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Who Killed the Building? · Case brief · October 22, 2026

Village Farms Davis (Measure V)

Davis · Yolo County · California · https://whokilledthebuilding.com/projects/davis-village-farms-2026

Proposed 1,800-unit master-planned community on approximately 498 acres on the northern edge of Davis off Covell Boulevard. 15-year buildout. Would be surrounded on three sides by existing neighborhoods. Requires rezoning from Agriculture to Urban Agriculture Transition Area and Residential Low, Medium, and High Density. Davis's Measure J-R-D (first adopted 2000) requires citywide voter approval for any such rezoning. The Davis City Council unanimously placed the project on the June 2, 2026 ballot as Measure V. The project Environmental Impact Report is over 5,000 pages and was unanimously certified by the city. Davis voters rejected Measure V on June 2, 2026, 11,690 to 11,414, a margin of 276 votes. The project's housing plan designated 20 percent of the homes, 360 units, as affordable, and the developer pledged 16 acres of land and $6 million toward affordable housing; opponents disputed whether those commitments were binding.

Project facts

JurisdictionDavis, Yolo County
StatusDenied
Project typeMaster-Planned Community
AddressApproximately 498 acres on the northern edge of Davis, off Covell Boulevard
Units proposed1,800
Affordable units360
Date deniedJune 2, 2026
Housing elementIn compliance (HCD)

Mechanism and what it did

Decision-making bodies

Voters · Davis Voters

Timeline

DateEventWhat the record shows
February 11, 2026Placed on BallotDavis City Council certified the 5,000+ page EIR and unanimously voted to place Village Farms on the June 2, 2026 ballot as Measure V (Resolution No. 26-006). Yolo County ACE Department — Local Measures: https://ace.yolocounty.gov/407/Local-Measures
March 11, 2026Ballot Arguments FiledOfficial ballot arguments and rebuttals released, formally documenting the divide. Opponents emphasized scale of earthwork (one million cubic yards of soil) and impacts on environment and infrastructure. Supporters emphasized 5,000+ page EIR, flood engineering to 200-year standards, and findings of no contamination risk. Davis Vanguard, March 11, 2026: https://davisvanguard.org/2026/03/village-farms-davis-housing-crisis/
May 5, 2026Sacramento Bee EndorsementSacramento Bee Editorial Board formally endorses Yes on Measure V. Davis Vanguard reporting on Sacramento Bee endorsement: https://davisvanguard.org/2026/05/village-farms-davis-expansion/
June 2, 2026Measure V Fails: Voters Reject Village Farms by 276 VotesDavis voters rejected Measure V, 11,690 to 11,414 (50.6 to 49.4 percent), a margin of 276 votes. Yolo County certified the results in June. Davis Vanguard: https://davisvanguard.org/2026/07/davis-measure-v-results-analysis/

Decisions

DateBodyActionVoteStaff rec.Source
June 2, 2026Votersreferendum failed
Measure V. Certified result.
11414–11690UnknownDavis Vanguard: https://davisvanguard.org/2026/07/davis-measure-v-results-analysis/

Sources

  1. Local Measures — Yolo County (June 2, 2026 ballot), Yolo County ACE Department, February 11, 2026 [Planning Document]. https://ace.yolocounty.gov/407/Local-Measures Official county ballot information including the exact text of Measure V (Resolution No. 26-006).
  2. Ballot Arguments over Village Farms Reveal Deep Divide in Davis, Davis Vanguard, March 11, 2026 [News Article]. https://davisvanguard.org/2026/03/village-farms-davis-housing-crisis/ Detailed coverage of the official ballot arguments and rebuttals, with quoted statements from both sides.
  3. Davis is voting on Village Farms housing development. Here are the basics, Abridged, May 5, 2026 [News Article]. https://www.abridged.org/news/davis-is-voting-on-village-farms-housing-development-here-are-the-basics/ Includes campaign finance disclosures for the Yes on Measure V campaign and Realtor association spending.
  4. Sacramento Bee Endorses Village Farms Project as Test of Davis Housing Future, Davis Vanguard, May 5, 2026 [News Article]. https://davisvanguard.org/2026/05/village-farms-davis-expansion/ Davis Vanguard reporting on Sacramento Bee endorsement of Measure V.
  5. Davis voters face two major housing decisions in 2026, ABC10, May 6, 2026 [News Article]. https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/davis/davis-voters-face-two-major-housing-decisions-2026/103-41be7a7b-a09d-47f6-ae16-fad494cf8ec5 General overview of both Measure V (Village Farms, June) and the WillowGrove project (November ballot). Includes Matt Williams quotes.
  6. Will Measure V solve Davis' housing shortage or be a major mistake? Voters to decide, CapRadio (Chris Felts), June 1, 2026 [News Article]. https://www.capradio.org/articles/2026/06/01/will-measure-v-solve-davis-housing-shortage-or-be-a-major-mistake-voters-to-decide/
  7. Davis voters weigh Measure V housing project amid traffic and growth debate, CBS Sacramento (Kayla Moeller), June 1, 2026 [News Article]. https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/debate-davis-measure-v-residential-neighborhood-project/
  8. Primary election results one week later: Majority oppose Village Farms, Davis Enterprise, June 9, 2026 [News Article]. https://www.davisenterprise.com/news/primary-election-results-one-week-later-majority-oppose-village-farms-judicial-race-still-close/article_01028644-a283-4f8d-b10e-88a5c498e732.html
  9. Analysis: Precinct Data Suggest Measure V Was Defeated by Neighborhood Opposition Closest to Village Farms, Davis Vanguard, July 8, 2026 [News Article]. https://davisvanguard.org/2026/07/davis-measure-v-results-analysis/

Data quality

Rating 3 of 5. Multiple sources, including at least one primary record. Corrections: https://whokilledthebuilding.com/corrections.