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (I/DD).
14. Design an environmentally sensitive and sustainable community that features an urban forest throughout the connected trail system and emphasizes the use of rooftop solar electricity to reduce the community’s environmental footprint, reduce automobile and water use, and increase tree cover.
15. Create an economically feasible project able to construct the special amenities and features proposed for the neighborhood.
The Details
Land Use
The project proposes residential uses in a wide variety of products and densities, from high density attached product to traditional single family homes. Additionally, the project includes a community park, transit station, eclectic retail/entertainment area, agricultural buffers, greenways, and a passive nature area.
Greenways
Over 70 acres of greenspace, including trails, parks, greenbelts, and agricultural buffers interspersed and intertwined within the neighborhood create an environment that transitions between urban and nature thoughtfully.
The community is surrounded by greenways, providing residents the opportunity to circumnavigate the entire neighborhood on a system of shared-use pathways. The greenway loop consists of the existing Wildhorse agricultural buffer on the west, passive nature area and agricultural buffer on the north, and the agricultural buffer on the east.
Willowgrove’s agricultural buffers have been designed to transition from an urban environment to an agricultural one. The meandering design of these buffers creates a more natural appearance, with tree groves and native plantings that provide a separation between uses. Water treatment, disguised in naturally occurring forms, will also provide visual interest and create additional variation along the edge. These agricultural buffers are not designed as the backside of the community, but instead invite residents to appreciate the value of both uses coexisting together.
The Park
Entering the neighborhood, you will see the 17 acre community park site. This park provides amenities for both existing and future residents of Davis with ballfields, a soccer field, pickleball courts, a dog park, inclusive playground and gymnasium.
An eclectic retail/entertainment area is located directly north of the transit stop. This space is highlighted by a small coffee shop in an innovative, modular-style structure that will provide food and beverage service during sporting events, as well as the remainder of the week to neighborhood residents. The courtyard has been designed large enough to accommodate other uses such as community events and opportunities for public art.
We Are Davis, together. Join us!
Stay informed about this important project.
Willowgrove 