A series of meetings is underway, offering Davis residents insight on an active adult community proposed for West Davis.
At Shasta Drive and West Covell Boulevard, the West Davis Active Adult Community is designed for current Davis residents. It features 325 small to medium single-story homes, and affordable senior apartments. About 80 percent of the homes would be restricted to residents 55 and older. Since the project is on the city’s periphery, it would go before Davis voters, likely in spring 2018, if approved by the City Council.
“This is the best location for a wide range of active adults and seniors,” developer Dave Taormino said at his April 12 presentation to neighbors at Chavez Elementary School. The first of an estimated 45 meetings started earlier this year in West Davis – closest to the site. They will continue, about two a month, progressing through Central, East and South Davis. Residents receive hand-delivered invitations and brochures when their neighborhood meeting is scheduled. For more information, call 530-231-5519.
The West Davis Active Adult Community would be across from University Retirement Community, and close to Sutter Davis Hospital and other medical offices. Other project amenities include a public health and wellness center, pool, 2.6 miles of walking paths, an ag buffer, restaurant with outside seating, and expansion site for University Retirement Community or similar medical facility.
Unlike Sun City projects or other senior housing developments, WDAAC is designed to draw residents from within Davis, which would free up larger homes for young families. The dropping birthrate in the Davis Joint Unified School District forced the district to open spots for some 650 transfer students from outside the area this year. To sustain its ADA revenue, the district increased the number of transfer students by more than 100 since 2013-14. Outsiders make up 7.6 percent of the student body for the 2016-17 school year.
With college students and senior populations increasing in Davis, young families are often priced out of the housing market. Meanwhile, many empty nesters in town have larger homes than they want, but few alternatives for smaller, single-story homes in Davis. About 5,000 homes – 25 percent of those in Davis – are owned by residents age 50 or order.
WDAAC is designed with that in mind. Plans are the result of community focus groups, and draw expertise from local business, health, university, housing and clean energy partners. “Our plan combines attractive Davis neighborhood elements with updated amenities for the needs of older Davis residents,” the WDAAC Planning Group said. “We are rearranging, reinterpreting and innovating a variety of features with sustainability and energy efficiency,” Members of the group include longtime Davis real estate broker Dave Taormino, president of Taormino and Associates; and David J. Thompson, co-principal of Neighborhood Partners.
Plans for the 74-acre site call for 505 housing units. Of those, 284 would be single-family detached homes, 41 would be single-family attached homes, and 150 would be affordable senior apartments. Another 30 are anticipated for University Retirement Community expansion or a similar use. Single-story homes include: 1,400-1,800-square-foot houses along the greenway; 1,100-1,350-square-foot bungalows; 900-1,200-square-foot cottages; plus, small builder lots to accommodate custom or special needs. Estimated sale prices for the pre-planned single-family homes range from the mid-$300,000s to $700,000, and could be available in 2020.
The mission of the West Davis Active Adult Community is “to elevate ‘age in place’ to ‘thrive in place,’ with a thoughtful neighborhood design, blending the inclusiveness of Davis with principles that enhance older adult lifestyle.” Visit its website at https://westdavisactive.com/.

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