A brief history

We organized Friends of the Greenbelts in May 2014 after learning that City of Davis staff had been in discussions for many months with a private developer regarding the sale of about three quarters of an acres of greenbelt in the city's Wildhorse neighborhood. (The latest proposal from the developer seeks to annex about half an acre.) We also learned that there is no city policy governing the sale of greenbelt. 

We decided that our greenbelts need advocates. If the city can sell one greenbelt, it can sell others

Who we are

We represent a diverse group of Davis residents with a common interest in good government. We all recognize and understand the need to increase housing density within our city. The alternative, we know, is suburban sprawl and the sacrifice of irreplaceable agricultural land. But we don't believe greenbelts should be used for infill. We believe protections must be put in place to protect and preserve our greenbelts today and for future generations. Supporters include the Sierra Club Yolano Group, Tree Davis, three former city planning commissioners, and many others.

The "Paso Fino" project

The city Planning Commission and City Council in 2009 approved a plan for building four homes on the site of a single-family lot in Wildhorse between Covell Boulevard and Moore Boulevard. We unanimously support this proposal. It preserves greenbelt, protects a grove of heritage Canary Island pines that are home to a nesting Swainson's hawk, and would not create traffic safety hazards for cyclists and pedestrians. The private land bordered by the greenbelts has changed hands since then, however, and the new developer is seeking to build eight homes, one of them with a separate inlaw apartment. This plan requires developing about half an acre of the greenbelt. 

Please join us.